MOROCCAN PICTURE JASPER (POLISHED) - Morocco

MOROCCAN 'PICTURE JASPER’

Atlas Mountains, Morocco

Jasper is an impure and opaque form of silica, sometimes banded in shades of colours. The ‘Picture Jasper’ from Morocco is not strictly a jasper but a fine-grained and very hard silicified siltstone. It is a particularly beautiful stone.

The banding was formed by the rhythmic precipitation of iron oxide as water percolated through the rock over millions of years. The iron diffused through the porous rock in pulses or waves creating distinct bands that scientists call ‘Liesegang rings’, but the process is still not fully understood.

This example is a highly polished 'palm stone'. It's a gorgeous thing to hold in the hand. Presented in a lidded gift box.

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