Description

Jasper, also known as spotted stone, is an opaque, impure variety of Quartz that is usually red, yellow or brown in color.  The mineral breaks with a smooth surface and is used for ornamentation or as a gemstone.  It can be highly polished and is used for vases, seals, and other decorative items. 

There are many types of jasper. Brecciated jasper is jasper that has been broken up internally and cemented together with chalcedony. The most common form is red or yellow jasper cemented with grey chalcedony, but there are many other color variations. The brecciation often leaves angular lines of jasper cut across the stone. Brecciated jasper can appear to be similar to breccia, a sedimentary rock composed of rock fragments in a cementing fine-grained matrix.