Natural stone jasper, like opal, quartz, carnelian, jade, agate, is silicon oxide of volcanic origin from the Paleolithic era. In ancient Greece it was called the mother of all stones. Few people know that these minerals were formed over many millions of years due to the close fusion of rock crystallized siliceous rocks with the remains of fossil microorganisms of the ancient ocean floor. The fantastic coloring of gems based on this chemical compound is explained by the presence of pigment additives of oxides of various metals and minerals. Therefore, it is sometimes difficult for a non-specialist, far from gemology, to distinguish them from, for example, chalcedony, jade or aventurine.
Jasper stories
A description of the influence of the variegated breed in the history of mankind will take more than one book.
In any country, jasper has long been an honored guest, and everywhere it was used:
- the Greeks put a piece of stone in the bed of a woman in labor;
- in Rome they carved the names of patients on plates of stones;
- Egyptian priests could not perform rituals without figurines of gods and magical seals carved from jasper;
- the first Christians dedicated the stone to the Apostle Peter;
- medieval alchemists used utensils made from jasper.
The persistent belief that the stone is an excellent accomplice in amorous affairs forced our Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin to wear a jasper bracelet. But more about this in the article about green jasper.
Linguists about the name
Who gave the stone a name is completely unknown. There are versions and guesses:
- the ancient Greeks called such stones iaspis (jasper) - motley;
- from Greek passed into Latin, becoming jaspis along the way;
- Latin passed the baton to French in the 13th century, and the name became jaspe;
- the British changed the name of the stone; they make it sound like jasper.
Here is a short linguistic chain of names for the motley stone.
Not only in the Bible
In the main book of Christians, jasper is mentioned several times:
The wall of the New Jerusalem is built from this stone, and its light is like “like a jasper stone.”
The stone adorned the breastplate of Aaron's judgment confidant.
And again about China... In Sima Qian’s “Historical Notes” there is a story about how “the Qin Zhao-wang sent a messenger with a letter to Hui-wen-wang, offering the latter fifteen cities in exchange for the famous jasper.”
It was called the “precious He jasper,” and the stone had a tragic history.
Such a different rock
Nature, like a crazy artist, “came off” on this rock. Geologists say that there is no shade or color that cannot be found in painted stones. True, blue is a rare color.
But any cut of stone is unique, and landscape jaspers speak of the genius of nature as an artist.
The untreated rock doesn't look as amazing. The ability of jasper to show beauty when cut is rarely found in gems.
In nature, you can walk past a delightful specimen of stone and not even notice it. We need a master who will “bring out the beauty that cannot be seen.”
Queen of vases
Today this is the largest vase on the planet, and it was made in Russia, by our craftsmen. So Russians still have something to be proud of. Although the vase was made in the middle of the 19th century.
Anyone can see this huge piece of Kolyvan jasper in the Hermitage.
There is also a huge Kolyvan vase made of jasper.
The vase is 5 meters in diameter and weighs 19 tons. It was cut out of a monolithic boulder. To get the vase into the palace, we had to dismantle part of the wall—it wouldn’t fit through the door. From the moment the huge stone was found until the vase was placed on the pedestal, 30 years passed.
Physics and chemistry of the breed
Jasper is not a mineral. This is a unique rock that consists of quartz, chalcedony, and various minerals. It is these minerals that give the jasper rock an unimaginable variety of colors.
We recommend: Fairytale patterns of MOSS AGATE
Breed characteristics:
- hardness about 7 on the Mohs scale;
- opaque;
- density 2.65 g/cm³.
- chemical composition: SiO2 80-95%; Al2O3 and Fe2O3 up to 15%; CaO 3-6% (etc.).
The texture of the rock can be very different - spotted, flattened, sometimes monochromatic.
Place of Birth
Our Stone Belt has the best deposits of the rock. Connoisseurs and lovers of stones know that the Jasper Belt of the Urals begins near the city of Miass, and stretches in a strip to Magnitogorsk, Orsk and further to the south for hundreds of miles.
The following can boast of painted stones:
- Miass;
- Uchaly;
- Sibay;
- Orsk.
Altai boasts Ridder jasper; red rock is found on the Kola Peninsula. In Crimea (in the spurs of Karadag) different types of jasper are mined.
Ural jasper is older than the Urals itself. It was born from the siliceous silts of the Devonian sea, which splashed where the Stone Belt of Russia was later erected. At that time, Pangea was being formed, and tectonic processes were distorting the face of the still young planet, filling it with magma and lavas. The magma cooled and turned to stone, and in the cauldron of movements of the earth’s crust, a beautiful and always so different motley stone was born.
