Jasper is one of the most common minerals on Earth. A rich palette of shades, exquisite patterns, physical properties of this stone, unusual texture attract jewelers and stone carvers. We will talk about what jasper is in this material. You will learn what this mineral looks like, how it is formed, when it was mined and where it is used.
Description of jasper
The concept of "jasper" combines a large class of siliceous rocks. Amazing patterns on the surface of the mineral and a variety of colors are formed due to various impurities, which affect the appearance of this semi-precious stone. The color palette of jasper is wide - from white to red and blue shades. There are purple, green and even black minerals. Stones of pure color are almost never found in nature. Much more often in the structure of jasper there are various inclusions. They create stripes, light or dark spots, ornaments that resemble fantasticlandscapes.
In ancient times in Russia, jasper was called jasper. This name comes from the Greek iaspis, which translates as "motley". In European countries, the mineral had several names: German lapis, tiger stone, meat agate. The current name of the mineral became popular in the 50s of the XIX century.
When the mineral began to be mined and used
About what jasper is, people have known since the Neolithic. In those distant times, people valued this stone for its high hardness. It was used to make tools, spearheads and arrowheads. This fact is confirmed by the numerous finds of archaeologists discovered during excavations in the territories where the Neanderthal sites were located.
Like most semi-precious stones, jasper began to be used in jewelry when the art of processing this mineral reached a fairly high level. The stone was considered magical and sacred. For this reason, amulets, talismans, symbols of religion were made from it. Jasper jewelry began to appear on the clothes of rulers and priests.
In the Middle Ages, jasper was used to decorate temples and churches. In Europe, the mineral was considered a symbol of modesty and fortitude, courage. That is why monks and priests wore jasper. The active use of this semi-precious stone in Russia began only in the 18th century, when the gem became especially popular as a durable and beautiful facing material.
It was used to decorate palace halls and rooms,jasper inlaid magnificent furniture. Real masterpieces were paintings made from the thinnest jasper plates. In all centuries, the Ural jasper was recognized as the highest quality. In the 19th century, it was considered the unsurpassed leader among all minerals mined in the world.
Stone Formation
To understand what jasper is, you need to know how the mineral is formed in nature. The basis of the semi-precious stone, which belongs to quartz crystals, is silicon. Any mineral rock that contains quartz grains joined by a siliceous-chalcedony cement composition can be called jasper.
For a long time, geologists were interested in the origin of jasper, but the peak of the study of this amazing mineral fell on the 18th-19th centuries. There are a huge number of varieties of jasper, and the origin of some of them remains a mystery today.
Scientists have come to the conclusion that high-quality jasper is primarily a volcanic rock. In addition, there are varieties that were formed during the fossilization of ancient marine animals and plants.
Chemical characteristics of the mineral
Chalcedony and quartz make up 60% to 95% of the total mass of the stone. The rest is manganese and iron oxides. These metals in various proportions color jasper green, brown, black and blue. The chemical formula of this mineral is typical for quartz - SiO2. In its composition, the level of impurities can be quite high (up to 20%). Jasper may contain the following elements:
- Hematite. Thanks to him, the mineral is painted in a pale pink or deep red color.
- Iron. Gives the mineral shades of yellow and brown.
- Magnetite. The stone is painted in rather rare colors - black and purple.
- Chlorite. With a high content of this substance, jasper acquires the whole gamut of green shades.
Often in nature there is jasper with an admixture of pomegranate. It depends on its shade whether the resulting jasper will be red or green. More rare and valuable specimens are stones containing fossils of ancient algae.
Physical properties
What is jasper in terms of its physical properties? This is an opaque ornamental stone that has a characteristic waxy sheen when polished. Its main characteristic is the hardness, which according to Mohs is about 7 units. The density of the mineral varies from 2.65 to 2.7 g/cm3. The stone is easily processed and polished. Due to its strength and long service life, it is a sought-after ornamental material.
Main deposits
Jasper deposits are found all over the world. The largest and most famous of them are located in Russia, India, the USA, Egypt, in some European countries - Germany, France, the Czech Republic. The oldest mining sites are concentrated in Egypt and India.
The most famous deposits of jasper in our country are located in the Altai and the South Urals. In the Urals, deposits stretch from north to south. Eight unique types of jasper are mined here:
- Landscape(variegated, ores). Black and brown dendrites of iron oxides resemble shrubs and trees. The gray background of the minerals is reminiscent of a foggy, misty morning sky.
- Kalinin plain, gray-greenish jasper.
- Koshkuldinskaya ribbon, which has no analogues in the world, with beautiful combinations of thin dark or bright red and crimson, green stripes.
- Yamskaya streaky dark cherry or fawn.
- Malomuynakovskaya ribbon, which has a unique jet pattern of wide dark green and pale yellow ribbons.
- Aumkul landscape jasper in a soft fawn tone with brownish or black tree-like images.
