Red Brecciated Jasper Pendant

About Red Brecciated Jasper

Red Brecciated Jasper is also known as the stone of passion and poppy jasper.

Jasper is an opaque variety of Chalcedony, microcrystalline fibrous Quartz. Brecciated Jasper comes from Greek word iaspi meaning "spotted stone" it is red with white streaks. During formation, Red Jasper was broken and crystals of hematite and/or quartz filled in the cracks creating beautiful lines, colors, and patterns within the stone. Giving it its name, Red Brecciated Jasper. It is mostly deep red, veined or patterned with red and with brown, black and beige, sometimes containing clear crystal inclusions. Hematite, an iron compound, gives it both its red tones and dark bands.

Egyptian priests wore Jasper in amulets that were covered with inscriptions from the Book of the Dead. They also wrapped mummies with it for protection in the afterlife. The Minoans of Crete used Jasper to carve seals for the palace of Knossos. The 12th stone in the breastplate of the Hebrew High Priest was Jasper and is said to be the foundation stone of New Jerusalem.

Found: all over the world including deposits in the United States, Egypt, Brazil, Australia, India, Canada, Russia, Uruguay, Madagascar, Kazakhstan, France, and Germany

Specific Gravity: 2.5 - 2.9
Refractive Index: Approximately 1.54
Chemical Composition: SiO2
Mohs Scale: 6.5 to 7