Ural jasper
Ural jasper is one of the “big three” main gemstones of the Stone Belt (together with malachite and rhodonite). Products made from these stones have already glorified the stone cutters of the Urals in the world.
USSR postage stamp from the “Ural Gems” series.
And nature has endowed other continents with painted stone. There are jasper outcrops in:
- USA;
- France;
- Germany;
- India;
- Japan, and in other countries.
But nature gave the largest deposits of different species of such different breeds to our country.
Sadness: one of the best deposits - Mount Polkovnichya near Orsk - is now private property. Now, if you want to visit a hill that was previously accessible to everyone, you will have to ask permission from the owners...
Types of stone
Jasper has many names: jasper, jasper agate, Swiss or German lapis, speckled, tiger stone, basanite, blood jasper. This is explained by the large species diversity.
There is a beautiful legend that jasper is the melodies of the Earth, which did not disappear without a trace, but went into the depths, where they froze. This is why the stone has so many colors and patterns.
But practically the variety of varieties of jasper is explained by origin. The mineral is obtained from solidified lava mixed with the remains of plants and shellfish.
In fact, jasper is a type of siliceous rock, a mixture of quartz particles with various inclusions, the combinations of which are unpredictable. Due to this, the stone is opaque and can be painted in any shade of the rainbow (except dark blue).
Important! Only processed jasper becomes a semi-precious ornamental stone, which is sometimes even framed with valuable metals. Wild, unpolished jasper is of no interest to either artisans or magicians.
This gem with a smooth, durable surface is qualified by texture and color:
- uniform or plain - white, gray or dark green, wax, dove-blue, bright red, beige;
- ribbon (banded) - such stones alternate stripes or layers of different colors;
- agate jasper is a stone of amazing color, similar in structure to agate;
- jet – black or dark brown stone;
- variegated - gems have a spotted, concentric, streaky, calico or breccia texture;
- landscape - often in green tones, rich deposits in the Caucasus; heliotrope.
Jasper is mined in different countries: Russia (in the Urals and Altai), India, Egypt, America. Also in France, Austria, Czech Republic, Germany. Gems mined in the Caucasus and Crimea are valued.
What color is jasper?
These rocks are given their color by the minerals that make up the stone.
- black, red, brown color will be given by oxides and hydroxides of manganese and iron;
- green jasper is given color by chlorites and epidotes;
- blue tones will be introduced by actinolite, glaucophane, riebeckite;
- hematite will give shades of red and pink;
- purple and black jasper received their color from impurities of magnetite or pyrite;
- Pure white jasper is practically never found. There are always inclusions of minerals of other colors;
- red jasper has a brick-red color, with veins, spots, and stripes;
- blue, lilac jasper is irnimite; jasper-shaped rock. Named after the deposit (Ir-Nimiyskoye);
- The gray, greenish-gray rocks of the Kalkan deposit are very good.
- brown and yellow colors are given to the stone by iron oxides and hydroxides.
Informative: Lenin’s sarcophagus is decorated with jasper.
Description
Contemplation of sand jasper seems to transport you to an African or other desert with its endless dunes and royal silence.
The soft, warm range of pastel colors is endless. This stone looks like sand in the desert.
Like other species, the origin of sand jasper is volcanic.
Pragmatic Americans came up with the names “Kalahari jasper” and “African queen” to commercially promote the semi-precious stone. They have become commercial brands.
Sand-colored jasper is known by several names: sandy, sandy, Kalahari, patterned, “African queen” jasper.
The Ural jaspers are similar in color: subpolar Ural, Tungatarovskaya, Orskaya, Aushkulskaya. But they are brighter and more colorful.
Treatment
Ancient Greece believed that jasper dishes would destroy any poison that was in food or liquid. And unpoisoned food will make the person who eats and drinks from such dishes healthier.
Jasper is a suitable amulet for a pregnant woman and her baby.
Informative: on one of the cuneiform tablets of Tel Amarna there is a record that the king of Mitanni sent Pharaoh Amenhotep III, who had epilepsy, a statue of the goddess Ishtar and the IASHPU stone.
Here's what lithotherapists say about the healing properties of jasper:
- Leopard jasper removes toxins from the body and eliminates unpleasant body odor. Useful in wound healing.
- White facilitates the course of mental and emotional illnesses.
