QUALITY ROUGH

IMPERIAL JASPER

This is a slice of Imperial jasper from Mexico ready for polishing

Weight 48.35 cts app

Size 38 x 30 x 5 mm app

Imperial Jasper and the sub-variety known as Royal Imperial Jasper are found in Zacatecas, Mexico about 50 miles north of the city of Guadalajara. Imperial Jasper is considered as one of the best jaspers on the present jewellery market. The name of Imperial Jasper is derived from its noblest colors.

Jasper can contain various types of patterns and/or colour variations due to the formation process and is categorized as a tectosilicate. These pattern variations are created from the flow patterns in the sediments or volcanic ash saturated with silica which percolates through rock forming the jasper. Many of the so-called "picture jaspers" or "Picasso jaspers" can be brecciate, meaning that they are composed of angular fragments. Imperial jaspers can have an orbicular banding pattern that contains distinct "orbs" or spherical zones.