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UnderstandWhat it is, what people ask, how far this page goes
Natural inorganic gem materials · Rock / mineral aggregate · Natural identity; treatment status unknown
Jasper
Also known asMulticoloured Jasper · Orbicular Jasper
An opaque, impure cryptocrystalline quartz aggregate coloured by iron oxides and clay minerals; GB/T 34098-2017 clause 5.4 names it Jasper. This page compares how the major standards and institutions name it, what must be disclosed when selling it, whether it can be worn every day, how it is treated and identified, and which source each conclusion comes from.
Price, rarity and origin are outside the scope of this wiki.
Questions people ask about Jasper
Every sentence below is followed by the registered fact it rests on; answers add no new facts and promise no outcome.
Q1How does jasper form?
Silica-bearing fluids precipitate fibrous microcrystalline quartz, or chalcedony, in cavities or fractures.G&G Fall 2013Iron compounds such as hematite and goethite, along with feldspar, clay, calcite, titanium oxide, copper sulfides and organic matter, are taken into the silica.G&G Fall 2013The iron compounds concentrate as laminae, needles or scattered crystals, colouring the material red to brown and making it opaque.G&G Fall 2013The settings are cavities in volcanic rocks and hydrothermal or hypogenic fluid environments.G&G Fall 2013
Q2What gives jasper its colours, and why is it opaque?
Impurities: jasper's colour and appearance come from impurities such as iron oxide and clay minerals.G&G Fall 2013Layers rich in iron compounds commonly make it red, red-brown or brown.G&G Fall 2013It is commonly red, green, yellow, white or purple, in a single colour or in combinations of several.GB/T 34098—2017Its opacity comes from light being scattered and absorbed by the dispersed impurities and the microcrystalline texture.G&G Fall 2013
Q3How can you tell whether a stone sold as jasper really is jasper?
Not from appearance alone: according to the parent entry Quartz, a quartz's colour and appearance do not prove whether it is natural, and the conclusion should come from a qualified gem laboratory.G&G Summer 2014 · CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022 (via parent entry Quartz)Jasper is a subtranslucent to opaque cryptocrystalline quartz aggregate with a granular texture, and it may contain a fair amount of impurities such as hematite, celadonite, goethite and clay minerals.GB/T 34098—2017It commonly shows a greasy or waxy lustre.GB/T 34098—2017Whether one particular bead is natural, treated or synthetic — only a laboratory report can settle that.What this page can answer
Q4Is jasper ever dyed or waxed?
Waxed jasper is recorded, and it needs normal care but should be kept away from chemicals.AGTA Gemstone Information Manual, 17th ed.For dyed jasper, CIBJO notes that dye treatments are not permanent and that the stone should be kept away from all solvents, including dish-washing liquids, as well as chemicals and heat.CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022Whether one particular bead is natural, treated or synthetic — only a laboratory report can settle that.What this page can answer
Q5What is jasper, and is it a kind of chalcedony?
Yes: jasper is the opaque, impure variety of cryptocrystalline quartz, or chalcedony.G&G Fall 2013Its mineral phase is recorded as quartz.CIBJO Gemmological Laboratories Book 2024CIBJO describes it as opaque.CIBJO Gemmological Laboratories Book 2024
Q6Does jasper fade in the sun?
Dyed jasper can: for dyed jasper, CIBJO notes that the colour may fade or revert to its original colour in strong light, and advises not wearing or leaving it in strong light for long periods.CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022
Q7Does jasper have healing powers?
There is no scientific evidence that jasper has healing powers: the UK advertising regulators ASA and CAP state that they have not seen evidence that crystal therapy can treat medical conditions.ASA/CAP guidance (UK)
Sources cited in these answers ASA/CAP guidance (UK)
What this page can answer
This page covers
- How Jasper forms and what gives its colourFormation setting, process and timescale; where its colour and optical effects come from, each finding graded and sourced
- How to identify JasperHow far lab testing can go
- Treatments and enhancements of JasperThe enhancements and treatments the GB/T and JJA/AGL tables list
- Caring for and wearing JasperCleaning, heat, chemicals and light, as the cited sources give them; durability indicators and wearing advice
- Hardness, density and refractive index of JasperEach value with its source and check date
- Jasper in English, Chinese and Japanese; national standard namesNames in four languages, the GB/T standard name and the suggested listing name; and: Which of GIA, FTC, CIBJO and Gem-A have a name for it on record, and do those agree?