- Stops bleeding and relieves toothache. The stone is red and red in color.
- Jasper of any color and shade will help treat stomach diseases.
- A green stone can help cure vision loss and eye diseases.
- Light-colored jasper will help slow down the progression of senile dementia.
- Kidney diseases and problems with the genitourinary system will be helped by orange stones.
- The healing properties of gray rock in its effect on the human brain. Slowing down the aging of the brain, helping in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.
- Leopard print stones will help with neuroses.
Interesting: one of the oldest thermal spas is located in China. It is about one and a half thousand years old. The mineral composition of the water is unique; there is no other like it on the planet.
All the emperors of the Celestial Empire came to take “jasper baths”.
Medicinal properties
In ancient times, healers from China, Rome and Greece noticed that jasper helped cope with various diseases. It was used to treat internal organs, increase overall endurance, and stop bleeding.
Stones of different colors also have different properties.
- White: help with psychological problems (depression, apathy and despondency), as well as neuroses and irritability.
- Red: used in antiquity to stop bleeding. They are believed to be useful for improving the menstrual cycle and diseases of the circulatory system.
- Brown: strengthen immunity, prolong youth.
- Yellow: associated with the gallbladder, accelerate the elimination of toxins, improve the absorption of vitamins.
- Orange: makes the skin healthier and more beautiful, gives strength.
- Greens: help preserve and improve vision, support the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.
The rock absorbs the negative energy of the body accumulated as a result of illnesses and experiences. It is used to relieve pain, relax, and relieve stress.
Nowadays, jasper is used as a material for massage instruments. Scrapers are made from it for massage, and rounded stones are heated and placed on the back after the session. It also makes a person psychologically calmer, and recovery occurs faster.
The magic of jasper
For a long time, multi-colored stones have been amulets for travelers. For centuries (and sometimes even now), roads have been dangerous for travelers. Dashing people, bad roads, criminals - a piece of the treasured stone had to be protected from all this.
- And since ancient times, magicians and priests have assured that every thing made of jasper in the house is a constant “harmonizer” of space.
- The magic of the stone works well when paired with a silver frame. Jasper “does not like gold.”
- The magical properties of jasper stone will help childless couples have a child. All you need to do is place a piece of stone under your pillow before going to bed.
- If you want to avoid being visited by unkind people, make floors from jasper. At least in the hallway. The magical properties of jasper will provide protection from intruders.
- And blue jasper is still used by magicians and initiates to remove damage and for some magical rituals.
- The gray stone is worn as a pendant or a small talisman in a wallet to attract money and increase financial flows into the family.
Price
Average prices for sand jasper products in Russian stores (RUB):
- clips (silvering) – 320;
- donut pendant (diameter 40 mm) – 710;
- beads (15-17 mm) – 1,500;
- bracelet (10-12 mm) – 750;
- animal figurine (70x40x30 mm) – 4,700
- ball (40 mm) – 1,450;
- tumbling (15-20 mm) – 40.
Barkhany jasper ring
These are the prices of stones from South Africa or Namibia.
The stars give gifts
Astrologers believe that the patron planets of jasper are Mercury and Jupiter.
The elements of stone are Earth and Air.
Wednesday and Thursday are the days when the effect of jasper on humans intensifies.
On Wednesday, great luck will accompany business people and entrepreneurs. Thursday is the day of Jupiter, the planet of happiness, spirituality and prosperity.
Jasper is suitable for many zodiac signs. His energy is bright and kind. The energy of protection from the evil eye, negativity, and evil eyes.
Jasper products
Whoever gets help from jasper according to their zodiac sign will be told by the color of the rock.
Fire signs will receive great support from red and orange stones.
For Water signs, a gray stone will suit them, or they will have to find blue, the most expensive of the jaspers.
Air signs, wear jewelry made of white, sandy, yellowish stone.
Earth signs - you can benefit from wearing green, brown, brownish stones.
For example, according to the horoscope, Leo is compatible with a red stone.
Healing capabilities of the mineral
The healing stone has been used since ancient times. Healers have found out how the smell of the mineral affects a person. The aroma affects the brain and strengthens taste buds. Spirituality is strengthened and thoughts are purified.
The doctors found that after the session the body strengthens and the functioning of internal systems improves. Ancient doctors treated patients with black gems after surgery and severe pathologies. Jet changes the patient’s condition before medical procedures that frighten a person.
