Ocean Jasper

Ocean Jasper is a silicon dioxide mineral that occurs in highly silicified rhyolite.

This means that it is in the Quartz family and just like all other Jaspers it has a hardness of 6.5 to 7. Ocean Jasper is sometimes called Orbicular Jasper, a broad term given to several Jaspers displaying perfect circles throughout the piece. The peculiar orbs or "bull's eye" patterns are caused when Quartz and feldspar crystallize in radial aggregates of needle shaped crystals. A few of these other Orbicular Jaspers are Poppy Jasper and Leopard Skin Jasper. Many of these other orbicular jaspers are found in various locations throughout the world, however none are as rare as Ocean Jasper!

The vibrant colors visible in Ocean Jasper are caused by many different minerals.

Red is caused by iron or hematite, light yellow or gray is caused by clay and brown or deep yellow is from goethite. Sometimes a dazzling display of sparkling tiny crystals occurs upon the surface. These little gems, known as druze, are the result of clear or white quartz formations.  Many collectors seek specimens of Ocean Jasper with these unique crystals upon them.

Another exceptional quality of Ocean Jasper is translucency.  Many specimens are opaque and still very beautiful while others, when held in front of a strong light source, display what can only be described as another world!  When viewed in front of a bright light the translucent, clear, or just foggy background illuminates and displays the contrasting solid perfect circles –the orbs- which then reveal exactly why Ocean Jasper is sometimes called "Fish Eye Jasper". These solid, soft looking spheres appear suspended in the illuminated quartz, and they can make one tempted to reach in and try to touch them!

These fascinating eccentricities are all reasons why Ocean Jasper is so addictive!

Each piece of Ocean Jasper has a mind of its own!  For example, in some specimens a solid opaque background of mustard yellow contrasts with hundreds of tiny green circles.  In others, a sparkling white surface displays diagonal lines of pink and red running in every direction. Some pieces even allow light to be seen through!  Almost every piece of Ocean Jasper displays at least one of the orbs, striking colors, crystal displays or translucency.
Truly, the only distinctive characteristic is its beauty!

Enter The Earth is currently the ONLY wholesale importer of Ocean Jasper (as a finished product) in the United States.

However, the story of Ocean Jasper began many years ago.  It was in Madagascar, the early 1950's, when a prospector brought Paul Obeniche of Madagascar Minerals-Mdg. a sample of the curious new orbicular jasper.  The prospector could not recall the source of the sample, however Paul estimated it may have been from the northwest coast of Madagascar.  Reaching this particular location was extremely dangerous due to treacherous reefs, sheer rugged cliffs and no roads.  The effort to find it was fruitless and the new Orbicular Jasper was soon forgotten.

About 45 years later, photos of this unnamed Jasper reappeared in the Mineralogical Encyclopedia.  This sparked everyone's curiosity and the Madagascar Mineral Mdg. Company sent out several expeditions again.

In 1999, after 45 days of visiting fishing villages along Madagascar's NW coast, the Orbicular Jasper was once again discovered!

Luckily the expedition was sailing near Moravato, along the NW coast during low tide. As strong ocean currents pushed back from the cliffs, the beautiful Orbicular Jasper was seen once again!

In the early stages, miners had to work steadily and swiftly to avoid high tide. They would mine by hand during low tide when the Jasper was exposed, then load the boat and sail back to civilization.  The remote area of the mine actually makes it impossible for heavy machinery, typically used in mining expeditions, to be used.  The new Jasper seemed like a promising endeavor and Paul decided to help out the community, building a couple of schools and creating jobs for the villagers.

Once it has been mined, there are several more stages of production before it gets back to us in Asheville, NC.  First, the Ocean Jasper is sorted by quality and grade by Paul.  Then the workers begin to cut or shape it.  These workers are skilled artisans, cutting, shaping, and polishing every individual piece by hand, using the most basic of hand and foot tools.
 

Once Nader has organized the Ocean Jasper he wants shipped to the U.S., it is loaded onto giant shipping containers and then onto a cargo ship. The containers, filled with tons of handpicked minerals and fossils, are delivered twice a year.  One goes to Tucson, AZ and the other to Asheville, via Charleston, SC..  Nader and his team unload the material and set aside all high quality pieces for our gallery and online customers, and of course, a little something goes to our ETE employees, too!  Whatever material is not chosen for you, is sold at wholesale shows around the country.

The owner of Enter The Earth, Nader Kawar, is actually the only American who has ever been to the Ocean Jasper mine.

He has been witness to the progress the mine has made and the sense of ownership and joy the community has brought the villagers. In 2006, the Ocean Jasper mine became exhausted. Fortunately, Nader has reserved much of the rough material already in Madagascar and stored it away for future importing.  Only the finest specimens are sold in our retail gallery and online store, so be assured:

You are getting the absolute best quality directly from the source in Madagascar.

According to The Book of Stones, Robert Simmons and Naisha Ahsain…

Ocean Jasper is associated with the Earth element and the Solar Plexus (3rd), Heart (4th) and Throat (5th) chakras. It is said to promote enjoyment of life, release of negativity and stress, relaxation, positive self expression, and physical and emotional healing.

Ocean Jasper radiates positive energy and helps one to feel, speak and act more positively.

Spiritually, it is said to help release 'stuck' or limiting patterns that may cause physical imbalance or disease. Physically it is said to help with regeneration of tissues in the body, healing of organs, balancing the glandular system, stabilizing the thyroid and assisting the endocrine system.

Click here to shop our Ocean Jasper that is available online: www.entertheearth.com/catalog/ocean-jasper