Identification guide · Quartz Family
How to Identify Jasper
Jasper is usually red, yellow, and brown with a vitreous luster and is opaque. It has a Mohs hardness of 7. It scratches glass and a steel knife and cannot be scratched by a steel file. Its streak is white. It is most often confused with Mookaite, Agate, and Quartz; the tests below separate them.
Jasper identification checklist
| Color | Red, Yellow, Brown, Green, Multi-colored | Look at a clean, dry surface in daylight. Color zoning, banding or spots are as diagnostic as the hue. |
|---|---|---|
| Luster | Vitreous | Fresh surfaces shine like glass; a dull surface usually means weathering, so chip or wet a corner. |
| Transparency | Opaque | Hold a thin edge up to a bright light and note whether light passes through. |
| Mohs hardness | 7 | It scratches glass and a steel knife and cannot be scratched by a steel file. |
| Streak | White | Drag a corner across unglazed porcelain (the back of a bathroom tile) and check the powder color. |
| Cleavage | None | |
| Fracture | Conchoidal | Broken surfaces show smooth, curved, shell-like scoops. |
| Specific gravity | 2.6 | Ordinary rock-like heft (specific gravity about 2.6), similar to quartz. |
| Crystal system | Hexagonal |
Extra tests for Jasper
Glass check. Jasper shares a glassy luster and conchoidal fracture with man-made glass. Glass sits near Mohs 5.5 and often contains round gas bubbles, so a hardness test and a hand lens separate them.
Jasper look-alikes and how to tell them apart
Both sit near Mohs 7, so a scratch test alone will not separate them. Lean on luster, streak and heft instead. Jasper vs Mookaite →
Both sit near Mohs 7, so a scratch test alone will not separate them. Lean on luster, streak and heft instead. Jasper vs Agate →
Both sit near Mohs 7, so a scratch test alone will not separate them. Lean on luster, streak and heft instead. Jasper vs Quartz →
Both sit near Mohs 7, so a scratch test alone will not separate them. Lean on luster, streak and heft instead. Jasper vs Dalmatian Jasper →
Is my Jasper real?
- Hardness: real Jasper sits at Mohs 7. Glass imitations are about 5.5, so genuine Jasper scratches glass while a glass fake cannot.
- Bubbles: round gas bubbles under a 10x loupe mean glass or resin, never a natural stone.
- Color: dyed material concentrates color in cracks and pores; look for pigment collecting at the edges of fractures.
- Temperature: natural crystals feel cool and take longer to warm in your hand than plastic or resin.
Field tips
- Check whether the specimen's color and texture match typical Jasper examples.
- Use hardness, streak, luster, grain size, and locality together; no single trait is enough for every specimen.
Jasper identification FAQ
How can you tell if a rock is Jasper?
Check the color (red, yellow, brown, and green), the vitreous luster, a Mohs hardness of 7 and a white streak. Photographing it with the StoneSnap app gives a match in seconds.
What is the hardness of Jasper?
Jasper has a Mohs hardness of 7. It scratches glass and a steel knife and cannot be scratched by a steel file.
What is the difference between Jasper and Mookaite?
Jasper (Mohs 7, vitreous luster) and Mookaite (Mohs 6.5, waxy luster) look alike, but hardness, streak and heft usually separate them. See the full Jasper vs Mookaite comparison for a side-by-side table.
How do I know if my Jasper is real?
Real Jasper matches the hardness listed above, shows no round gas bubbles under magnification, and does not concentrate dye in cracks. Glass and resin fakes fail at least one of those checks.
Is Jasper worth anything?
Entry-level Jasper specimens sell for around $5, typical collector pieces about $20, and premium examples $150 or more depending on size, quality and locality.
What color is Jasper?
Jasper is most often red, yellow, brown, and green. Color varies with impurities and locality, so confirm with hardness and luster rather than color alone.
