mineral
Yellow Jasper
Silicon Dioxide (SiO2) with Iron Oxide impurities
Hardness: 6.5-7 on the Mohs scale. Color: Mustard yellow to golden brown. Luster: Vitreous to waxy. Crystal system: Trigonal (microcrystalline). Cleavage: None (conchoidal fracture).
- Hardness
- 6
- Color
- Mustard yellow to golden brown
- Luster
- Vitreous to waxy
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Physical properties
Hardness: 6.5-7 on the Mohs scale. Color: Mustard yellow to golden brown. Luster: Vitreous to waxy. Crystal system: Trigonal (microcrystalline). Cleavage: None (conchoidal fracture).
Formation & geological history
Formed through the deposition of silica from hydrothermal fluids or sedimentary processes, where iron oxide inclusions provide the distinctive yellow coloration.
Uses & applications
Popularly used for polished tumbled stones, lapidary art, beads, cabochons for jewelry, and ornamental carvings.
Geological facts
Yellow Jasper has been used since ancient times as a talisman. It is an opaque variety of chalcedony that owes its yellow-brown hue to goethite or limonite particles suspended in the quartz matrix.
Field identification & locations
Identified by its rich mustard-yellow color, opacity, smooth waxy polish, and hardness capable of scratching glass. Commonly found in riverbeds, desert gravels, and volcanic terrains globally, including South Africa, Brazil, Madagascar, and the USA.
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