Jasper is an opaque, fine grained, or dense gemstone that comes in a abundant variety of colors & patterns. The name comes from the Greek word iaspi meaning spotted stone. Jasper, an aggregate of microgranular quartz, cryptocrystalline chalcedony & other mineral inclusions, is an opaque, impure variety of silica.
Jaspers have been revered by ancient peoples & civilizations throughout the world as sacred & powerful stones of protection, for both the physical & spiritual realm. They were known as the “rain bringers” & nurturers, healers of the spirit & stones of courage & wisdom. The name can be traced back in Arabic, Persian, Hebrew, Assyrian, Greek and Latin, & the virtues of Jaspers have been extolled throughout the ages by the most noted physicians, magicians, poets, scientists, lapidaries and scholars.
Zebra Jasper is composed of fine-grained quartz particles & sericite (fine-grained white mica), along with alunite, kaolinite, and dickite. It typically features a background color of white, gray, greenish-gray, brown, or black, with contrasting banding. The width of the bands varies depending on the thickness of the beds they originate from. It is believed to have been created by
the rhythmic precipitation of iron oxide-rich bands during the rock alteration by percolating fluids moving throughout. Zebra Jasper is best described more accurately as a siltstone (fine-grained sedimentary rock made of consolidated silt).
Zebra Jasper is a stone that is said to focus on balance, harmony & deep spiritual healing. Just like the balance created with its striping, Zebra Jasper is said to have the power to create balance & unity between male & female energies.