- Name origin and history of JasperWhere the name comes from
- Listing and disclosing JasperThe listing name to use; what must be disclosed before sale
- Standard clauses that define JasperWhich clause defines it, each cross-checked
What we cannot conclude
- Whether one particular bead is natural, treated or synthetic — only a laboratory report can settle that.
- Geographic origin, unless an origin report accompanies the item.
- Price, rarity or investment value: this wiki covers naming and disclosure only.
Material research: formation, causes and history
What authoritative sources say about how this material forms, what causes its colour and optical effects, where its name comes from and how people have used it. Each statement carries an evidence grade and its sources; it describes the material in general, not any specific piece.
How it forms
Jasper is the opaque, impure variety of cryptocrystalline quartz (chalcedony), whose colour and appearance are due to impurities such as iron oxide and clay minerals. Chalcedony (and its banded form agate) is fibrous microcrystalline low-α quartz with other silica polymorphs; its interior may host many solid inclusions: iron compounds (hematite, goethite) as thin laminae, needles, or euhedral crystals scattered in the silica matrix, along with feldspar (anorthite/bytownite), calcite, titanium oxide, copper sulfides and organic matter. Iron-compound-rich layers commonly render the material red, red-brown or brown; these inclusions are mostly associated with post-magmatic hydrothermal or hypogenic fluids. Jasper's opaque appearance results from light scattering and absorption by these dispersed impurities and the microcrystalline texture.
Scope: Applies to defining the identity of jasper as opaque, impurity-bearing microcrystalline quartz (chalcedony) and the mechanisms of its colour / opacity; the GB/T clauses on the formal name could not be verified, and this record contains no standard clause content.
Sources G&G Fall 2013
Where it forms
Cavities in igneous (volcanic) rocks; hydrothermal and hypogenic fluid settings
Sources G&G Fall 2013
How it forms, step by step
Silica-bearing fluids precipitate fibrous microcrystalline quartz (chalcedony) in cavities or fractures.
Iron compounds (hematite, goethite) and other phases such as feldspar, clay, calcite, titanium oxide, copper sulfides and organic matter are incorporated into the silica matrix.
Iron compounds concentrate as laminae, needles or scattered crystals, colouring the material red to brown and rendering it macroscopically opaque.
Link to appearance
Opaque and dense, ranging from red and red-brown to brown; opacity arises from dispersed iron oxide and clay impurities plus light scattering by the microcrystalline texture.
Sources G&G Fall 2013
Timescale
The contained microcrystalline silica matures over geological time (moganite-to-low-α-quartz over tens of millions of years, Heaney, 1995).
Sources G&G Fall 2013
Related base materials
- Chalcedony (microcrystalline quartz): variety-of | Jasper is the cryptocrystalline, opaque, impurity-bearing variety of cryptocrystalline quartz (chalcedony)
Causes of colour and optical effects
Iron-compound-rich layers commonly render the material red, red-brown or brown, and these inclusions are mostly associated with post-magmatic hydrothermal or hypogenic fluids.
Evidence grade AScope: States the red-to-brown colour cause; blue/green mechanisms excluded.
Jasper's opacity results from light scattering and absorption by dispersed impurities and its microcrystalline texture.
Evidence grade AScope: States the cause of opacity; no specimen translucency grading.
Where the name comes from
The origin of the variety name "jasper" itself is not given in the cited sources. The etymology below belongs to the underlying mineral quartz: its name is of obscure origin in the Middle Ages, first applied to gangue in Saxony, Germany. This etymology belongs to the underlying mineral, not to the name "jasper" itself.
Evidence grade BScope: The etymology explains only the origin of the name; it does not establish the material's composition, locality, naturalness, or treatment.
Sources Handbook of Mineralogy
Other research findings
Jasper is the opaque, impure variety of cryptocrystalline quartz (chalcedony); its colour and appearance come from impurities such as iron oxide and clay minerals.
Evidence grade BScope: Defines jasper's material class and origin of opacity; origin and quality excluded.
