Post by rockhard on Mar 27, 2006 0:41:02 GMT -5
I hope this isn't too long a post, I've been wanting to write about this stuff for a long time. I'm posting these two stones together because they are really part of a range of variation in one kind of chalcedony/chert type stone found in a relatively small area of the Oregon Coast. I'm using the word jasper in the broad common sense, and the word jade as part of a common local name.
"Thunderstorm Jasper" is something that I haven't seen sold except by one person on ebay, but that guy and others have been collecting quite a bit. It may be more common as time goes on. "Thunderstorm" was named for the typical dark, moody scenic patterns including black lightning streaks. I've seen some that when cut, looked like a still from an old horror movie, or a negative of one. It's a nice hard glossy material that polishes well. Small pieces take a while to tumble smooth but get a mirror shine when done. This is only one variation, it comes in different patterns in a range of muted colors (greys, tans, greens, black, with streaks, speckles, orbs, brecciation, or landscape scenes). I've heard of it having pinkish tones in some pieces, and recently was told that under black light on some Thundersorm slabs "there were spots that lit up like Vegas" in different colors including green, pink, and blue (but I haven't seen that personally yet, don't have the good UV lights):
"THUNDERSTORM JASPER"
"Oregon Jade" has been known for quite a while, but not commonly sold. I refer to the typically deep, forest green jasper/chert colored by chlorites and found on the Oregon Coast. It is definitely not serpentinite as has been said elsewhere (there may be green serpentinite somewhere else in Oregon, I don't know). This stuff is hard as any agate and polishes very well- at least the good quality pieces do. Even some of the kinds of matrix it's found in are hard enough to polish reasonably. "Oregon Jade" can usually be found as smaller pebbles on the beaches, occasionally larger chunks in Winter. I've found it as far North as near Seaside, OR, and as far South as near Florence. In it's Northern range it somtimes has pyrite or marcasite inclusions. I've seen veins, microinclusion sparkles, and larger crystal clusters as shown here (metallic part is about 5/8 inch across). I should note that though "jade" is part of the common name, just about every local will follow that with "but it's not 'real' jade, you know". I don't care, it's a great stone in my book, and my favorite color too:
'OREGON JADE' WITH PYRITE/MARCASITE
Some of the patterned, but greener pieces are kind of a combination, partway between "Thunderstorm" and "Oregon Jade". This can be various shades of blue/green, forest green, white, black, gray, brown/rust, etc. with black lightning, brecciation, or other patterns. These also sometimes get a little more translucent, becoming more like a jasp-agate. The more green and black in it, the more likely there will be pyrite/marcasite inclusions as well. (I believe that the black parts are mostly colored by iron, based on my own examinations, and the fact that there is a lot of obvious iron in the same places) This stuff is sometimes called "bastard" locally, and often considered a patterned "Oregon Jade". (These are only small pieces, will get other pictures as I can):
"BASTARD" JASPERS
There are other hard massive silicified stones in the same area the above are found, but they don't really even have good nicknames yet, that I know of. Here's a picture of a small scenic one I found and cut recently (and very roughly, on the tile saw). I got lucky on this one, many have no interesting scenery at all and I'm not so good at being able to tell from the outside of a plain looking rock! The Skies in the scenes are steel-grey rather than blue. Just like the real skies here. I haven't tried polishing it yet, but many pieces appear to be very hard and glossy where chipped.
PICTURE JASPER, NEAR TILLAMOOK, OR
"Thunderstorm Jasper" and "Oregon Jade", along with the other jasper type stones in the area, can probably never be mined due to the sensitive and protected environment they are found in (beaches, beach cliffs and bluffs). They are unlikely to ever get very common. Of course not all material found that way is gem quality either. All material I know of that's been collected so far has been found down on the beaches, and among loose surf-turned rocks at the base of cliffs. Unfortunately it mostly seems to surface in the dead of our cold, very wet , and windy Winter season when the sand is pulled back by the storms. I think it's unique enough to put it up here in case someone comes across it, so it's no longer an "unknown". I certainly intend to use them in my projects, and flatter myself that someday I'll get good enough that people might notice the things I make. I'll post more pictures as I get them.
