Desert Messenger

8 www.DesertMessenger.com February 3, 2016 SEE ROCKS PAGE 33 One of my absolute favorite stones is jasper. It comes in just about all patterns and colors. Jasper can be found all over the world. Some of the best known deposits come from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, Japan, South Africa, Egypt, India, Madagascar, Mexico, Russia, In- donesia, Venezuela, and, of course, the United States. Here in the US, jasper can be found in Arizona, Ar- kansas, California, Idaho, Oregon, Texas, and Washington. Like chalcedony, Jasper is a micro- crystalline variety of quartz (silicon dioxide), but what separates jasper from chalcedony is that it contains up to 20% of foreign materials. Typically these foreign materials, called impurities, are hematite, pyrolusite, clay, or calcite, and it is these impurities which give it the characteristic grainy structure and opacity. In fact, the crystalline structure of jasper is so dense that it can only be seen under high magni- fi cation, and scientists have con- By Jenn Jedidiah Free for RocksInMyHead™ Jasper, oh, the impurity, opacity & diversity of it all sidered putting jasper into its own category within the quartz family. Jasper forms as solutions of mineral laden quartz percolate into veins and cracks in volcanic rocks, and often forms with or near chalcedony and agate. Occasionally, jasper occurs in igneous rocks, like the jasper from Germany that forms in granite. The cracks and fi ssures in which Jasper forms are often created by tectonic activity. In this type of a situation, the jasper will form, and then when another tectonic movement reopens the crack, the jasper will be cracked or shattered. The cracks in the stone will fi ll with more jasper, often of another color, creating patterns or layers of different colors within the ADVENTURES WITH ROCKS Heaven's Kitchen SANTA MARIA STYLE RED OAK PIT BBQ Home of the $ 8 Tri-Tip Sandwich! WOOD SMOKE MEAT It's a primal thing INDOOR SEATING! Open 11am-7pm Dinner Served ALL DAY! Where locals eat! 205 N. Central (Hwy. 95) • Quartzsite (just north of 76 station) Veteran Owned & Operated • 928-927-1116 Saturday Night SPECIAL - Rib Eye Steak Dinner - $ 19 95 COMPUTER RUNNING SLOW? POP-UPS? SPYWARE? TROJANS? Quartzsite WiFi Computer Repair, Service & Support (928) 927-5592 • Computer REPAIR & SUPPORT for Home/Offi ce • PC Tune Up • Wireless Networks • WiFi Boosters • Offi ce Equipment Service/Support www.QuartzsiteWiFi.com Your Local Year-Round Choice $ 350.00 per denture when purchasing an upper and lower Dental Laboratory Service, LLC Call: 623-444-4013 Goodyear, AZ http://www.DLSAZ.com FREE CONSULTATIONS Same Day Dentures and Custom Premium Partials and Dentures • US Military Trained with 30 plus Years Experience • 1000's of Satisfi ed Customers • Extractions & Implants by Licensed AZ Dentist DENTURES 928-927-6381, Fax 928-927-4814 Open Daily 8-4 Sun. 9-3 1250 W. Main, Quartzsite (across from McDonald's) American Indian Jewelry • Pottery • Beads • S upplies Gem Stone Jewelry • Black Hills Gold Jewelry

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