Ocean Jasper Views
Ocean Jasper (also called Orbicular Jasper) is an unusual jasper found only at a remote location on the coast of Madagascar that can only be mined at low tide! The colors vary widely - including white, green, pink, red, black, blue. The wild polka dots, wavy lines, multi colored floret patterns of Ocean Jasper make this a gorgeous and exciting stone.
Various local or commercial names have been used for the material, such as kinradite, oregonite, owyhee jasper, ocean jasper and poppy-patterned jasper, depending on the source. Poppy-patterned jasper or poppy jasper is the varietal name for material from Morgan Hill, Santa Clara County, California. The trade name ocean jasper is used for a variety found along the intertidal shores of northeast Madagascar. In Nebraska orbicular jasper is found in altered rhyolite beds noted for a variety of jaspers and related agates.
This means that it is in the Quartz family and just like all other Jaspers it has a hardness of 6.5 to 7. Ocean Jasper is sometimes called Orbicular Jasper, a broad term given to several Jaspers displaying perfect circles throughout the piece. The peculiar orbs or e"bull's eyep" patterns are caused when Quartz and feldspar crystallize in radial aggregates of needle shaped crystals. A few of these other Orbicular Jaspers are Poppy Jasper and Leopard Skin Jasper. Many of these other orbicular jaspers are found in various locations throughout the world, however none are as rare as Ocean Jasper!The vibrant colors visible in Ocean Jasper are caused by many different minerals.
Red is caused by iron or hematite, light yellow or gray is caused by clay and brown or deep yellow is from goethite. Sometimes a dazzling display of sparkling tiny crystals occurs upon the surface. These little gems, known as druze, are the result of clear or white quartz formations. Many collectors seek specimens of Ocean Jasper with these unique crystals upon them.
Ocean Jasper Images