Jasper (chalcedony/agate) may host solid inclusions of iron compounds (hematite, goethite) as well as feldspar, calcite, titanium oxide, copper sulfides and organic matter.
Evidence grade AScope: States common solid-inclusion suites of microcrystalline silica; not every specimen contains all phases.
Limits of this research
- Research status: Only partial material-specific findings found; gaps are stated as gaps
- In Chinese-language and Japanese usage Jasper also denotes Jasper and may be confused with Bi Yu, Green Nephrite Variety in other contexts; this entry treats it, by its usual classification, as the opaque impure microcrystalline quartz (chalcedony) variety.
- The full texts of GB/T 16552-2017 and GB/T 34098-2017 are not obtainable; no clause text was verified and no classification table was invented.
- The cited sources give no independent definition of Jasper; the material attribution rests on its usual classification and evidence from related microcrystalline silica.
Methodology
- Origin determination and its limits
- Quality grading and value factors
- How gemmology became a technical discipline
Evidence grades
- A
- Standards bodies, government geological surveys, peer-reviewed research and museum records
- B
- Institutional educational material
- C
- Specialist databases or cautious readings
A statement is never graded above its strongest source.
This section is LumaLark's own factual restatement of public authoritative sources, credited item by item; it contains no verbatim excerpts, images or third-party logos.
DecideListing name, disclosure, care and treatments
- Suggested listing name
- Jasper
CIBJO Gemmological Laboratories Book 2024 §7.2.1.119 “Jasper” · GB/T 34098—2017 §5.4, §6 a), Table A.1
Construction or treatment status
Natural identity; treatment status unknown
Treatments recorded for this material: Dyed, Heated / Heat-treated, Filled / Fracture-filled
Related:Disclosure and cautions
This page cannot answer
Natural? · Origin · Price
A lab report settles these; this wiki covers naming and disclosure.
Related:What this page can answer
Answer at a glance
Jasper is often subjected to dyeing. Under GB/T 16552-2017, dyeing counts as an optimization, so the plain gem name may be used (§5.4.2.1 a). Do not assume it is unenhanced.
Evidence
- CIBJO · 7.2.1.119
What this means for you
Before buying, check the recommended listing name "Jasper" and any disclosed treatments on this page, and ask the seller for a grading report if in doubt.
Known uncertainty
- This entry's exact material identity is not fully settled.
- See “Disclosure and cautions” above
- Disclosure rules for the treatments above can change as authorities update their standards; re-check before relying on this page.
- Last reviewed
- 2026-09-01
Trade-name ruling
- Industry-wide term that does not denote a single species.
- Suggested listing name
- Jasper
Care and wear
Normal care for every gemstone (CIBJO Gemstone Book §6.1), in brief:
- Handle it gently.
- Store pieces apart when not worn, so they cannot scratch each other.
- Clean with warm soapy water and a soft brush.
- Use ultrasonic cleaners only with caution.
The §6.1 wording and the full list of §6.2 special-care letters cited on this page are on the general gem care page.
Care
Jasper — care (light): may fade or revert to its original colour in strong light; do not wear or leave it in strong light for extended periods.
CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022
CIBJO Gemstone Book §6.2:special-care code f
- Treatment state
- treated
- Only after these treatments
- dyeing
- Applies only to
- other colours, sold under a colour prefix
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Jasper — care (chemicals): Treatments with dye, oil, resin, wax or plastic are not permanent; keep it away from all solvents (including dish-washing liquids), chemicals and heat.
CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022
CIBJO Gemstone Book §6.2:special-care code k
- Treatment state
- treated
- Only after these treatments
- dyeing
- Applies only to
- other colours, sold under a colour prefix
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Jasper — care (special care): waxed: normal care, but avoid chemicals.
AGTA Gemstone Information Manual, 17th ed.
- Treatment state
- treated
- Only after these treatments
- surface waxing
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- AGTA Gemstone Information Manual, 17th edition (August 2026) (AGTA): p.VIII, Gemstone Information Chart, Chalcedony Jasper W, CARE REQUIRED / SPECIAL ADVICE (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Each row's “Source & check” expands to the full source; the date beside it is the fact check date.
