Desert Messenger

February 17, 2016 www.DesertMessenger.com 11 SEE ROCKS PAGE 26 Electrical • Plumbing • Furnaces Refrigerators • Vintage Towables Water Heaters • LPG/propane RV Appliance Repair • BLM Certified • Licensed • Insured 928-916-3500 MARK'S RV Mobile Recreational Vehicle Service 20 Years in Quartzsite! NEW LOCATION at 625 N. Central Blvd. (Hwy. 95) Mark & Susie Taylor-Beauchamp Call for appointment! CALL TO ORDER 928-927-6715 Stop By 510 South Riggles Ave. INSIDE AL'S RV PARK TEXT ORDERS TO 719-649-1250 Order 7 days a Week Closed on Sunday East Side Breadery Home Baked Breads TO ORDER See us at the FARMER'S MARKET Wednesdays • 10am - 2pm Dec 2nd 2015 - March 2016 ON THE PORCH! ON THE PORCH! Craft Fair 1st Sat. of every month! Daily Activities! QIA 928-927-6325 235 E. Ironwood St., Quartzsite BINGO FRIDAY NIGHT Opens at 5pm. Early Birds 6:30pm. Main7pm Concessions Available PUBLISHER'S NOTICE: All real estate advertised herein is sub- ject to the Federal Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to advertise "any preference, limitation, or discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national ori- gin, or intention to make any such pref- erence, limitation, or discrimination." 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- fication, and scientists have con- 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 By Jenn Jedidiah Free for RocksInMyHead™ Jasper, oh, the impurity, opacity & diversity of it all and agate. Occasionally, jasper oc- curs in igneous rocks, like the jasper from Germany that forms in granite. The cracks and fissures 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 move- ment reopens the crack, the jasper will be cracked or shattered. The cracks in the stone will fill with more jasper, often of another color, creat- ing patterns or layers of different colors within the stone. This frac- turing and re-solidification process can occur many times during the formation of the stone and can result in beautiful color combinations and amazing patterns. As far as color goes, jasper can be found in just about any color, though by far the most common color is red. Yellow and brown are tied for a close second, while green and gray are more uncommon. Black can also occur in jasper occasionally, and blue is rare. Pink, orange, white, and purple occur sometimes, as well. The color in jasper is caused by the other minerals in the solution as the stone is forming. Reds typically come from iron oxides, more specifically, hematite. Other iron oxides cre- ate oranges, yellows and sometimes ADVENTURES WITH ROCKS ™ browns. Pink and purple is the result of manganese. Jasper color combi- nations are extremely diverse and varied, but single-color stones are very rare. Often jaspers are named for their color schemes or patterns. Bumble- bee jasper, for example, is yellow and black and brings to mind its namesake insect, and zebra jasper has alternating zebra-like streaks of brown and white. Orbicular jasper has a pattern of orbicular concen- tric rings, scenic or picture jasper exhibits "landscapes", and banded jasper is, well, banded. Some other jaspers whose names describe their patterns are leopard skin or poppy jasper from South Africa and Ocean Jasper from Madagascar. Sometimes the jasper is named for the location where it is found. Examples of this are Owyhee Jasper which comes from the Owyhee mountains in Or- egon, and Gnandstein jasper, a gor- geous green, pink, and white banded stone from the Gnandstein region of Saxony, Germany. Our famous Brenda Jasper, which hails from Brenda, AZ, is another good example of this creative nomenclature. Jasper has a hardness of 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs scale and no cleavage, which makes it an excellent stone for cutting, carving, and polishing. Jasper has been known and loved by people all over the world for thousands of years. Many ancient peoples used it to fashion weapons and tools, to create every- day items such as bowls or decorative containers, or as seals for politicians or royalty. Jasper has also been used since prehistoric times as ornamental jewelry, just as it is today. It is a favor- ite of both hobbyists and professional jewelers alike because of its abundance and variety of colors and patterns. It is also a very durable and maintenance- free stone, making it perfect for ev- eryday wear in a wide array of jewelry designs for both men and women. Here in Quartzsite, we are fortunate to have several beautiful varieties of high quality jasper located in our backyard. The intense red and yellow stone known as Brenda Jasper often has swirls of green and tiny inclu- sions of crystal pockets and is found within a short drive from town in the Plomosa Mountains near Brenda. Another red and yellow jasper can be found near Bouse. If you want to go for a more subdued color scheme, Pastelite and Porcelain Jasper are two other very nice varieties located within day trips from Quartzsite.

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