On this page
UnderstandWhat it is, what people ask, how far this page goes
Natural inorganic gem materials · Commercial / trade name · Natural identity; treatment status unknown
Picture Jasper
Also known asLandscape jasper
A commercial appearance name for Jasper whose iron oxide and clay bands form landscape-like patterns; it is not a GB/T variety name. Also known as Landscape 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.
What this page can answer
This page covers
- How Picture 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 Picture JasperHow far lab testing can go
- Treatments and enhancements of Picture JasperThe enhancements and treatments the GB/T and JJA/AGL tables list
- Caring for and wearing Picture JasperDurability indicators and wearing advice
- Hardness, density and refractive index of Picture JasperEach value with its source and check date
- Picture Jasper in English, Chinese and Japanese; national standard namesNames in four languages, the GB/T standard name and the suggested listing name; and: Has any of GIA, FTC, CIBJO or Gem-A put a name for it on record here?
- Name origin and history of Picture JasperWhere the name comes from
- Listing and disclosing Picture JasperThe listing name to use; what must be disclosed before sale
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
'Picture stone' is an appearance commercial name for the opaque impure microcrystalline quartz (chalcedony/jasper) whose iron-oxide and clay-mineral banding yields landscape-painting-like patterns; it is not a GB/T variety name. Its underlying material is cryptocrystalline silica: fibrous microcrystalline low-α quartz (chalcedony) with other silica polymorphs, and when cut and polished it commonly reveals landscape, stalactite or pipe patterns. The mechanism behind such patterns is that voids in volcanic rock are cyclically filled from rim to centre by silica-rich fluids, producing banding; the shape and width of the zones depend on silica concentration and on temperature, pressure and influx timing, and enrichment of impurities such as iron compounds (hematite, goethite) along the laminae creates colour contrast that reads as a scenic pattern on the polished face.
Scope: Applies to defining the identity of 'picture jasper' as an appearance-based trade name, and the origin of the texture of its underlying microcrystalline quartz; the GB/T clauses could not be verified, and this record contains no standard clause content.
Sources G&G Fall 2013
Where it forms
Voids in volcanic (basalt) rock cyclically filled by silica-rich fluids; patterns revealed on cut faces
Sources G&G Fall 2013
How it forms, step by step
A cavity forms in volcanic rock; silica-rich fluids enter via microfissures and fill it cyclically.
Fibrous microcrystalline quartz (chalcedony) grows from rim to centre, forming banding whose geometry is set by silica concentration and by temperature, pressure and timing.
Impurities such as iron compounds become enriched along the laminae to form colour bands.
When cut and polished, the combination of colour banding and texture reads as landscape, stalactite or pipe patterns, giving the 'picture' appearance.
Link to appearance
On cut faces it shows landscape, stalactite or pipe patterns; the patterns come from the overlay of band geometry and impurity (iron-compound) colour bands, and the name is a commercial appearance description.
Sources G&G Fall 2013
Timescale
(Related microcrystalline silica) banded siliceous material formation spans millions to tens of millions of years (GIA 2013; Heaney 1995).
Sources G&G Fall 2013
Related base materials
- Chalcedony (microcrystalline quartz): variety-of | Picture jasper is a commercial appearance variety of cryptocrystalline quartz (chalcedony/jasper) with picture-like patterns
Supporting findings
The pattern forms because voids in volcanic rock are cyclically filled from rim to centre by silica-rich fluids, producing banding whose geometry depends on silica concentration and on temperature, pressure and influx timing, with impurities such as iron compounds enriching along laminae to form colour bands.
Evidence grade AScope: States the banding+colour-band mechanism producing the pattern; no specific locality.
Causes of colour and optical effects
The appearance results from band geometry controlled by silica concentration, P-T and influx timing, overlaid with impurity (iron-compound) colour, so pattern and colour reflect setting but do not constitute a material identification.
Evidence grade AScope: States the relation of colour/pattern to formation conditions; not an identification.
