Polished jasper pebble

Opaque reddish-brown stone with cream-colored vein-like patterns and a smooth, waxy-to-dull luster; quartz hardness about 6.5–7 Mohs, no visible cleavage, cryptocrystalline structure, and specific gravity around 2.6. The pattern may represent brecciation or mineral-filled fractures, possibly resembling brecciated jasper or mookaite-like jasper.

Forms when silica-rich fluids cement or replace volcanic or sedimentary material, with iron oxides producing the red-brown color; formation ages vary widely from Precambrian to younger. The rounded shape indicates water abrasion, followed by polishing or natural smoothing.

Used for cabochons, beads, carvings, ornamental stone, and small decorative objects; too small and patterned for typical construction use.

Jasper is an opaque variety of chalcedony/microcrystalline quartz rather than a single mineral species. Its contrasting veins commonly arise from silica, quartz, calcite, or iron-oxide-filled fractures.

Identify by its opacity, red-brown coloration, very fine texture, and inability to scratch with a steel knife easily; it should not fizz in dilute hydrochloric acid unless carbonate-filled veins are present. Common in volcanic terrains and gravel deposits worldwide.