Vincent
"Thunderstorm Jasper" is something that I haven't seen sold except by one person on ebay, but that guy and others have been collecting quite a bit. It may be more common as time goes on. "Thunderstorm" was named for the typical dark, moody scenic patterns including black lightning streaks. I've seen some that when cut, looked like a still from an old horror movie, or a negative of one. It's a nice hard glossy material that polishes well. Small pieces take a while to tumble smooth but get a mirror shine when done. This is only one variation, it comes in different patterns in a range of muted colors (greys, tans, greens, black, with streaks, speckles, orbs, brecciation, or landscape scenes). I've heard of it having pinkish tones in some pieces, and recently was told that under black light on some Thundersorm slabs "there were spots that lit up like Vegas" in different colors including green, pink, and blue (but I haven't seen that personally yet, don't have the good UV lights):
"THUNDERSTORM JASPER"
"Oregon Jade" has been known for quite a while, but not commonly sold. I refer to the typically deep, forest green jasper/chert colored by chlorites and found on the Oregon Coast. It is definitely not serpentinite as has been said elsewhere (there may be green serpentinite somewhere else in Oregon, I don't know). This stuff is hard as any agate and polishes very well- at least the good quality pieces do. Even some of the kinds of matrix it's found in are hard enough to polish reasonably. "Oregon Jade" can usually be found as smaller pebbles on the beaches, occasionally larger chunks in Winter. I've found it as far North as near Seaside, OR, and as far South as near Florence. In it's Northern range it somtimes has pyrite or marcasite inclusions. I've seen veins, microinclusion sparkles, and larger crystal clusters as shown here (metallic part is about 5/8 inch across). I should note that though "jade" is part of the common name, just about every local will follow that with "but it's not 'real' jade, you know". I don't care, it's a great stone in my book, and my favorite color too:
'OREGON JADE' WITH PYRITE/MARCASITE
Some of the patterned, but greener pieces are kind of a combination, partway between "Thunderstorm" and "Oregon Jade". This can be various shades of blue/green, forest green, white, black, gray, brown/rust, etc. with black lightning, brecciation, or other patterns. These also sometimes get a little more translucent, becoming more like a jasp-agate. The more green and black in it, the more likely there will be pyrite/marcasite inclusions as well. (I believe that the black parts are mostly colored by iron, based on my own examinations, and the fact that there is a lot of obvious iron in the same places) This stuff is sometimes called "bastard" locally, and often considered a patterned "Oregon Jade". (These are only small pieces, will get other pictures as I can):
"BASTARD" JASPERS
There are other hard massive silicified stones in the same area the above are found, but they don't really even have good nicknames yet, that I know of. Here's a picture of a small scenic one I found and cut recently (and very roughly, on the tile saw). I got lucky on this one, many have no interesting scenery at all and I'm not so good at being able to tell from the outside of a plain looking rock! The Skies in the scenes are steel-grey rather than blue. Just like the real skies here. I haven't tried polishing it yet, but many pieces appear to be very hard and glossy where chipped.
PICTURE JASPER, NEAR TILLAMOOK, OR
"Thunderstorm Jasper" and "Oregon Jade", along with the other jasper type stones in the area, can probably never be mined due to the sensitive and protected environment they are found in (beaches, beach cliffs and bluffs). They are unlikely to ever get very common. Of course not all material found that way is gem quality either. All material I know of that's been collected so far has been found down on the beaches, and among loose surf-turned rocks at the base of cliffs. Unfortunately it mostly seems to surface in the dead of our cold, very wet , and windy Winter season when the sand is pulled back by the storms. I think it's unique enough to put it up here in case someone comes across it, so it's no longer an "unknown". I certainly intend to use them in my projects, and flatter myself that someday I'll get good enough that people might notice the things I make. I'll post more pictures as I get them.
Vincent
