Brown jasper is an opaque, microcrystalline variety of quartz known for its earthy, muted tones ranging from tan to deep chocolate. Collectors often find it as massive nodules or vein fillings in sedimentary environments, frequently displaying intricate banding or patterns caused by iron oxide impurities.
Is this brown jasper?
5-step field checkRun through these checks against the specimen in your hand. The more boxes tick, the more confident the ID.
- 1Test the hardnessTry to scratch brown jasper with a known reference. Brown Jasper sits at Mohs 6.5-7 — softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Brown Jasper leaves a white streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Brown Jasper typically shows a waxy luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: brown, tan, chocolate, ochre.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: trigonal. Typical habit: massive.
Often confused with
Brown Jasper vs. its common look-alikes — and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside brown jasper
Minerals reported to co-occur with brown jasper. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- SiO₂
- Mohs hardness
- 6.5-7
- Density
- 2.58-2.91 g/cm³
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Waxy
- Transparency
- Opaque
- Crystal system
- Trigonal
- Crystal habit
- Massive
- Cleavage
- None
- Rarity
- Common
- Uses
- Lapidary, Decorative, Collector
- Host rock
- Sedimentary Formations
- Typical price
- $5-50 for tumbled stones or cabochons, higher for large display specimens
Where rockhounds find brown jasper
1 mapped spotsClassic worldwide localities
- USA
- Madagascar
- Mexico
- Australia
- India
Field-hunting tip
Look in sedimentary formations country — that is the host setting where brown jasper typically forms. If you start seeing quartz, chalcedony, hematite in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a massive habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop. In the U.S., the densest reported localities are in Pennsylvania — start trip planning there.
Common questions
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Find brown jasper on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
