sedimentary
Mookaite Jasper
Silicified Porcellanite (SiO2 with impurities)
Hardness: 6.5-7 on Mohs scale. Color: Combinations of red, burgundy, mustard yellow, and cream. Luster: Vitreous to dull. structure: Microcrystalline/Cryptocrystalline. Cleavage: None (conchoidal fracture).
- Hardness
- 6
- Color
- Combinations of red, burgundy, mustard yellow, and cream
- Luster
- Vitreous to dull
Identified More sedimentary →
Identify your own rocks.
Get a report just like this from any photo, free.
Physical properties
Hardness: 6.5-7 on Mohs scale. Color: Combinations of red, burgundy, mustard yellow, and cream. Luster: Vitreous to dull. structure: Microcrystalline/Cryptocrystalline. Cleavage: None (conchoidal fracture).
Formation & geological history
Formed from the skeletal remains of radiolaria (microscopic marine organisms) deposited in shallow sea beds during the Cretaceous period (about 66-145 million years ago), which then underwent silicification.
Uses & applications
Primarily used in jewelry as cabochons, beads, and carvings. Also highly valued by collectors and used as a decorative stone in lapidary arts.
Geological facts
Mookaite is named after Mooka Creek in Western Australia, which is the only place in the world where this specific variety is found. The name 'Mooka' means 'running waters' in the local Aboriginal language.
Field identification & locations
Identify by its distinct earthy color palette (red, yellow, tan) and its smooth, porcelain-like texture when polished. In the wild, it is found as weathered boulders near the Kennedy Ranges of Western Australia.
More like this
Other sedimentary specimens
Sandstone or Siltstone
Arenite (if sandstone)
Sedimentary
Sandstone
Arenite (primarily SiO2)
sedimentary
Chert Breccia
Brecciated Chert (Microcrystalline Silica)
sedimentary
Sandstone Grain
Clastic Sedimentary Rock Grain (SiO2 dominated)
sedimentary
Shale or Slaty Mudstone
Argillaceous sedimentary rock
sedimentary
Sandstone
Arenite
sedimentary