Rainforest Jasper Crystals from Australia
Rainforest Jasper is a trade name for spherulitic rhyolite. From a geological perspective, rhyolite and jasper are not the same.
A spherulite is a spherical crystalline structure often present in volcanic rocks with a vitreous lustre.
Although spherulitic rhyolite can be found in other parts of the world, stones labelled as Rainforest Jasper come from Mount Hay, Queensland, Australia. Mount Hay is what's left of what was once a volcano, last active 120 million years ago.
Rainforest Jasper crystals occur in various shades of green, brown, red and cream. They take on a high polish and are widely used for decorative purposes.
Rhyolite is a fine-grained extrusive igneous rock composed mainly of silica. It forms from lava that cools and crystallises on Earth's surface.
Crystals vary in size depending on how quickly the rhyolite cools and are always embedded in groundmass. Groundmass, also known as matrix, is the finer-grained material in which larger grains or crystals are embedded.
Rhyolite is often described as a fine-grained equivalent of granite. Although the two are similar in composition and appearance, they form through different processes.
These beautiful Rainforest Jasper crystals have the smoothest texture. They're medium sized tumbled stones, but size can vary from piece to piece.
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