Red Striped Jasper Tumbled Gemstone

Red Jasper is inert and non-toxic. It tolerates brief rinsing in lukewarm water but should not be soaked for long periods or exposed to harsh chemicals, and prolonged direct sunlight may fade its red over time.

Red jasper forms over vast stretches of time as silica-rich sediment and volcanic ash consolidate underground, taking up fine iron oxides that stain the stone its deep red. Compact and opaque, it is found on nearly every continent and has been shaped by human hands since the Stone Age.

Red Jasper is an opaque, cryptocrystalline variety of quartz belonging to the chalcedony family, composed chiefly of silicon dioxide (SiO2). Its red color comes from finely dispersed iron oxide, primarily hematite, spread through the stone. It registers 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs scale, crystallizes in the trigonal system, and shows a waxy to dull luster when polished.

• In ancient Egypt, red jasper was linked to the blood of the goddess Isis; the Tyet amulet was carved from it and placed with the dead to guard them into the afterlife.
• Jasper is named among the foundation stones of the high priest's breastplate in the ancient Near East, prized as a stone of protection and steadfastness.
• Medieval lapidaries valued red jasper as a protective, steadying stone, and warriors carried engraved pieces for courage in battle.