Common care questions and matching entries
TreatedFor treated Jasper, and only where it is dyed and only for other colours named with a colour prefix, the CIBJO Blue Book records that it fades or reverts to its original colour in strong light and should not be worn or left in strong light for long periods; for the same treated Jasper, the CIBJO Blue Book also records that the effects of dyeing, oiling, resin impregnation, waxing or plastic impregnation are not permanent, and it should be kept away from all solvents, detergents included, and from chemicals and heat. ChemicalsFor treated Jasper, and only where it is surface-waxed, the 17th edition of the AGTA Gemstone Information Manual records that normal care is enough, but chemicals should be avoided.
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| Question | Matching entries |
|---|---|
| Light and display | other colours, sold under a colour prefix: may fade or revert to its original colour in strong light; do not wear or leave it in strong light for extended periods |
| Contact with acids, alkalis and household chemicals | other colours, sold under a colour prefix: Treatments with dye, oil, resin, wax or plastic are not permanent; keep it away from all solvents (including dish-washing liquids), chemicals and heat |
Care entries by treatment state
The same entries grouped by the treatment state each applies to; each links to its full wording and source. Letters are CIBJO special-care codes, explained on the gemstone care page.
treated (Only after these treatments: dyeing)
- other colours, sold under a colour prefix: may fade or revert to its original colour in strong light; do not wear or leave it in strong light for extended periods §6.2 f
- other colours, sold under a colour prefix: Treatments with dye, oil, resin, wax or plastic are not permanent; keep it away from all solvents (including dish-washing liquids), chemicals and heat §6.2 k
treated (Only after these treatments: surface waxing)
Durability and wearing
Toughness
tough when massive
Treatments and identification leads
One row per treatment, with three standards side by side: how often it occurs and how stable it is (CIBJO), its category in GB/T 16552—2017 Table B.1 (this site's paraphrase) and how the JJA/AGL 2025 table lists it. Each CIBJO value links to its entry under “Testing and market”, where the wording and source are given in full.
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| Treatment | Market frequency (CIBJO) | Stability (CIBJO) | GB/T 16552 category | JJA/AGL listing | Identification leads |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heating | — | — | Optimization | — | — |
| Filling | — | — | Graded — see §5.4.1, Table 1 | — | — |
| Dyeing | — | — | Optimization | — | — |
“—” means the cited source gives no value for that item, not “none”. Source: GB/T 16552—2017 Table B.1 (row for Chalcedony); JJA/AGL 2025
Whether a treatment has to show in the name differs between the two rule sets (this site’s paraphrase):
- GB/T 16552—2017: a method classed as treatment has to be stated in the name itself — the method put before the name, or added in brackets after it; a method classed as optimization does not need to appear in the name, though one marked “Optimization (annotation required)” still has to be noted in the quality documents. Source: §5.4.2.1 a), b); §5.4.2.2 a)
- CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022: no longer splits treatments into ones that need specific disclosure and ones that need only general disclosure: every treatment is to be disclosed, and the seller tells the buyer which treatment was used and what special care it calls for. Source: §4.2.5 Note 2, §4.2.5.1, pp.14–15
What this table covers
What this page can give
- Registered treatments, their stability and how often they occur (see the table above)
- Identification leads for each treatment, for use when sending a stone for testing
VerifyNames, standards, technical facts, clauses and sources
Names
Besides Jasper, the name register records "Multicoloured Jasper" and "Orbicular Jasper", for which no restriction on use as a name is recorded (CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022 Annex 8 “Multicoloured Jasper”; CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022 Annex 8 “Orbicular Jasper”); 5 further names in non-Latin scripts are listed in the name register below (1 with no restriction recorded on use as a name, 3 that may appear only as an annotation, never as the product name, 1 that must not be used as a name).