Where the name comes from
The origin of the appearance trade name "landscape 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 "landscape 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
'Picture stone' is an appearance commercial name for the opaque impure microcrystalline quartz (chalcedony/jasper) showing landscape-like patterns from iron-oxide and clay banding, and is not a GB/T variety name.
Evidence grade AScope: Defines the name's status and the material class it describes; does not claim formal standard status.
When cut and polished, it commonly reveals landscape, stalactite or pipe patterns.
Evidence grade AScope: States common pattern types on polished faces; the patterns are not diagnostic.
Limits of this research
- Research status: Formation, occurrence or other material-specific findings found in authoritative sources
- Picture Jasper is an appearance commercial name, not a GB/T variety name; the cited sources give no dedicated definition, and the material attribution rests on its usual classification and evidence from related microcrystalline silica.
- 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 alias tuhua biyu ('picture jasper', an old name) is a search term only and is not used as a material determination.
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
- Picture jasper (a jasper; quartz material)
GB/T 34098—2017 §5.4 · CIBJO Gemmological Laboratories Book 2024 §7.2.1.119 “Jasper”
Construction or treatment status
Natural identity; treatment status unknown
Treatments recorded for this material: Heated / Heat-treated (via parent material), Filled / Fracture-filled (via parent material), Dyed (via parent material)
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
"Picture Jasper" is a market name rather than a mineral species name; before using it, verify: Industry-wide term that does not denote a single species.
Evidence
- GB/T · §5.4
What this means for you
Before buying, check the recommended listing name "Picture jasper (a jasper; quartz material)" 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
- Last reviewed
- 2026-09-01
Trade-name ruling
- Industry-wide term that does not denote a single species.
- Suggested listing name
- Picture jasper (a jasper; quartz material)
Care and wear
No care facts are recorded for this entry itself. Its parent material has care records: see Jasper.
Durability and wearing
Toughness
tough when massive
Daily wear
Hardness 7 resists scratching by ordinary metal and grit, and massive material has good toughness, so it is relatively durable for daily wear; however a hard impact can still chip it, and sudden temperature changes should be avoided to prevent cracking.
Care
Warm water with mild soap and a soft brush suffices; rinse and dry with a soft cloth. For dyed, resin-impregnated or fractured treated material, avoid ultrasonic/steam cleaning and acid washes, and avoid prolonged heat or sunlight.
General guidance: LumaLark's general guidance inferred from the material's properties (hardness, toughness, cleavage); not text from the cited source, and not a guarantee for any specific piece.
Scope: This field describes the material's general properties and is not a finished-product durability promise; it gives no warranty of any specific piece's durability or safety, and the durability of treated (filled, dyed, coated) or composite/assembled material must be assessed separately.
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.
This table scrolls sideways on narrow screens.
| 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)
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 Picture Jasper, the name register records "Landscape jasper", for which no restriction on use as a name is recorded; 2 further names in non-Latin scripts are listed in the name register below (1 with no restriction recorded on use as a name, 1 that may appear only as an annotation, never as the product name).
Names in four languagesThe names of Picture Jasper are given in Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, English (Picture Jasper) and Japanese (a katakana transliteration); its identity tier is registered as commercial/trade name. Standard and listing namesThe corresponding national-standard name is jasper, falling under GB/T 16552—2017 Table A.2, row Chalcedony (Agate/Jasper), and the original does not list the name picture jasper; the suggested listing name is Picture Jasper (jasper; quartz-based). Sub-names and unacceptable namesOther market names include picture jasper in another Chinese form and Landscape jasper; an older Chinese name is used only as a misuse search term, may appear only as a note and not as the main product name, and is linked to a high-risk name for jasper. The mineralogical description presents picture jasper as opaque, impure microcrystalline quartz (chalcedony), with iron oxide and clay bands forming landscape-like patterns. Japanese namesThe entry's own Japanese name is the katakana transliteration, and Japan's GSJ wording for it is not yet verified by this site. Institution usageThe entry's own English name is Picture Jasper: the FTC and CIBJO texts on file, when checked, have no wording for this name, and GIA and Gem-A are unchecked; bodies without a recorded wording show the entry's own English name, which does not represent their position.
