Dalmatian Jasper

Dalmation Jasper, which is actually a Dalmatian Stone, also known as Dalmatian, comes from Chihuahua, Mexico. If you haven’t guessed already, the stone gets its name from the spotted appearance.

These semi-precious stones can be polished to a very high luster and are often used for carvings, cabochons, tumbled stones, beads, and spheres.

The dark spots of these cute stones are caused by Tourmaline deposits. Dalmatian stones are predominantly comprised of feldspars, Alkali Amphiboles, Quartz, and lesser amounts of Epidote and Hematite. This igneous microcrystalline Quartz contains a mixture of other minerals, which produce the speckled dot appearance. Dalmatian Jasper is a Chalcedony, Quartz, and Silicate group member with a measured hardness of 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs hardness scale.

Types of Dalmation Jasper

Dalmatian stones originate from Northern Mexico. While its primary colors are cream and black, the rocks can be found speckled with hints of grey, brown, white, and pale orange. The irregularity of the spots and colors means each individual stone is unique.

Blue Dalmation Jasper

This Jasper is incredibly easy to dye. That said, these days, many low-cost varieties are available on the market, including Blue Dalmatian Jasper. Blue Jasper is commonly sold on the market through auction sites and other online bidding platforms. Dyed stones are white and black that are colored blue and sometimes green. However, it’s said that it’s more challenging to produce green stones.

Green Dalmation Jasper

Again, Dalmatian Stones easily accept dye and that is why you see the variations in color. Dyed Dalmatian Stone beads and tumbled specimens are also common at rock shops, gem shows, and in bead catalogs. Even though the color is not natural they’re still popular among artists using them for beads and other inexpensive jewelry.

Raw Dalmation Jasper

Dalmatian Jasper has a vitreous luster with a conchoidal fracture. The transparency is transparent to translucent, and the cleavage is indiscernible.

It’s really not a Jasper instead, it’s a Peralkaline rock of uncertain provenance. It is predominantly comprised of Feldspar, Alkali Amphiboles, Quartz, and lesser amounts of Epidote and Hematite. The black spots of the Dalmatian Stone have been recognized as Arfvedsonite.

A study conducted by the Gemological Institute of America revealed that the stone is a Peralkaline rock, which is an igneous rock lacking aluminum with an uncertain or undetermined origin.

Purple Dalmatian Jasper

Because the white or beige background of Dalmatian Stones is easily penetrated, it is often dyed to produce vivid and brightly colored stones. Dying these stones allows bead and tumbled stone manufacturers to start with common, inexpensive, and easily workable materials and transform them into lustrous, bright-colored gemstones with higher sales appeal.

Red Dalmatian Jasper

Red Dalmatian Stones are also dyed and readily available in bead form, cabochons, and tumbled stones. Dealers will charge you more for the dyed varieties so, make sure you negotiate on price.