Ocean Jasper

Ocean jasper is a trade name for an orbicular jasper found at a single deposit on Madagascar's remote northwest coast near Marovato. The deposit can only be reached by boat and is partially submerged - mining occurs during low tide, adding to the material's mystique and limited supply.

The distinctive circular 'orb' patterns form through a process called spherulitic crystallization, where silica precipitates radially outward from nucleation points within volcanic rock cavities. Each orb represents a separate crystallization center, and the concentric color banding within orbs records changes in fluid chemistry during growth. The surrounding matrix is chalcedony and quartz.

Ocean jasper comes in an extraordinary range of colors - green, pink, yellow, red, white, brown, and gray - often all within a single specimen. The color variety comes from different mineral inclusions: iron oxides produce reds and yellows, chlorite produces greens, and manganese produces pinks.

Ocean jasper is identified by its distinctive orbicular pattern - round, eye-like formations distributed throughout the stone. The orbs typically range from a few millimeters to several centimeters in diameter and often show concentric color banding.

Distinguish from other orbicular jaspers (similar patterns but different localities and colors), agate (banded rather than orbicular), and poppy jasper (smaller, less defined orbs). Ocean jasper's specific combination of multi-colored orbs on various backgrounds is unique to the Madagascar deposit.