Standard and listing namesThe Chinese formal name for Jasper comes from the Chalcedony (Agate/Jasper) row of GB/T 16552—2017 Table A.2, and the suggested listing name is written jasper (Jasper). Names in four languagesFour-language names are given in Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, English (Jasper) and Japanese, the last being the entry's own Japanese name; the wording of Japan's GSJ for this name is not yet verified by this site. Institution usageOn authority wording, CIBJO Gemmological Laboratories Book 2024 records Jasper; the FTC text on file has no wording for this name (checked); GIA and Gem-A are unchecked; bodies without a recorded wording show the entry's own English name, which does not represent their position. Trade and mineralogical namesA market name (biyu) that in Chinese and Japanese usage also means Jasper points the opposite way from the nephrite term of the same characters under the Hetian Yu row of Table A.2, so it is only a search term, registered as an unusable name. Candidate search termsChinese names for ocean jasper and leopard jasper are kept only as candidate search terms, may appear only as notes and must not be the main product name; a Chinese market term for red jasper may likewise appear only as a note, not as the main product name, while red jasper formed with the formal name plus a red qualifier has no registered restriction. Institution usageCIBJO Gemstone Book 2022 registers Multicoloured Jasper and Orbicular Jasper with no registered restriction.
Name register
Every name recorded for this entry, with how it is classified, whether it may be matched to this entry automatically, whether it may be used as a product name, and the clause it rests on.
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| Name | Type | Matching | Use as a name | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| no restriction recorded (3) | ||||
| Multicoloured JasperEnglish | narrower name (variety or subtype) | matched automatically | no restriction recorded | CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022 Annex 8 “Multicoloured Jasper” |
| Orbicular JasperEnglish | narrower name (variety or subtype) | matched automatically | no restriction recorded | CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022 Annex 8 “Orbicular Jasper” |
| 红碧石Simplified Chinese | market name | matched automatically | no restriction recorded | GB/T 34098—2017 §5.4; Note: The red-qualified form of the standard name jasper in GB/T 34098-2017 §5.4; hardly traded under this form, added so that the market name is not the only one recognised. |
| annotation only, never as the product name (3) | ||||
| 海洋碧玉Simplified Chinese | market name | search candidate only | annotation only, never as the product name | GB/T 16552—2017 Table A.2 “Chalcedony(Agate/Jasper)”; GB/T 16552—2017 Table A.2 “Hetian Yu,Nephrite”; GB/T 16552—2017 5.1.2.2 a); GB/T 16552—2017 5.1.1 c) |
| 红碧玉Simplified Chinese | market name | matched automatically | annotation only, never as the product name | GB/T 16552—2017 Table A.2 “Chalcedony(Agate/Jasper)”; GB/T 16552—2017 Table A.2 “Hetian Yu,Nephrite”; GB/T 16552—2017 5.1.2.2 a); GB/T 16552—2017 5.1.1 c); Note: Qualified form: on the market it means red jasper (quartz), a different material from unqualified bi yu (green nephrite); a channel survey counted 899 listings, all in crystal and energy-stone channels. |
| 豹纹碧玉Simplified Chinese | market name | search candidate only | annotation only, never as the product name | GB/T 16552—2017 Table A.2 “Chalcedony(Agate/Jasper)”; GB/T 16552—2017 Table A.2 “Hetian Yu,Nephrite”; GB/T 16552—2017 5.1.2.2 a); GB/T 16552—2017 5.1.1 c) |
| not to be used as a name (1) | ||||
| 碧玉Simplified Chinese | market name | never matched to this entry | not to be used as a name | GB/T 16552—2017 Table A.2 “Hetian Yu,Nephrite”; GB/T 16552—2017 Table A.2 “Chalcedony(Agate/Jasper)”; GB/T 16552—2017 5.1.1 c); GB/T 34098—2017 §5.4; GB/T 34098—2017 §6 a); JJA/AGL Gemstone Nomenclature 2025 p.11; Note: In everyday Chinese and in Japanese usage this name is also used for jasper, so it is kept as a search term. In Chinese, however, it is also the name of the green variety of nephrite (Hetian jade), and this entry's Chinese basic name is a different one, so the two are different materials: the name is not matched to this entry and must not be used as a trade name for it. |
How each authority words this name: see Names › Authority wording.
