8.4" Free-Standing Polished Ocean Jasper - Madagascar

This is an 8.4" tall polished free-standing freeform made of ocean jasper from the Ambolobozo Peninsula of Madagascar. Much of the surface area of this specimen has been left unpolished to show the "bubbles" that the material is known for. Ocean jasper has a very unique character, as the patterns and colors are so different between specimens. The base of this piece has been cut flat, which allows it to display nicely without the use of a stand.

Ocean jasper is a rare type of silicified rhyolite (considered both an agate and a jasper), mined in a single location on the Ambolobozo Peninsula of northern Madagascar. The deposits are found on the coastline, hence the name, and can only be reached by boat and mined during low tide. The deposit formed as a rhyolite flow, but has been completely silicified. The rhyolitic eyes or orbs come in an astonishing array of colors and color combinations. The backgrounds can be white, pink, green, red, or yellow. Botryoidal formations as well as white and deep green druzy are also common.

Jasper is a term that can be applied to an opaque variety of chalcedony. The opaqueness is due to a higher concentration of impurities mixed with silica/quartz compared to other varieties of silica, such as quartz or agates. Like agate it may form in a wide variety of colors, and is often multi-colored. In most cases, jasper forms when silica-rich fluids permeate throughout a soft sediment or volcanic debris deposit. The fluids then crystallize around the particles/impurities, resulting in a cementation process. Most often, the impurities present determine the coloration of the deposit following solidification, but other factors can play a role in the color of what is now considered a jasper.
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DETAILS
SPECIES
Chalcedony var. Ocean Jasper
LOCATION
Mine of Marovato, Madagascar
SIZE
8.4" tall x 7.1" wide
CATEGORY
SUB CATEGORY
ITEM
#169553