sedimentary
Banded Jasper
Silicate Mineral (Microcrystalline Quartz / SiO2)
AI-generated identification · may be incorrectHardness: 6.5-7 Mohs; Color: Opaque orange, brown, and tan banding; Luster: Waxy to dull; Structure: Cryptocrystalline; Cleavage: None (conchoidal fracture)
- Hardness
- 6
- Color
- Opaque orange, brown, and tan banding
- Luster
- Waxy to dull
Identified More sedimentary →
Explore Banded Jasper in the encyclopedia →Identify your own rocks.
Get a report just like this from any photo, free.
Physical properties
Hardness: 6.5-7 Mohs; Color: Opaque orange, brown, and tan banding; Luster: Waxy to dull; Structure: Cryptocrystalline; Cleavage: None (conchoidal fracture)
Formation & geological history
Formed primarily through the chemical precipitation of silica in sedimentary environments or as a replacement of organic material; often found in prehistoric iron formations
Uses & applications
Used for lapidary work, jewelry (beads, cabochons), landscaping, and as a popular specimen for rock tumbling and collecting
Geological facts
Jasper is an opaque variety of chalcedony. The banding is caused by variations in iron oxides and clay content during the formation process over millions of years
Field identification & locations
Identify by its opaqueness (it does not transmit light even on thin edges), its characteristic banding, and its ability to scratch glass. Widely found in gravel pits and riverbeds
More like this
Other sedimentary specimens
Fossiliferous Sedimentary Rock
Sedimentary limestone with invertebrate fossil imprint
fossil
Sandstone or Siltstone
Arenite (if sandstone)
Sedimentary
Sandstone
Arenite
sedimentary
Quartz pebble
Silicon dioxide (SiO2)
sedimentary
Sedimentary Sandstone
Arenite (Sedimentary Rock)
sedimentary
Generic Pebble / Rock Fragment
Lithic fragment / Weathered rock
sedimentary