Suspicious and fearful people received help from good natural forces and steadfastly withstood surgical interventions. The dark stone heals not only the psyche. There is a list of pathologies in which the effect of the healing stone is noticeable:
- kidney diseases;
- convulsive appearances;
- gout;
- female and male infertility;
- joint pain;
- low pressure.
The significance for humans is so multifaceted that new data are emerging about the capabilities of crystalline formations. In scientific and research works, doctors publish information about the benefits and healing properties of the original black placers.
Also read: Siderite - a simple “piece of iron” or a precious stone?
Let it sparkle with purity
It is quite possible to keep your jewelry in its original purity. Follow simple rules, and when worn, the stone will delight you with its beauty and variety of colors.
Product care is simple:
- Give your jewelry its own storage space. It could be a box, a box, a bag made of thick fabric, or just a gripper.
- If your jasper jewelry gets dirty, wash it with warm soapy water (just dissolve neutral, preferably baby soap in water). Then rinse and dry gently with a napkin. The use of any household chemicals is not recommended, no “Tides”, “Fairies” and other imported perversions.
- Polish the pebble with chamois from time to time. For him, it's the same as a massage for you.
- Cleaning with steam and ultrasound is possible, but not advisable. In this matter, “old-fashioned methods” are safer.
Mining locations
Ornamental jet is a by-product of mining. It is mined from shallow seams of high-quality brown coal. The geography of deposits is partly dictated by market demand. Currently, about 20 fields are in operation.
Meter-long slabs of black amber were found at the Zorinskoye deposit in Transbaikalia. The polished specimens grown here with a mirror-like shine are valued for interior decoration. No less famous are the stones from Transcaucasia, grown in the Kutai coal region. The deposits are located in Kamchatka, Sakhalin, Siberia, Crimea and the North Caucasus.
The largest and most famous mining sites are in England. Jet is mined in Germany, Spain, France and the USA.
No to fakes!
In general, there is no point in counterfeiting jasper. There are many deposits of it, there are countless types of jasper... Not a single decent craftsman would undertake to counterfeit these stones. Although in processing it is stubborn and unyielding (its hardness is very considerable). In addition, the stone is not cut, but cabochons are made. The colors show up in full on them.
Bracelet with jasper
Natural jasper, processed by a good craftsman, has a shine and color that matches the type of breed.
The stone looks like jasper, but it doesn’t shine, which means it could be a fake. Or poor-quality polishing of the cabochon.
But here everything is counterfeited. Ordinary glass, acrylic or plastic can be passed off as jasper, but not artificial stones.
It is possible to identify such fakes. Some methods may anger the seller:
- Non-destructive testing method. If you suspect that a jasper product contains plastic, place your finger on the stone. The plastic will heat up almost instantly; the gem, like all stones, will remain cool for some time.
- Destructive testing method. Hold the stone over an open fire (this could be a simple lighter). Real jasper will be nothing, but plastic and acrylic will begin to melt, smell disgusting and become deformed. Attention: most likely, the seller will be strongly against such a check.
- Here is another non-destructive testing method. Fake acrylic may be slightly transparent. The real breed is opaque. Add to this a test for thermal conductivity, and it becomes clear whether it is a fake or a natural stone.
- Glass, even painted, will be transparent in places, unlike natural ornamental stone. Touching it with your finger, it heats up very quickly, means that you are holding glass in your hand.
- Next is the destructive testing method. Most likely, you can only use it at home by hitting a stone with a hammer. Jasper is not easy to split, but glass will shatter even with a light blow. And on the jasper chips there will be a pattern that continues the pattern on the surface.
Just be careful when buying jewelry.
Product care
The appearance of jewelry deteriorates due to scratches that appear on noble metals (silver, platinum group, gold), cupronickel, nickel silver. The frame should be protected from mechanical damage, since not every jeweler will undertake the removal of deep scratches.
Metals and alloys darken during wear and storage. They need to be polished periodically. It is better to do this in a jewelry workshop, using professional equipment.
Everything mentioned above applies to jewelry frames. But the jasper itself, the inserts and beads made from it are very durable. They do not require special care while wearing. This stone, which has the strength of quartz, does not change color and structure when exposed to sweat, sebaceous skin secretions, lotions containing alcohol, cologne, creams and even acetone. The polishing of cabochons will not be affected by constant wear if the inserts and beads do not come into contact with an abrasive material that is stronger than silica (emery dust, corundum, high-strength steel).
The stone must be protected from dyes. They are absorbed into the porous veins and change their color. This also applies to light-colored stone, which contains areas of low density.