- Pigmented Urazov jasper.
- Purple Berkutinskaya.
The most unusual variegated varieties are mined on Mount Colonel in Orsk.
Using Jasper
Jasper is a mineral valued by specialists and connoisseurs of gems for its decorative effect. A variety of colors and patterns allows the use of the mineral in jewelry and stone cutting. Jasper jewelry (you can see a photo of some samples below) is quite interesting and exquisite. And this is despite the fact that, as a rule, silver and brass act as the basis, much less often - gold. Paintings and decor items made from this mineral are highly valued. Tourists from abroad are happy to buy souvenirs from this mineral.
Due to the high strength of the stone, it is used as a technical raw material. Prisms are made from it.rolls, stone mortars, etc. Jasper is also used in interiors as an elite and expensive finishing material, which is used to decorate walls and floors, fireplaces and columns. A crumb of jasper can be used to decorate the site and garden.
Healing properties
Since ancient times, people have known what jasper is. The healing properties of the mineral have been used since ancient times. With the help of jasper in China, diseases of the liver, kidneys and stomach were treated. The ancient Romans were sure that wearing this stone around the neck significantly accelerates recovery from many ailments. And the Greeks believed that the healing power of a stone depends on its color:
- White jasper helps with despondency and depression, relieves neurotic disorders.
- Red jasper was used to stop bleeding. It is used to prevent many female ailments, normalize the menstrual cycle in case of blood pathologies.
- Brown mineral prolongs youth, can treat dermatitis and allergies, mental disorders.
- Yellow jasper has a beneficial effect on the endocrine system, improves the absorption of vitamins C, B and A, various trace elements. It treats gallbladder pathologies and removes toxins from the body.
- Green mineral improves digestion and breathing, smell and vision, strengthens blood vessels.
Magical Properties
Astrologers around the world recognize the magical properties of jasper. In ancient times, tiles were made from the mineral, which were laid on the thresholds of temples, decorated with them the doors leading to the caches wheresacred relics.
Talismans and amulets protected people from the evil eye and damage, and the house - from intruders and thieves. Quite often, purses were decorated with jasper to prevent theft. Warriors inserted it into the hilt of the sword to protect against enemies.
Stone properties: who suits jasper?
The elements of the mineral are Earth and Air, and its planets are Jupiter and Mercury.
Jasper relieves Virgo of the passion for teaching, makes their character more reasonable and easy. Suitable mineral and Capricorn (but only light shades). Under the influence of the gem, Taurus will forget about outbursts of anger, get rid of conservatism, and gain flexible thinking. Who else is suitable for jasper stone? The properties of the mineral, according to astrologers, patronize creative people, so it suits Aquarius and Gemini. A talisman with such a stone should be purchased by Libra: it will give them great confidence in their abilities, relieve them of the doubts that haunt them. Jasper helps Sagittarius and Leo to find peace of mind. But a stone can harm Aries: representatives of this sign may lose self-confidence, the mineral will bring them bad luck.
Jasper supports the sensitive and vulnerable representatives of Pisces. She gives them creative ideas. Significantly softens the gem character of Scorpio, establishes its contact with people. The mineral can be useful to Cancers, but only its light shades (white, blue, light green). Red stones will make Cancer experience failure more strongly, deprive of spiritual strength.
Interesting facts about jasper
We told you aboutwhat is jasper. A few interesting facts about the mineral will complement the information received:
- This mineral is still considered one of the most powerful healing stones.
- The unique Buddha statue, which is entirely carved from green jasper, weighs five tons. It is located in one of the temples in Thailand.
- A very hard mineral, a symbol of perseverance, was used to make a mace for Bohdan Khmelnitsky himself.
- The Hermitage has a huge collection of jasper items. A giant vase with a diameter of more than five meters, weighing 19 tons, is the largest exhibit of the museum. The vase is made of Revnevskaya jasper, which has an exquisite ribbon ornament and a greenish tint.
- Jasper was also used to decorate the palaces of the Moscow Kremlin: fireplaces were lined with beautiful blue stone.
- Some gem nuggets were so valuable they were treated as precious stones.
- Many prominent Russian artists and scientists appreciated jasper. Lomonosov and Pushkin especially loved this stone. The latter believed that jasper gives good luck in love.
How to distinguish a real stone from a fake?
Most often, natural stone is replaced with ordinary plastic. In order not to buy a fake instead of genuine jewelry, you need to pay attention to several aspects:
- Plastic, unlike hard and dense jasper, is a fragile material.
- Natural stone has a characteristic waxy sheen, it is not transparent and can be easily polished with suede.
- Stone stays longercold in hand, unlike plastic.
- Jasper is significantly heavier than plastic of the same size.
In order not to get a fake, never buy gems on street stalls. Significantly reduces the risk of buying fake jewelry in a jewelry store. But even there you should not lose vigilance.
