![]() ![]() Let’s take a look at four of the most common. Some of these are quite common and while beautiful… they’re not a jasper. All of which are on private property, with one spot being in a state park. The vein runs for several miles and is found in four known locations. It is found primarily on the back side of the El Toro Mountain Peak. Jasper is often used to describe nearly any colorful stone that probably is silica-rich. Morgan Hill Poppy Jasper is found near the city of Morgan Hill in Santa Clara County in Northern California. The world of trade names often complicates matters for purists. Many things that people call jaspers… aren’t. It can be found from the mine owners on eBay, where they use the handle lapidary_central. For lapidaries, however, it’s often worth the price as the end result of cabbing and polishing this material is second-to-none in the world of jaspers. Since it’s only available in one location and is quite unique, this form of jasper can be quite expensive. Some of this material even has a Shiller optical effect. This petrified wood gives many of the distinctive patterns that can be found within the material. Kaleidoscope Jasper appears to be a form of fossilized wood for the most part. It’s only found in a family-run mine in Oregon, but it’s unique enough that it bears discussing. These colors are often much brighter than that found in most jaspers, and some have a wooden pattern to them. Red JasperĪ post shared by Lapidar圜entral jasper is a form of jasper that often bears brilliant colors in broad bands. ![]() Rather than going over dozens of locales, we’re going to focus primarily on the types of jasper and then we’ll discuss some locations where they can be found. For lapidaries, this only means a little bit more work, but jasper is also a favored material of flintknappers, who may heat treat those that have a coarser grain to make them flake more easily. Some will be a bit more coarse, which makes them a bit rougher to work, while the “fine” jaspers are every bit as hard and smooth as any form of translucent chalcedony. It generally has a hardness of 7.0 on the Moh’s scale, which makes it suitable for everything from rings to bracelets, which isn’t possible with all stones. No two nodules are exactly alike, owing their colors to various impurities within the stone itself.Īs a general rule, jasper is suitable for jewelry. Jasper has long been a favorite due to the sheer variety of materials that can be found in the wild. To the unaided eye, it appears to be a smooth, waxy stone. Chalcedony itself is a complex intermixture of microscopic crystals of quartz and its polymorph moganite, combined at such a small level that it takes a thin slice and a microscope to make it out. Specifically, it’s an opaque variety of chalcedony. Jasper is a form of cryptocrystalline silica. Related: Jasper: Ultimate Guide To Collecting Jasper (What It Is and How To Find It) What is Jasper? So, let’s take a look at some types of jasper to help you see if you’ve got a new favorite, or just to take a look at some of the beautiful products the Earth produces. And not every stone that’s called “jasper” is actually of the same type. ![]() There are hundreds of different varieties, mostly dependent on the locale. It’s also among the stones that I find the most fascinating, as you’ll rarely know exactly what you’re going to end up with when you slice them open. ![]() I have also found jade here.Jasper is a fast favorite among those who collect stones. On this private property I find large, interesting pieces of jasper, agate-jasper and orbicular jasper though nice examples of 'poppy jasper' are hard to find anywhere in the area at this point. I, luckily, am able to collect on privet property on the south east side of the lake. I wouldn't count on finding much intersting jasper or the 'poppy jasper' the area is famous for in this area of the park. I believe, however, collecting is not really allowed here. Rangers may kick you out if they see you with hammers and chisels, though they shouldn't give you to much trouble if you are just carrying out a couple of pieces. Some of the chalcedony even seems to be carnelian. The bluest agate seems to be more present within the darkest red chert and jasper. Beyond the fence there is a trail leading down to the lake, follow the trail along the lakes edge around to the rock face where you can find jasper and agate-jasper chunks, magnesite viens are seen within the serpentine and agate veins within the chert. It cost about $2 for parking at Anderson Lake County Park. Mitchell.įollowing the one way road up to the dam, park at the far end of the damn (great views from the top of the dam). Jade.įor more info on this location see Site 62 in Gem Trails of Northern California by James R. Jasper, orbicular jasper, 'poppy jasper'. Anderson Lake, Morgan Hill, Santa Clara County, CA. ![]()
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