Jasper - Meaning and Effect
The family of Jasper can support us in various aspects: The red Jasper strengthens the willpower, makes courageous and dynamic, so that we can full of energy to the implementation of our plans make. Unpleasant tasks and doubts can be tackled with the help of the stone. If a project does not lead to success at the first attempt, the landscape Jasper helps to take a new attempt.
Our extensive range with articles from the numerous different Jasper species, for example, tumbled stones from picture Jasper, chain strands of red Jasper, drilled stone parts from Brecciated Jasper, you can find here in our webshop.
Jasper has no color by itself, but all the fantastic colors and drawings are caused by the many different elements that are contained in it.
In total, jasper is used to describe a number of different looking gemstones, although the delimitation of the use of the term is not always very clear. The very old name "jasper" comes from the Orient (Assyrian aspü, Hebrew jaspeh) and was associated in ancient writings with other stones than today. Pliny describes the stone as "green or translucent of a different color". In other sources it appears as "most precious stone" and is compared with Rock Crystal (Bible, Rev. John 21, 22).
Today, jasper is understood to be a group of stones from the quartz family. They form a subgroup of chalcedony: microcrystalline-grainy varieties, mostly opaque and with up to 20% foreign inclusions. It is precisely these inclusions that cause the various colorations and patterns of jaspers, with iron compounds and silicate minerals being the most common admixtures. The classic jaspers include Heliotrope (Bloodstone), Plasma, and red jasper. In trade, other silicate rocks are often called "jasper", even if the exact mineralogical definition does not apply to them, such as ocean jasper, dalmatian jasper, leopard skin jasper.
Mineralogical profile red jasper
Chemical Formula: SiO2
Mineral Class: Oxide, Quartz Group
Evolution: Sedimentary, as crevice fill, rock breccia, or in larger masses by silicification and consolidation of sedimentary rocks
Color: Brick red to reddish brown,
Gloss: Waxy luster to matte
Crystal system: trigonal
Coar hardness: 6.5 to 7
Splitness: no splitting, conchoidal, splintery fracture
Source, main supplying countries: South Africa, USA, Madagascar, Australia, Mexico and India; smaller occurrences are present in Germany, Austria and the UK, as well as in most other European countries.
Appearance: opaque, massive chunks of the most varied drawings, partly interspersed with quartz veins
Use: Red Jasper is a popular jewelry and decorative stone, which is processed since ancient times as a ring stone, chain, pendant, etc.. He is traditionally considered a stone that strengthens will, perseverance and stamina. Accordingly, stone medicine also uses it to promote dynamism in life. In astrology, jasper is used to strengthen drive and assertiveness of Libra-born people. In the Native American medicine wheel, it is the totem of the Rabe moon (Libra).
In Gemstone Balance, red Jasper is applied when an activating, invigorating treatment is desired.
Red Jasper has been known since ancient times and is mentioned in several places in the Bible, Gilgamesh and Pliny's Natural Histories. At that time, the distinction between individual stones and minerals was not so clearly delineated and closely studied; therefore, many stones called "agate" in ancient texts are actually jasper.
Mineralogical profile picture jasper / landscape jasper
Chemical Formula: SiO2
Mineral Class: Oxides, Quartz Group
Evolution: Sedimentary, in weathering zones
Color: Light to dark brown
Glossiness: Waxy luster to matte
Crystal system: Trigonal
Coar hardness: 6.5 to 7
Cleavability: no cleavability, conchoidal or uneven fracture
Occurrence: South Africa, India, USA
Appearance: rough, massive pieces with landscape-like drawings in various shades of brown
Use: Landscape jasper is a decorative stone suitable mainly for large objects due to its drawing. In stone medicine, it is used for inner stability and security in difficult and stressful life situations. Astrology uses the stone in Aquarius and Pisces-born to convey more earthiness and inner peace.
Landscape Jasper consists of beige to light brown stone with dark brown and black bands that look like a landscape. In fact, this stone is just an ordinary stone - but with beautiful drawings. This drawing was created by water that penetrated the rock and deposited brown minerals containing iron. If you look at a large stone, you can see that these brown bands run around the rock - much like an Agate Geode, each piece has its own individual banding. The markings in landscape jasper depend more on the characteristics of the rock than on the minerals being browned by iron. Water quickly seeps into all crevices of the rock. In the rock itself, the water seeps only more slowly - because even rocks are not "rock hard" and water can penetrate between the individual grains. The resulting wide bands usually run parallel to the crevices and can also be deeper in the rock. The water can easily penetrate several meters deep into the rock!
Even if the landscape jasper is "only" a stone, it arouses emotions: If you look at the drawing of the stone a little longer and let it act on you, landscapes, buildings, animals or even people become recognizable, which stimulate the imagination.
Products made of a huge variety of jasper can be found here - prices for retailers only!
Mineralogical profile ocean jasper
Chemical formula: SiO2
Mineral class: Oxides, quartz group, spherulitic chalcedony
Evolution: igneous from hydrothermal silica solutions in volcanic rocks (rhyolite)
Color: colorless, white, light blue, green, brown, z.T. with red or pink flecks
Gloss: vitreous luster to matte
Crystal system: trigonal
Moh hardness: 6.5 to 7
Splitness: none; conchoidal fracture
Occurrence, main supplying countries: Madagascar
Appearance: rock with most diverse drawings of colorless, white, light blue, green or brown layers, in which gray, shelly-brown or radially ray-green globules (spherulites) are found. These most different signatures make each ocean jasper a unique specimen!
Use: Ocean Jasper became known only in 2001 as a gemstone and collectible mineral, but immediately found immense popularity. Also in the stone medicine he already counts to the "top ten".
Astrologically, it is assigned to the water signs Cancer and Pisces and the air signs Gemini and Libra.
Mineralogical profile leopard skin "jasper"
Chemical composition: Quartz, Feldspar, Hornblende, volcanic rock
Origin: Volcanic, acidic effusive rock
Color: Various shades from reddish to brown and yellow
Gloss: waxy luster to matte
Crystal systems: trigonal (quartz), monoclinic (Feldspar, Hornblende), triclinic (Feldspar), z.T. amorphous (volcanic glass)
Coar hardness: 5.5 to 7
Splitability: no splitability, uneven, granular fracture
Source, main supplying countries: Mexico
Appearance: yellow-reddish groundmass with roundish sprinkles
Use: leopard skin jasper (rhyolite) is used as a decorative and ornamental stone. In stone medicine, it is used to provide inner peace in stressful life situations, as well as to strengthen the power of resistance. Astrology knows leopard skin jasper as a stone that brings peace and balance to Aries and Leo-born people.
Mineralogical profile brecciated jasper
Chemical formula: SiO2
Mineral class: oxide, quartz group
Evolution: Sedimentary, as fissure fillings or in nodules, cementation of angular angular fragments with quartz as binder
Color: brown-red, creamy yellowish
Gloss: waxy gloss to matte
Crystal system: trigonal
Moh hardness: 6.5 to 7
Splittability: no splittability, conchoidal fracture, splintery
Source, main supplying countries: South Africa, USA, India, Russia
Appearance: opaque, rough pieces with angular Findings
Use: Brecciated jasper is a popular jewelry and decorative stone. Like red jasper, it is generally considered a warrior's stone, strengthening endurance and stamina. Accordingly, it is also used in stone healing to strengthen the will and resilience, as well as to remain dynamic and flexible in difficult situations. In astrology, it is used to strengthen the ability of Libra-born to put ideas into action and realize them.
Huge variety of jasper as donut, tumbled stones, stringed beads and much more