Jasper in General

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Jasper 

There are so many different and wonderful varieties  of jasper there is no way to show case them all in one post. This is  a post in general on  jasper . With the many varieties  it is one of the most common semi-precious gemstone used in handcrafted jewelry.

General and Scientific details

Jasper, a form of chalcedony,is an opaque,impure variety of silica, usually red, yellow, brown or green in color; and rarely blue. This mineral breaks with a smooth surface, and is used for ornamentation or as a gemstone. It can be highly polished and is used for vases, seals, and at one time for snuff boxes. When the colors are in stripes or bands, it is called striped or banded jasper. Jaspilite is a banded iron formation rock that often has distinctive bands of jasper. Jasper is basically chert which owes its red color to iron(III) inclusions. The specific gravity of jasper is typically 2.5 to 2.9. The jasper is, along with Heliotrope (bloodstone), one of the traditional birthstones for March.

traditional birthstones for March.
The name means "spotted or speckled stone", and is derived via Old French jaspre (variant of Anglo-Norman jaspe) and Latin iaspidem (nom. iaspis)) from Greek ἴασπις iaspis, (feminine noun)from a Semitic language (cf. Hebrew יושפה yushphah, Akkadian yashupu).

Green jasper was used to make bow drills in Mehrgarh between 4th and 5th millennium BC. Jasper is known to have been a favorite gem in the ancient world; its name can be traced back in Arabic, Persian, Hebrew, Assyrian, Greek and Latin. On Minoan Crete, jasper was carved to produce seals circa 1800 BC, as evidenced by archaeological recoveries at the palace of Knossos.
Although the term jasper is now restricted to opaque quartz, the ancient iaspis was a stone of considerable translucency. The jasper of antiquity was in many cases distinctly green, for it is often compared with the emerald and other green objects. Jasper is referred to in the Niebelungenlied as being clear and green. Probably the jasper of the ancients included stones which would now be classed as chalcedony, and the emerald-like jasper may have been akin to the modern chrysoprase. The Hebrew word yushphah may have designated a green jasper. Flinders Petrie suggested that the odem, the first stone on the High Priest's breastplate, was a red jasper, whilst tarshish, the tenth stone, may have been a yellow jasper.

Mystical and Healing details of jasper

Traditionally when worn as a decorative necklace jasper is known to combat exhaustion.

As well, Jaspers of all kinds have long been attributed magical powers in just about every culture known to man. Jasper was used in Ancient European times as a "rain bringer" and it is interesting to note that the word for jasper in some American Indian cultures also meant, "Rain Bringer".


When laid on therapeutically, red jasper stimulates sexuality and fertility. Red-brown jasper is particularly beneficial in the treatment of liver, spleen and pancreas issues. Drinking jasper water on hour before each meal is said to promote weight loss (to create jasper water, place the stone each night into a glass of water and cover, by morning it will have become jasper water). To combat constipation, drink the entire glass of jasper water every second day, the very first thing in the morning.

Yellow jasper is particularly good for menopausal women, and they should drink the jasper water each and every morning. In addition, yellow jasper is known to strengthen the immune system
Jasper is a fairly common stone, and it is generally worn or carried to promote mental processes and to restrain dangerous desires or whims that may lead to hazardous situations.

Jasper needs direct contact with the skin, after each use, the stone should be cleaned under warm running water and recharged overnight in a bowl of tumbled hematite stones to be recharged.

Each color of jasper has its own corresponding magical nature and uses:

Red Jasper (energy: projective, element: fire, planet: Mars)

Red jasper was typically engraved with images of lions and archers and carried to guard against poison and to cure fevers. A fine protective stone it is often used in defensive magic, as it sends negativity back to the original sender. It is also used during health and healing spells, as well red jasper is worn by young women to promote beauty and grace.

Brick Red Jasper 

Often called the "mother of all stones" and the first transformer due to is magical properties. This stone will balance all chakras, stabilize the energy fields and protect the wearer for negativity by absorbing those vibrations.

Green Jasper (energy: receptive, element: earth, planet: Venus)

Green Jasper is the talisman for healing and health. Ring green candles with green jasper to promote the body's healing or to ward off ill-heath. Wear green jasper to halt hallucinations and to promote a restful sleep. It is also worn to become more sympathetic to others and their emotional as well as mental states.

Brown Jasper (energy: receptive, element: earth, planet: Saturn)

Wearing brown jasper will help for centering and grounding, especially after a heavy magical ritual, psychic or spiritual work. If you tend ot live with your head in the clouds to the point of possibly endangering you own life, please wear brown jasper for grounding and protection.

Mottled Jasper (energy: projective, element: air, planet: Mercury)

For protection against drowning wear mottled jasper. It is said to e especially potent for this type of protection when it is cared with the image of an equal armed cross, which represents the powers of the four elements, of foundation and control.

Black Jasper

Should be worn when you would like for other people to leave you alone; it is quite good for personal sacred and ritual spaces.

Gray

Helps to regain and or use your personal power. It balances and protects the third chakra.

Mystical Birthstone for the Month of October.

Stone of Scorpio and Aries as well as Virgo, it symbolizes will power, and in the Middle Ages it was known as the Warrior's Stone. Legend holds that jasper is the stone that adorned Siegfried's Sword
There will be more post to come on different varieties of jaspers for now this is just an overview of jasper in general.

I hope you enjoyed the information on the wonderful versatile gemstone.




From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Crystal Bible by Judy Hall, 2003
Wheels of Life by Anodea Judith, PhD, 2000
Crystal Enchantments by D.J. Conway, 1999
Smithsonian Handbooks Gemstones by Cally Hall, 1994
Crystal, Gem and Metal Magic by Scott Cunningham, 2002
Chakra Healing & Karmic Awareness by Keith Sherwood, 2005
The Illustrated Directory of Crystal Healing by Cassandra Eason, 2003
Healing Crystals and Gemstones by Dr. Flora Peschek-Bohmer, Gisela Schrieber, 2002