Red Flame Jasper features a beautiful matrix with contrasting hues of dark brick red & orange, along with subtle hints of soft yellow. The matrix pattern resembles a flame which is how this variety of jasper got its name.
Jasper, an aggregate of microgranular quartz and/or chalcedony and other mineral phases, is an opaque, impure variety of silica. Its name comes from the Greek word iaspi meaning spotted stone.
The patterns of jasper are formed during the process of mineral consolidation, determined by the exact flow & deposition of silica-rich sediments or volcanic ash. Jasper is often modified by other intruding impurities. As original deposits of silica materials naturally form with fissures and cracks after deposition, they are later filled by other minerals, such as iron oxide, manganese dioxide, metal oxide and sometimes organic matter. Jasper may contain up to 20 percent of such foreign materials or inclusions. which determine the color, pattern & appearance of the stone. Uniformly colored Jasper is uncommon, most Jasper is multicolored, spotted or banded. Different types of jasper display different lusters.
Jasper is a gemstone that has been used all over the world. The ancient priests of Egypt carved Jasper into beautiful jewelry while the Minoans used Jasper for seals. While Jasper is widely available today, the gemstone was once treasured as a valuable stone.