- GSJ (Japan) formal name
- ジャスパー／碧玉 (not yet checked for this body — the entry's own Japanese name is shown)
- Chinese formal name
- 碧石 (GB/T 16552—2017 Table A.2, row “Chalcedony(Agate/Jasper)”)
- Mineralogical name
- Opaque, impure microcrystalline quartz (chalcedony) coloured by iron oxide and clay mineral impurities
- Trade names and synonyms
- Multicoloured Jasper (narrower name (variety or subtype)) · Orbicular Jasper (narrower name (variety or subtype))
Four-language names
- 简体中文
- 碧石
- 繁體中文
- 碧石
- English
- Jasper
- 日本語
- ジャスパー／碧玉
GB/T 34098 trade names
GB/T 34098-2017 Table A.1 lists these trade names in one cell shared by jasper and quartzite jade, chalcedony, agate; the original does not say which name goes with which: 东陵石 Dongling Shi, 黄龙玉 Huanglong Yu, 南红 Nanhong, 密玉 Mi Yu, 阿拉善玉 Alashan Yu, 通天玉 Tongtian Yu, 台山玉 Taishan Yu, 大别山玉 Dabieshan Yu, 贺州玉 Hezhou Yu, 鸡血玉 Jixue Yu, 金丝玉 Jinsi Yu, 南红玛瑙 Nanhong Manao, and others.
The full table and naming rule are on the Quartzose Jade page.
See also: Misleading and prohibited trade names · Supplementary name index
Classification
- Origin
- Natural materials
- Material domain
- Natural inorganic gem materials
- Browsing family
- Quartz and chalcedony materials
- Identity tier
- Rock / mineral aggregate
- Mineral chemical class
- Silicates
- Construction or treatment status
- Natural identity; treatment status unknown
Treatments listed by standards
GB/T 16552-2017, Annex B, Table B.1
Table B.1, row “Chalcedony (Agate/Jasper)” (p.16):
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| Method | Effect | Category |
|---|---|---|
| Heating | Improves or changes colour | Optimization |
| Filling | Improves or changes durability and appearance | Graded — see §5.4.1, Table 1 |
| Dyeing | Improves or changes colour | Optimization |
What Table B.1 is, and how the “see 5.4.1” grades are defined: see the GB/T 16552: optimization vs treatment page.
JJA/AGL (Japan) table of principal gem names, 2025
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| Gem name | Species | Colour | Listed in the table | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jasper | Quartz | scattered round inclusions | an untreated tier is listed |
JJA/AGL definitions and nomenclature (2025 revision), table of principal gem names, p.11
How to read the JJA/AGL table: see the Gem treatments page.
What it is and how it's identified
Among the registered material facts for Jasper, the composition (phase) is quartz; the structure is an aggregate of cryptocrystalline quartz with a granular structure, possibly with many impurities such as hematite, celadonite, goethite and clay minerals. For transparency, GB/T 34098—2017 registers semi-translucent to opaque, and the CIBJO Gemmological Laboratories Book 2024 registers opaque. Under the clause for chalcedony, including agate and jasper (the whole class), Mohs hardness is 5–7, cleavage none, density 2.5–2.77 g/cm³, optic character anisotropic aggregate, refractive index 1.535–1.539 and birefringence not measurable for an aggregate; this site notes that the GB/T 16553—2017 clause has finer sub-ranges and the refractive index taken is the overall value. Under the same chalcedony class clause, untreated, pleochroism is not measurable for an aggregate, and iridescence and chatoyancy are both visible. For untreated Jasper, GB/T 34098—2017 registers a common greasy or waxy lustre; this site notes that GB/T 34098—2017 does not distinguish polished surfaces from fracture surfaces and records only the common lustre.
Registered material facts
Each row carries its own source and check date and can be cited on its own; “—” means the cited source gives no value, not “none”.
Chemical composition, luminescence, UV-visible spectrum, infrared spectrum, magnification: these whole-class features are given in the cited clause for chalcedony, including agate and jasper (the whole class), so they are not repeated on the Jasper page; see the material facts on the Chalcedony entry.
Items below that name the class they cover give the cited clause’s value for that whole class, not a measurement of Jasper (how to read class-level values).
Definition
Jasper — composition (phase): quartz
CIBJO Gemmological Laboratories Book 2024
Source & check 2026-09-22
- Source
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-22
Structure
Jasper — structure (overall): a subtranslucent to opaque cryptocrystalline quartz aggregate with a granular texture. It may contain a fair amount of impurities such as hematite, celadonite, goethite and clay minerals.
