WholesaleJasper

Opaque quartz painted with other minerals. Red, yellow, spotted, orbed and banded, in every form a shop needs.

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Shop jasper by form

Stone notes

Jasper: a stone of many names

Red, yellow, spotted, orbed or painted with scenes. Jasper is quartz that took on whatever minerals were around when it formed.

Jasper is one of the oldest stone names in use. The word reached English through Latin and Greek from older languages of the eastern Mediterranean, and carved jasper seals and beads turn up in very old archaeological sites. Its appeal has always been the same. It is hard, it takes a good polish, and no two pieces look alike.

Mineralogically, jasper is microcrystalline quartz, the same family as agate and chalcedony. The difference is what else is mixed in. Jasper can carry a large share of other material, mostly iron oxides and clay, and that is what makes it opaque. Hematite gives the brick and blood reds, goethite and limonite the mustard yellows and browns.

The patterns record how each jasper formed. Brecciated jasper was shattered and then cemented back together by new silica. Ocean jasper, from the coast of Madagascar, grew tiny spheres of chalcedony that show as orbs and eyes when it is cut. Picture jasper laid down fine layers of sediment that read like a desert landscape.

The name is also used loosely. Dalmatian, leopardskin and bumble bee jasper are other rocks that the trade calls jasper because they look the part. They are still good stones to sell, but it helps to know what you have. The table further down sorts the names on our labels.

The best jasper looks like a painting no one made.

About the stone

What is jasper?

Jasper is an opaque, fine-grained form of quartz packed with other minerals. Iron makes it red, yellow and brown, and the way it formed gives it spots, orbs, swirls and scenes. It is hard (6.5 to 7 on the Mohs scale for true jasper), polishes well and is one of the most affordable stones to stock in quantity.

What we stock

Tumbled jasper by the bag (ocean, picture, mookaite, Dalmatian, brecciated, kambaba, polychrome, red leopardskin, yellow and more), raw chips and chunks, red jasper towers, spheres and massage wands, pendulums and worry stones, bead strands and bracelets for jewellery makers, and numbered statement pieces.

Trade names

Several stones sold as jasper are other rocks with a jasper-like look. We keep the names the trade uses so you can reorder easily, and this page explains what the common ones are. Dyed jasper is marked "(Enhanced)" in the title.

Reading our titles

The letter in a title (A, B or E) is the quality grade of that lot. Chunk numbers (#0, #1, #2) are size bands. "Unique #" or "U#" marks a one-of-a-kind piece with its own photos and size.

What it is: An opaque, fine-grained quartz rock (microcrystalline silica) packed with other minerals
Hardness: 6.5 to 7 for true jasper. Some trade-name jaspers are other rocks and can be softer
Colour: Iron gives the reds, yellows and browns; other minerals add greens, greys and spots
Patterns: Spots, orbs, swirls, breccia (broken and re-cemented) and landscape-like scenes
Main sources: Found worldwide. Ocean jasper from Madagascar, mookaite from Western Australia, bumble bee jasper from Indonesia, red and yellow jasper from India and southern Africa

Varieties

Kinds of jasper we stock

Jasper is sold under dozens of names. These are the ones we carry most often.

Photos are real pieces from our stock. Tap a variety to see what is in stock now.

In crystal traditions

What jasper is traditionally used for

In crystal traditions jasper is a steady, grounding stone, linked with patience, stamina and calm in hard times. Red jasper is the classic stone of courage and drive, and ocean jasper is given for cheerfulness.

GroundingStaminaCouragePatienceChakra: Root (red jasper)Zodiac: Virgo

Traditional associations, shared as folklore. They are not health or medical claims.

Read the label

The names on jasper labels, sorted

Many stones are sold as jasper. This is what the most common names usually mean.

