Jasper Gemstone Beads

Frequently asked questions

• How many varieties of jasper are there?

  Dozens are named in the bead trade. The number is fuzzy because "jasper" has been used as a marketing name for stones that aren't technically microcrystalline quartz (kambaba, dalmatian, ocean, unakite, picasso, bumblebee). Designers shop by variety name, but the underlying mineral identity matters for durability and care — variety and mineral classification should be disclosed. Ask if either isn't specified.
• Is kambaba jasper actually jasper? Is it a fossil?

  Kambaba "jasper" is not microcrystalline quartz, so it is not technically jasper in the gemological sense. It has historically been described as a fossilized stromatolite (a layered algae structure); recent X-ray diffraction analysis (EPI Institute, Germany) classifies it as a volcanic rhyolite. Either way, it's a beautiful and distinctive stone. The trade name is what designers search; the actual mineralogy should be confirmed.
• Is dalmatian jasper real jasper?

  No. GIA's 2017 Gems & Gemology study concluded that "dalmatian jasper" is a feldspar-and-quartz igneous rock with arfvedsonite producing the characteristic black spots. The study recommended the trade name be changed to "dalmatian stone." The trade name persists because that's how designers search; the actual mineralogy should be disclosed.
• What's the difference between ocean jasper, kambaba jasper, and mookaite?

  Ocean jasper (Madagascar, silicified rhyolite) shows orbicular ring patterns in green-pink-white. Kambaba jasper (Madagascar, rhyolite or stromatolite) shows deep green with black orbs. Mookaite (Australia, true jasper) shows vivid red-yellow-mustard mottling. They share the visual-pattern-as-buying-decision character of the jasper family but are different stones from different deposits with different mineral identities.
• Is jasper dyed?

  Most true jasper is untreated. The naturally vivid reds, yellows, browns, greens, and patterned stones are intrinsic. "Candy-colored" jaspers — bright pinks, electric blues, vivid purples — are typically dyed; impression jasper is the most common dyed variety in the bead trade. Dye treatment, when present — ask before buying if it isn't specified.