Allen County Museum
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J is for...
Jasper: Jasper is an opaque type of quartz that is red, yellow, brown or green in color. It is a “chalcedony” which is the name given to compact varieties of silica that comprise minute quartz crystals with sub-microscopic pores. There are two main varieties of chalcedony: those that are uniformly colored, and agate, which had bands of differing color. Jasper breaks with a smooth surface, and like flint, it can be knapped; it can also be highly polished and used as a gemstone. Jasper was once thought to possess curative powers, as well as to protect against drought.
