Jasper is made up of thousands of tiny crystals tightly packed together to form a hard opaque mineral. As such it can contain lots of different ‘ingredients’ which give rise to a multitude of different colour and pattern combinations, from black and white spots to red and brown streaks or green and pale pink round blotches.

It is typically used for ornamental carvings, beads, and inlays and its diversity of appearance means that it offers a great range of realistic looking options for carving pieces like our Sea Turtle and Crab cufflinks. 

Description: Jasper is an opaque variety of Quartz that occurs in a wide range of colour and patterns, it can be found in many different countries including Egypt, Africa and the USA.

Hardness: 7 on Mohs Scale

Jade is made up of millions of tiny crystals that lock together meaning it is very tough and suitable for use in jewellery although it is also used extensively for carvings. The finest pieces come from Burma but it is also mined in Russia, Tibet and Guatemala. It has a long association with China where it is very highly prized, particularly the translucent apple green colour which is called Imperial Jade. 

This is the rarest and most valuable variety however it occurs naturally in a range of colours including yellow, white, lavender, red and black. It is associated with prosperity, success and good luck.

Description: The name Jade is used to describe two different varieties of this gem, Jadeite and Nephrite, with Jadeite being the rarer and more valuable of the two. They are similar in appearance, occurring in many of the same colours and have the same hardness.

Hardness: 6 – 7 on Mohs Scale