Polychrome Jasper, Cabochons, 50 or 100 Gram Lott Assorted Shapes & Sizes

Polychrome Jasper, Cabochons, Assorted Shapes & Sizes   

This image is of a similar assortment of 100 grams of Polychrome Jasper.     

50 gram lots will be 50% less pieces.   

Millimeter sizes mentioned are a suggested range, not a guarantee. 

Polychrome means “painted, printed, or decorated in several colors.” and Jasper means “spotted or speckled”. It is also known as Desert Jasper. When you see it, you understand how it has both these names because of all the colors and all the vivid colors found in a painted desert.

Polychrome was discovered in Madagascar in 2006. It forms in huge masses and the bold colors are caused from iron oxides inclusions. It comes in a rainbow of color, from browns, oranges, purples, blues, pinks, and greens. It can be banded, or swirled, or often has a circular pattern or orbs. It is also found in Australia, Mexico, Canada, Morocco, Egypt, China, Russia, and the United States (Oregon, California, Idaho, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada).

Jasper is a member of the chalcedony family. It is usually an opaque stone with a solid color or an irregular display of colors caused by various mineral impurities. Its colors are usually red, yellow, brown, or green in color and rarely blue. The common red color is due to iron inclusions. It often contains an abundance of impurities, and therefore some regard it as a rock instead of a mineral. Patterns arise during the consolidation process forming flow and depositional patterns in the original silica rich sediment or ash. The Jasper name means "spotted or speckled stone".

Jasper is known to have been a favorite gem in the ancient world; its name can be traced back in Arabic, Persian, Hebrew, Assyrian, Greek and Latin. Jasper in mentioned many times in the Bible. Green jasper was used to make bow drills between 4th and 5th millennium BC. 

Hardness 6-7

This is a natural stone that has had no treatment other than cutting, and polishing.