Kiwi Jasper Identification Guide
Identify Kiwi Jasper (Sesame Jasper) by its pale base speckled with green and black spots, hardness, and composition.
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What Kiwi Jasper Looks Like
Kiwi Jasper—also sold as Sesame Jasper—is a trade name for a speckled stone whose white-to-pale-gray base is dotted with small green and black spots, resembling the seedy flesh of a kiwi fruit. Despite the "jasper" label, it is generally a silica/quartz-rich rock peppered with inclusions (often interpreted as amazonite-type green feldspar and black tourmaline/amphibole or manganese minerals). Luster is dull to waxy on rough surfaces, glassy when polished; it is opaque.
Quick visual cues
- Light (white/cream/gray) background
- Scattered small green spots plus distinct black flecks
- Even, "speckled-egg" distribution of dots
- Opaque; takes a smooth polish
Step-by-Step Field ID Checklist
- Check the base color. Pale, near-white ground is essential (green-dominant ground points to Kambaba, not Kiwi).
- Examine the spots. Both green AND black flecks should be present and fairly evenly scattered.
- Test overall hardness. Silica-rich zones scratch glass (~Mohs 6.5-7); softer spots may be feldspar (~6).
- Streak: white to gray.
- Acid: typically no fizz; test a hidden spot if a calcite-bearing variety is suspected.
- Confirm opacity: fully opaque, unlike translucent banded agate.
Key Diagnostic Tests
- Mohs hardness: ~6.5-7 overall (quartz-dominant), with softer inclusions.
- Streak: white/gray.
- Fracture: uneven to conchoidal; no cleavage in the silica matrix.
- Acid: generally inert.
- Magnetism: non-magnetic.
- Note: "Kiwi Jasper" is a marketing name; composition varies by batch, so rely on the speckled appearance plus quartz-range hardness.
Common Look-Alikes and How to Tell Them Apart
- Dalmatian Stone/Jasper: very similar white base with black spots, but Dalmatian usually lacks the green spotting; Kiwi adds green flecks.
- Kambaba Jasper: green-and-black but on a dark green ground with rings/orbs—Kiwi is pale-ground and evenly speckled.
- Leopard Skin Jasper: ringed "rosette" spots on tan/pink ground, not the fine even green/black peppering.
- Amazonite rock: dominated by blue-green feldspar masses rather than a pale jasper base.
Where It Is Found
Material sold as Kiwi/Sesame Jasper comes largely from Madagascar and other lapidary sources, supplied as tumbled stones, beads, and cabochons. Because it is a trade product, locality data is often vague; identification rests on its distinctive pale, green-and-black speckled look.
Frequently asked questions
What is Kiwi Jasper made of?
It is a quartz/silica-rich rock with scattered inclusions—usually pale green feldspar (amazonite-type) and black minerals such as tourmaline or manganese phases—on a white-to-gray base, giving its kiwi-fruit speckled look.
How can you tell real Kiwi Jasper?
Look for a pale background evenly peppered with both green and black spots, an opaque body, and quartz-range hardness (about 6.5-7) that scratches glass; green-dominant ground or banding indicates a different stone.
Kiwi Jasper vs Dalmatian Stone—what's the difference?
Both have a pale base with black spots, but Kiwi Jasper also shows distinct green flecks, while Dalmatian Stone is typically just black-on-white without the green.
Is Kiwi Jasper the same as Sesame Jasper?
Yes, the names are used interchangeably for the same pale, green-and-black speckled lapidary stone; both are trade names rather than strict mineralogical species.