Jasper, a Versatile Stone

Jasper is not just another pretty stone.  It is a whole world of pretty stones.  Truly amazing and versatile.  Jasper is a combination of unique color patterns particularly once you begin to recognize them.

Let’s start by saying Jasper is from the Chalcedony (kal’ sedne) family. It is part of the larger quartz family and within you will find not only Jasper but also Onyx and Agate. Did I not say it was versatile? For today’s purposes we will only focus on Jasper as it is a most fascinating as well as affordable stone. It comes in about every color of the rainbow with the exception of purple. Still not sure if this is a stone for you? Well, keep reading and hopefully we can convince you of its functional worth.

Types of Jasper

Would you be surprised if I told you there are at least twenty different varieties of Jasper? Yup, and that’s only the ones I can think of off the top of my head. If you are familiar with stone you’ve probably already associated Jasper with the red or yellow types. But hold on, there is so much more! Check out this picture, curtesy of blog.cooltools.us

Do you see what I mean? Some of these stones are amazing! Instead of boring you with all the names, I’m only going to give you some of my very favorites. Names like, Ocean Jasper, Mookaite, Picture, Desert Sage, Bumble Bee, just to name a few. To me, some of these beautiful stones are just begging to be used in creating a fine piece of jewelry. Which brings us to our next subject about Jasper. How would you set it?

Before getting to the subject of setting this sexy stone, you are probably wondering just where Jasper can be found. The answer is almost everywhere. Seriously, most of the Jasper can be found in India and Venezuela. However, Russia, United States, France and Germany also have their fair share. My favorite thing is to go to rock shows (think Tucson) and drool over all the luscious choices you will have.

How to Use Jasper

There are numerous ways to use Jasper. You can set it in a ring, or earrings, or as a pendant. As I said above, very versatile. One thing to remember is that Jasper is about a 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs scale. Therefore it’s good and can be used in a variety of ways. Additionally you will find Jasper as beads and as cabochons. They can also be pre-drilled, polished and ready for a pendant or earrings. Neat stuff, huh?

With the variety of Jasper available, it is easy to become very creative when setting this stone. One of my favorite ways is to drill a Jasper cabachon and set a semi-precious stone within the hole. Then set the whole thing as pendant or ring and amaze your friends. You will never run out of ways to use Jasper. Below is a picture of a piece of Jasper which I set in Sterling Silver. Notice how the colors pop against this white sweater.

Functional, Versatile, or Just Delightful

To end this whimsical tour about Jasper, I want to reiterate the functionality, and versatility of this amazing stone. You will never get bored looking at all the beautiful colors. You will also be delighted with all the ways you can become creative using Jasper. Finding this stone should be easy if you have a good bead shop nearby. So, if you haven’t checked this stone out yet, please do so. You won’t be disappointed!

Elementas Jewelry also used Jasper in many of their pieces. Don’t forget to check us out!