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.
This table scrolls sideways on narrow screens.
| Name | Type | Matching | Use as a name | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| no restriction recorded (2) | ||||
| Landscape jasperEnglish | market name | matched automatically | no restriction recorded | editorial ruling (no clause cited) |
| 图画碧石Simplified Chinese | market name | matched automatically | no restriction recorded | editorial ruling (no clause cited) |
| annotation only, never as the product name (1) | ||||
| 图画碧玉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: Former name, kept only as a search term for the misuse; related high-risk name “Bi Yu / Jasper”. |
How each authority words this name: see Names › Authority wording.
- GSJ (Japan) formal name
- ピクチャージャスパー (not yet checked for this body — the entry's own Japanese name is shown)
- GB/T naming counterpart (this name is not in the standard)
- 碧石 (GB/T 16552—2017 Table A.2, row “Chalcedony(Agate/Jasper)”)
- Mineralogical name
- Opaque, impure microcrystalline quartz (chalcedony) whose iron oxide and clay mineral banding forms landscape-like patterns
- Trade names and synonyms
- Landscape jasper (market name)
Four-language names
- 简体中文
- 图画石
- 繁體中文
- 圖畫石
- English
- Picture Jasper
- 日本語
- ピクチャージャスパー
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
- Commercial / trade name
- 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
Under the “Chalcedony (Agate/Jasper)” row of Table B.1: Heating Optimization; Filling Graded — see §5.4.1, Table 1; Dyeing Optimization. The full row, with the effect column, is on the Chalcedony page.
What Table B.1 is, and how the “see 5.4.1” grades are defined: see the GB/T 16552: optimization vs treatment page.
What it is and how it's identified
Among the registered material facts for Picture Jasper, chemical composition, luminescence, UV-visible spectrum, infrared spectrum and magnification are written in the cited clause for chalcedony (including agate and jasper, the whole class); see the Chalcedony entry. Registered for chalcedony (including agate and jasper, the whole class), Picture Jasper has a cryptocrystalline aggregate structure, compact and massive, and may also form spherulitic, radiating or microfibrous aggregates; Mohs hardness 5–7, cleavage none, density 2.5–2.77 g/cm³; these are not measured on Picture Jasper alone. The optical items registered for chalcedony (including agate and jasper, the whole class) are: optical character anisotropic aggregate; refractive index 1.535–1.539 (the site note explains that the clause has finer sub-ranges and the overall value is registered); birefringence not measurable on an aggregate; pleochroism not measurable on an aggregate when untreated; the untreated quality factor lustre is vitreous to greasy; and both iridescence and the cat's-eye effect can occur.
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 Picture 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 Picture Jasper (how to read class-level values).
Structure
Picture Jasper — structure (overall): a cryptocrystalline aggregate, dense and massive in habit; it may also form spherulitic, radial or finely fibrous aggregates.
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
Durability
Picture 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
Picture 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
Picture 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
Picture 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
Picture 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
Picture 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
Picture 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
Picture 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
Picture 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
- CIBJO definitions
- chatoyancy
Quality factors
Picture Jasper — quality factor (lustre): vitreous to greasy
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
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 CIBJO laboratory protocol covers Picture Jasper under “Jasper” (§6.1.45): see identification on the Jasper entry; the required tests are listed on the CIBJO laboratory protocol table for Jasper.
How far testing can go
Each row's “Source & check” expands to the full source; the date beside it is the fact check date.
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 (Picture 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)
- Picture Jasper
- 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 | Heated / Heat-treated (via parent material), Filled / Fracture-filled (via parent material), Dyed (via parent material) | Live |
| Related articles | To be added (placeholder) | Planned |
Who maintains this page
The material facts in the Picture 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. The entry exists so that buyers and sellers can check naming, disclosure and material facts item by item.