Jasper is an opaque variety of polycrystalline quartz that has a distinctly grainy structure. Jasper can include up to a fifth foreign materials in its structure. It is these materials that dictate the colour and streaks. The name Jasper derives from the Greek for “spotted stone.” Types of jasper are named according to colour, and can include dalmation jasper, bumblebee jasper and zebra jasper.
Outstanding Jasper carvings of ceremonial and ritualistic artefacts of Egyptian times can be appreciated today, through the displays in museums. Deposits of jasper have been found in Egypt, Australia, Brazil, India, Canada, Kazakhstan, Madagascar, Russia, Uruguay and the USA.
