Jasper in handmade gemstone jewelry

I've always loved jasper because of it's beautiful, varied patterns and because it's very earthy in appearance and feel. It makes beautiful handmade gemstone jewelry.

The word "jasper" comes from the Greek word for "spotted stone". It is a form of chalcedony, or quartz, but is put in it's own classification because of it's grainy structure. (Quartz is the most abundant mineral on the earth, making up about 12% of the earth's crust.)

There are many varieties of jasper. It's usually striped, spotted, multicolored, or flamed, with uniform color being rare. There is also picture jasper, which appears to be a scene of nature and is one of the most treasured forms of jasper.Jasper is always opaque, although it may contain clear areas that look like quartz. It is colored by oxides of iron. It is mined just about everywhere in the world.

There are said to be many healing properties of jasper. It is thought to be grounding and balancing and helps mental and emotional stability. It is a major gemstone of Earth consciousness, and promotes environmental awareness. It helps sustain energy, gives courage, and relieves pain. Different jaspers have different qualities, for instance picture jasper is associated with visualization and harmony, red jasper is said to bring beauty and grace to women.

The hardness of jasper is 6.5 - 7 on the Mohs scale of hardness with 10 being the hardest.

Jasper is the state rock of Massachusetts.