Lavic Jasper is a picturesque variety of jasper known for its vibrant red, brown, and black banding often found in the Lavic Siding area of California. It is a microcrystalline quartz formed within volcanic rhyolite, making it highly prized by lapidary artists for its ability to take a high polish.

Hardness

6.5-7

Mohs

Luster

Waxy

Streak

White

Transparency

Opaque

mineralcommonQuartz family

Lavic Jasper

Hardness: 6.5-7
Luster: Waxy
Streak: White
Transparency: Opaque

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Is this lavic jasper?

5-step field check

Run through these checks against the specimen in your hand. The more boxes tick, the more confident the ID.

1
Test the hardness
Try to scratch lavic jasper with a known reference. Lavic Jasper sits at Mohs 6.5-7, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
2
Check the streak
Drag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Streak: white.
3
Read the luster
Hold the specimen under a strong light. Luster: waxy.
4
Match the color range
Compare against the expected color range: red, brown, tan, black, yellow.
5
Look at form & habit
Crystal system: trigonal. Typical habit: massive.

Often confused with

Lavic Jasper vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.

Often found alongside lavic jasper

Minerals reported to co-occur with lavic 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: 2.58-2.65 g/cm³
Colors: Red Brown Tan Black Yellow
Streak: White
Luster: Waxy
Transparency: Opaque
Crystal system: Trigonal
Crystal habit: Massive
Cleavage: None
Rarity: Common
Uses: Lapidary, Collector, Decorative
Host rock: volcanic rhyolite

Where rockhounds find lavic jasper

1 mapped spots

Classic worldwide localities

Mojave Desert, California, USA
San Bernardino County, California, USA

Field-hunting tip

Where it forms: volcanic rhyolite. If you start seeing chalcedony, quartz, calcite in float, you are in the right ground. Typical habit: massive. Train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop. In the U.S., the densest reported localities are in California. Start trip planning there.

Browse 1 U.S. spots for lavic jasper →

Common questions

How do you identify lavic jasper?+

Mohs hardness is 6.5-7. Luster: waxy. The streak is white. Common colors include red, brown, tan, black.

Where is lavic jasper found?+

Notable localities include Mojave Desert, California, USA; San Bernardino County, California, USA.

Can I find lavic jasper in the United States?+

RockHoundR maps 1 lavic jasper rockhounding spots across 1 U.S. states. The top states are California.

What rocks look like lavic jasper?+

Lavic Jasper is most often confused with Chert, Agate. A quick hardness test and a streak check separate the look-alikes faster than color alone.

What minerals are found with lavic jasper?+

Lavic Jasper commonly co-occurs with chalcedony, quartz, calcite. Spotting any of these in float or country rock is a useful trip signal.

What kind of rock does lavic jasper form in?+

Where it forms: volcanic rhyolite. Working float back to the host body is the standard way to chase a fresh occurrence.

What is lavic jasper used for?+

Lavic Jasper is used in lapidary, collector, decorative.

Find lavic jasper on the map

RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.