Jasper

This specimen is a natural mass of jasper, a dense, microcrystalline form of quartz coloured by iron oxides. The deep red-brown body colour and yellow ochre bands reflect variations in iron content during formation.

Jasper forms from silica-rich fluids that precipitate and compact over time, often within sedimentary or hydrothermal environments. The fine-grained texture and lack of visible crystals are characteristic of microcrystalline quartz varieties such as jasper and chert.

Collected from Caster Bay in Auckland, this specimen represents a classic New Zealand occurrence and provides a clear educational example of iron-rich jasper in its natural, unworked form.

125 x 42 x 20mm

153g