23/08/2024
Ocean Jasper W58 D34 H37(mm) USD$250
Is available now!
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What is Ocean Jasper?
Ocean Jasper is a trademark name for a highly sought after spherulitic chalcedony that is found in the Analalava district of the Sofia region in northwestern Madagascar.
Despite being referred to as an orbicular jasper, newer research indicates that it is actually the mineral chalcedony. Certain pieces feature translucent quartz druses, or agate banding, which is a coating of tiny crystals that is most widely referred to as "druzy."
Dr. Werner Lieber's study on Ocean Jasper is the most notable. It is a sphärolithischer Chalcedon, which means "spherulitic or orbicular chalcedony" in German. The term "spherulitic" alludes to the orbs' more technical term, spherulites. A spherulite is a spherical body in geology that forms by radial growth around a central point.
Why is Ocean Jasper so popular now?
Currently, with only one locality in the world having such consistently vibrant and beautiful colours, though Ocean Jasper has quietly had its fair share of fanbase in the collector's realm, exposure on social media over the last few years have gathered interests and enthusiasts which attributed to the sharp increase in number of new collectors.
The people managing the mining of Ocean Jasper have categorised their mining periods with the numbering of Veins. A vein is a distinct sheetlike body of crystallised minerals within a rock. The formation of veins occurs when mineral constituents carried by an aqueous solution within the rock mass are deposited through precipitation.
There are 8 veins to date, and a small deposit named ‘veinless’. The first mining began in 1999, with the mining of each vein lasting a smaller amount of time. It is now known that all the veins have been mined out. No news of a new vein has been heard. Even if a new vein is to be discovered, the chances of it having totally different colours and characteristics is extremely high since all the 8 veins have had clear distinctions.
Is Ocean Jasper worth its price?
Quality in something natural like minerals cannot be controlled and the stones are usually categorised by grades. Though there are many colours of Ocean Jasper coming out of Madagascar, higher grades that have vibrant colours with orbs have always been extremely limited and therefore become a rare commodity. Coupled with the fact that each time a vein is exhausted, their colours and characteristics are exclusively distinct for each vein, higher grades of Ocean Jasper are the Crown Jewels among collectors.
Concentric circles in the mineral are referred to as Bulls-eyes orbs, while orbs surrounded by druzy quartz which resembles a flower are, unsurprisingly referred to as flower orbs, have been the source of obsession among collectors. It cannot be reiterated enough that vibrant colours coupled with these aforementioned orbs, especially if the orbs are distinct, is the pinnacle that many collectors seek.
Over the years, the price of Ocean Jasper has risen greatly due to the never ending demand and multiple breaks in supplies. Many collectors consider Ocean Jasper an investment. There are only a handful of sellers in the world of Ocean Jasper that sell higher grades; what you see available in the market are collectors letting go of their personal pieces. If you do manage to get your hands on a high grade piece, it is definitely worth its price.
