Bumblebee Jasper: Properties, Facts and Photos
What is Bumblebee Jasper?
Bumblebee Jasper is a relatively rare stone from West Java, Indonesia. Despite its name, it's not a true jasper. Jasper is a variety of quartz, and scientific testing has confirmed that Bumblebee Jasper contains no quartz.
Bumblebee Jasper is sometimes labelled as agate, which is also incorrect. From a geological perspective, although agate and jasper share similarities, neither is present in Bumblebee Jasper.
Many colourful stones used for decorative purposes are given trade names, and the suffix 'jasper' is popular because of the stone's familiarity. However, trade names often cause confusion when geologists try to determine the chemical composition of a specific material.
Bumblebee Jasper is widely reported to originate from Mount Papandayan, but it's purely a landmark close to where Bumblebee Jasper is found.
This location initially caused confusion because this material forms in limestone rather than in volcanic rock. The precise location was later identified as the lower slopes of Mount Ciremai, where limestone has been altered by nearby volcanic activity.
It has since been confirmed that Bumblebee Jasper is composed primarily of calcite, sulphur, realgar, and volcanic material.
It forms when hot, mineral-rich fluids from nearby volcanic activity penetrate the surrounding limestone. The heat and chemically active fluids alter the limestone, replacing parts with new minerals such as sulphur compounds, iron oxides, and manganese oxides. This process is known as hydrothermal alteration.
The yellow and orange colour comes from the arsenic sulphide realgar, but was initially believed to come from another arsenic sulphide called orpiment.
Orpiment and realgar form in the same environment and share similar physical properties. The black markings are believed to be manganese oxides.
Scientific testing has confirmed that Bumblebee Jasper is high in sulphur and arsenic. Minerals with toxic elements are safe to handle, especially once polished. The danger comes from inhaling dust or microscopic fibres.
Cutting and polishing minerals with toxic elements must be done carefully and with appropriate breathing protection.
In Indonesia, Bumblebee Jasper is known as 'batu badar belerang.' This roughly translates to 'coal becoming sulphur.' Batu means stone or rock. Badar is related to coal, and belerang translates to sulphur.
An American rock and mineral enthusiast who discovered the stone while working in Indonesia named it Bumblebee Jasper.
Due to its popularity, vast amounts of Bumblebee Jasper have been mined. As a result, very little fine-grade material is now available.
Article Photos
The photo of Bumblebee Jasper at the top of our article is courtesy of Amir Akhavan. The realgar is courtesy of Ron Wolf.
Pop-up photos
Bumblebee Jasper: Courtesy of James St. John. Calcite, orpiment (with realgar): Courtesy of Stan Celestian.
