Fractured Jasper

Fractured Jasper Pebble, Puget Sound

Jasper is one of the most common, colorful rocks among the beach cobbles of Puget Sound. It is composed of micro-crystalline quartz (e.g. its crystal structure is too tiny for the eye) and therefore is very hard and takes a nice polish.  Often the samples I find are broken, fractured or badly-shapen.

This one, however, had both a nice shape, and a handsome fracture pattern similar to the "crackle" in pottery glazes. Despite its symmetrical shape, I did not cut it, but simply polished the stone as I found it, which rounds out sharp edges, but otherwise changes the rock very little. To be honest, I enjoy these "natural" shapes much more than cut cabochons so popular in the jewelry business.  It will never be a necklace, but I enjoy it all the same.