GB/T 34098—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
Source & check 2026-09-17
- Source
- GB/T 34098—2017 Quartzose jade — Classification and nomenclature (GB/T): §5.4 (locator checked 2026-09-17)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-17
Durability
Jasper — Mohs hardness: 5–7
GB/T 16553—2017
Reference points on this site: Talc 1–3, Fluorite 4, Apatite 5–5.5, Orthoclase 6–6.5, Topaz 8, Diamond 10 (Source: GB/T 16553—2017); Gypsum 1.5–2, Calcite 3, Quartz 7 (Source: Handbook of Mineralogy); Corundum 9 (Source: GIA Gem Encyclopedia (care guide))
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- chalcedony, including agate and jasper (the whole class)
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.2.5 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Jasper — cleavage: none
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- chalcedony, including agate and jasper (the whole class)
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.2.5 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Physical properties
Jasper — density: 2.5–2.77 g/cm³
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- chalcedony, including agate and jasper (the whole class)
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.2.5 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Optical
Jasper — optic character: anisotropic aggregate
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- chalcedony, including agate and jasper (the whole class)
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.2.5 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Jasper — refractive index: 1.535–1.539
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- chalcedony, including agate and jasper (the whole class)
- General note
- the clause has finer ranges
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.2.5 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Jasper — birefringence: not measurable on an aggregate
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- chalcedony, including agate and jasper (the whole class)
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.2.5 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Jasper — transparency: Opaque.
CIBJO Gemmological Laboratories Book 2024
Source & check 2026-09-22
- Source
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-22
Jasper — pleochroism: not measurable on an aggregate
GB/T 16553—2017
- Treatment state
- untreated
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- chalcedony, including agate and jasper (the whole class)
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.2.5 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Jasper — optical effect (iridescence): seen
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- chalcedony, including agate and jasper (the whole class)
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.2.5 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Jasper — optical effect (chatoyancy): seen
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- chalcedony, including agate and jasper (the whole class)
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.2.5 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Jasper — magnification: packed with mineral impurities, so of granular structure and only semi-translucent to opaque.
GB/T 16553—2017
- Treatment state
- untreated
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.2.5 Magnification (locator checked 2026-09-28)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Jasper — body colour: red, yellow, brown or green.
CIBJO Gemmological Laboratories Book 2024
- Treatment state
- untreated
- Qualification
In chapter 7 of the CIBJO Gemmological Laboratories Book, the colour descriptions of Mali Garnet, Sphalerite, Titanite / Sphene and other entries also name red or a reddish colour.
- General note
- colour alone is not identity
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Jasper — common colours: red, green, yellow, white, purple and similar colours, in a single colour or in combinations of several.
GB/T 34098—2017
- Treatment state
- untreated
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- Qualification
Among the quartzose jade varieties in GB/T 34098—2017, Quartzite Jade, Chalcedony, Agate and other varieties also name red or a reddish colour among their common colours; the standard separates these varieties by crystallinity and by whether they show silica-replacement pseudomorphs.
- General note
- colour alone is not identity
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 34098—2017 Quartzose jade — Classification and nomenclature (GB/T): §5.4 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
- CIBJO definitions
- chatoyancy
Quality factors
Jasper — quality factor (lustre): commonly greasy or waxy lustre
GB/T 34098—2017
- Treatment state
- untreated
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- Qualification
GB/T 34098—2017 §5.4 does not distinguish polished from fracture surfaces; only the common lustre is recorded here.
Source & check 2026-09-20
- Source
- GB/T 34098—2017 Quartzose jade — Classification and nomenclature (GB/T): §5.4 (locator checked 2026-09-17)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-20
Each row's “Source & check” expands to the full source; the date beside it is the fact check date.
This material (RI / SG midpoints): 1.537 / 2.63; Closest values: 1Amethyst 1.548 / 2.67, 2Charoite 1.554 / 2.66, 3Changhua Stone 1.56 / 2.6, 4Shoushan Stone 1.56 / 2.7, 5Balin Stone 1.56 / 2.55
Show the full chart (330 registered materials)
Outside the full chart's range, drawn as triangles at the edge (RI / SG midpoints): Hematite 3.045/5.12, Synthetic Rutile 2.76/4.26, Rutile 2.753/4.23, Synthetic Moissanite 2.67/3.22
Testing and market
The tests the CIBJO laboratory protocol requires for this material, and what each method means, are in the protocol table on the laboratory testing page: §6.1.45.