Name on the label	What it is	Good to know
Red jasper	True jasper coloured by iron oxide	Natural colour. Hard and durable
Picture jasper	True jasper with fine sediment layers	Every piece shows a different scene
Ocean jasper	Orbicular jasper and chalcedony from Madagascar	The orbs grew in the stone; nothing is added
Mookaite	Silica-rich sedimentary rock from Mooka Creek in Western Australia	Reds, mustard and cream in one stone
Dalmatian jasper	An igneous rock (mostly feldspar and quartz) with dark mineral spots	Not true jasper, still hard and durable
Leopardskin jasper	A spotted volcanic rock (rhyolite)	Not true jasper
Bumble bee jasper	Volcanic rock from Indonesia coloured by sulphur and arsenic minerals	Wash hands after handling; keep it dry
Blue impression jasper	Dyed stone	Marked (Enhanced) in our titles

Real, treated or fake?

Natural jasper is opaque and its colours sit inside the stone. Very bright blue, purple or turquoise "jasper" is dyed; our titles mark it "(Enhanced)".
Dye shows as darker colour in cracks and pits. Look closely at the rough spots and drill holes of beads.
"Jasper" on a label is often a trade name rather than a mineral name. That is normal in the stone trade; the table above shows what the common names usually mean.
Bumble bee jasper is soft and contains arsenic and sulphur minerals. It should never be sold for use in water or drinks.

Care and cleaning

True jasper is hard and takes daily handling well. Wipe with a damp cloth and a little mild soap.
Keep bumble bee jasper dry and out of reach of small children; wash hands after handling raw pieces.
Dyed jasper can lose colour in water and strong sun. Keep it dry and out of the window.
Rough chunks have a dull skin. The pattern shows when the stone is polished or simply wet, which makes a quick spray bottle a good demo tool for true jasper.

How shops sell jasper

Jasper is a budget-friendly stone with a big story. Tumbled jasper by the scoop is one of the easiest ways to show variety at a low price.
Sell the names. A small card that says "ocean jasper, from Madagascar" or "picture jasper" sells the stone better than "jasper".
Bundle the colours. Our Jasper Lovers tumbled bundle puts six jaspers in one order, and a mixed bowl at the till does the same in a shop.
Red jasper towers and generators read well at eye level next to amethyst and clear quartz; the warm colour fills a gap on most crystal shelves.

Apply for wholesale pricing

On the shelf

How to display jasper

Jasper sells on pattern and colour, and it is tough enough to be handled all day.

Sort by colour familyReds together, yellows together, greens and blues together. A colour run along one shelf looks like a paint chart and draws people in.
Name every binMost customers have never heard of mookaite or kambaba. A label with the name and where it comes from does the selling.
Show it wetKeep a small bowl of water and a few true jasper tumbles in it. The pattern pops when wet. Never do this with bumble bee jasper or dyed stone.
Hands-on bowlJasper is hard and cheap enough for a touch bowl. People who handle a stone are more likely to buy one.

Questions

Jasper FAQ

Is jasper a type of quartz?

True jasper is microcrystalline quartz (silica) mixed with other minerals, which make it opaque. It is in the same family as agate and chalcedony.

What is the difference between jasper and agate?

Agate is translucent at thin edges and usually banded. Jasper is opaque and shows spots, orbs, swirls or scenes instead of clear bands.

Why are some stones called jasper when they are not jasper?

Jasper became a trade name for any opaque, patterned stone. Dalmatian, leopardskin and bumble bee jasper are other rocks sold under the jasper name. They are fine stones; the comparison table on this page explains what the common names mean.

Is bumble bee jasper safe to handle?

Polished pieces are handled every day, but the stone contains arsenic and sulphur minerals. Wash your hands after handling raw pieces, keep it away from small children and pets, and never put it in water or drinks.

Is blue jasper natural?

Bright blue or purple jasper is dyed. Our titles mark dyed stone "(Enhanced)".

Where is ocean jasper from?

Ocean jasper comes from the northwest coast of Madagascar, where some deposits can only be reached at low tide.

Can I buy jasper without a minimum order?

Yes. There is no minimum order. Approved wholesale customers see their wholesale price on every product once signed in.

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