How far testing can go
Each row's “Source & check” expands to the full source; the date beside it is the fact check date.
Clause-level definitions
Jasper has a direct definition in the CIBJO Gemmological Laboratories Book 2024 under the term Jasper; the definition gives the mineral species as quartz and the mineral or gemstone variety as jasper, and notes that the CIBJO wording is quoted in full under Clause-level definitions on this page. The cross-check result is that it is defined directly by CIBJO and also appears in the GB/T annex.
This table scrolls sideways on narrow screens.
| Term | Clause | Definition | Cross-check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jasper | 7.2.1.119 | Opaque, impure microcrystalline quartz, red, yellow, brown or green in colour | Defined directly by CIBJO; also present in the GB/T annex. |
Evidence and sources
Authority basis and clause sources
Sources
- CIBJO – The World Jewellery Confederation. Gemmological Laboratories Book (Blue Book), Gemmological Commission 2024-1.
- CIBJO – The World Jewellery Confederation. The Gemstone Book (Blue Book), 2022.
- SAMR / SAC (China). GB/T 16552—2017 Gems — Nomenclature.
- AQSIQ / SAC (China). GB/T 34098—2017 Quartzose jade — Classification and nomenclature.
Further reading
Related entries and topic cluster
Parent entry and related pages on this site. Rows marked “Planned” are suggested new content and have no link yet.
Related-entry tree for Quartz on this site: 74 entries listed by this site's parent-entry links; synthetic, treated and similar entries carry their recorded state after the name; this page (Jasper) is marked.
- Quartz
Sub-entries (57)
- Agate
Sub-entries (1)
- Amethyst
- Ametrine
- Aventurine Quartz
- Aventurine Quartz / Green Aventurine
- Banded Agate
- Black Agate
- Bloodstone / Heliotrope
- Blue Lace Agate
- Carnelian
- Chalcedony
Sub-entries (2)
- Chrysoprase
- Citrine
- Clear Quartz / Rock Crystal
- Coated Quartz
- Colourless to White Quartz (brand name: Azeztulite)
- Crazy Lace Agate
- Dendritic Agate
- Dyed Agate (Treated: dyed)
- Elestial Quartz / Skeletal Quartz
- Eye Agate
- Flower Agate / Cherry Blossom Agate
- Green Quartz
- High-clarity quartz with golden needle-like inclusions
- Included Quartz
- Jasper
Sub-entries (1)
- Madeira Citrine
- Malachite Agate
- Morion / very dark Smoky Quartz
- Moss Agate
- Moss Chalcedony
- Multi-inclusion Quartz
- Onyx (banded chalcedony)
- Phantom Quartz
- Prase
- Prasiolite / Green Quartz
- Quartz Cat’s-eye
- Quartz claimed to be from the Himalayas
- Quartz Crystal
- Quartz with dark needle-like inclusions
- Quartz with fine fibrous inclusions
- Quartz with flower-like inclusions
- Quartz with golden needle-like inclusions
- Quartz with green needle-like inclusions
- Quartzite Jade
- Quartzose Jade
- Red Agate
- Rock Crystal
- Rose Quartz
- Rutilated Quartz
- Sard
- Sardonyx
- Silicified Asbestos
Sub-entries (2)
- Hawk’s Eye
- Tiger’s Eye
Sub-entries (1)
- Smoky Quartz
- Smoky Quartz (brown variety)
- Strawberry Quartz
- Yellow-green Quartz
- Agate
This table scrolls sideways on narrow screens.
| Page | Content | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Browsing family | Quartz and chalcedony materials | Live |
| Treatments recorded for this material | Dyed, Heated / Heat-treated, Filled / Fracture-filled | Live |
| Related articles | To be added (placeholder) | Planned |
Who maintains this page
The material facts in the Jasper entry are maintained by the LumaLark wiki and matched one by one to the standard clauses or institutional sources they cite: every fact carries its source (with a clause or page locator) and a check date, so it can be traced back to the original; clause-level definitions also carry a cross-check result. The entry exists so that buyers and sellers can check naming, disclosure and material facts item by item.