Can Ocean Jasper Go In Water?
Ocean Jasper can be submerged under water for decades without dissolving in any noticeable way. This is because this Ocean Jasper is a very strong crystal...
Like pretty much every single crystal in the Quartz family, this crystal is totally fine with a little bit of water.
Ocean Jasper can get wet and will not be harmed because it's not water soluble.
Now that doesn't mean it's safe from ALL types of water.
Sure, crystal clear spring water won't harm it but most of us don't have any of kind of water laying around.
Plus if we did, we'd probably drink it instead of using it on piece of pretty stone. There's really only one type of water that could hurt your Ocean Jasper, although for the sake of avoiding be overly dramatic... it's not super duper harmful.
Not So Clear Water
If there's a water based problem you run into with Ocean Jasper it's probably gonna be due to tap water.
Unless your city has really good water filtering, then your shower head probably has some white stuff built up on it.
That stuff is limestone buildup from your local tap water.
That same kind of build up can happen on your crystal too if you let it soak in calcium and limestone heavy water.
Having a thin white layer on your crystal just leaves it feeling a bit dull and lifeless, and we don't want that!
Our favorite method for dealing with chalkiness on a crystal is to give it a vinegar bath.
But! Not all crystals play nice with vinegar.
Some crystals Selenite completely dissolve if introduced to acid.
Other crystals like Rose Quartz don't mind it at all.
Is Ocean Jasper a Quartz?
When we say acidic, we are simply referring to the pH level of the water.
Not that your water has snake venom or special Coachella ingredients mixed in.
Since Ocean Jasper is part of the Quartz family (we discuss that more down below) it doesn't mind acid.
In fact, members of the Quartz family are unaffected by sulfuric acid.
For reference there aren't many acids in the world more acidic than sulfuric acid.
So it won't breaks Ocean Jasper's covalent bonds then nothing will.
Despite it being so strong, we still have to suggest you avoid putting your crystal in acid. Given enough time, it's possible the stone will be worn down.
But hey, it means that a vinegar bath is totally okay!
What Is Ocean Jasper Made Of?
While we just covered that this variety of Jasper is technically a member of the Quartz family, that doesn't really help you know what it's made of.
Without getting too technical too fast, Ocean Jasper is composed of fibers of silica forming three dimensional radiating patterns -- spherulites of fibrous Chalcedony.
Yes. Chalcedony is a kind of Quartz. Pretty much everything is!
The term "spherulites" is a pretty fancy way of saying that it has orb like patterns all over its body.
This kind of patter is pretty common in silica-rich Rhyolites like Rainforest Jasper, and even in fossils like Kambaba Jasper!
Since the name Ocean Jasper is just a fancy trade name for Orbicular Jasper, it has the same chemical makeup as other Jasper.
But since the fact chemical makeup changes between stone, and thus they have unique patterns, we can only probably tell you that they're made up of Silicone Dioxide with highly silicified rhyolite or tuff mixed throughout.
What Is Natural Ocean Jasper?
Okay we don't want you to feel like this is a comp-out answer but natural Ocean Jasper is everything we explained above.
And the opposite of this question, "what is fake ocean jasper" is really much more interesting.
Especially since I've never even heard of such a thing.
Sure, other kinds of Orbicular Jasper is called Ocean Jasper and sold for a higher price, but those aren't exactly fakes.
To be frank, you're not going to find fake Ocean Jasper. But you might be sold the wrong kind of Jasper, or sold some that has had dye added to it for more eye-catching colors.
How Can You Tell If Ocean Jasper Is Real?
The odds of getting a true fake Ocean Jasper crystal is pretty low.
But just in case, let's learn how to check for a dyed stone.
Resin is usual material used make fake Jasper, although the work that goes into it leaves very little room for profit.
Although the natural version of this stone is considered rare, it's not so expensive that it makes sense to fake.
But hey, don't take my word for it!
Here are a couple ways to sniff out fake tumbled Ocean Jasper.
- You can identify a fake stone by using your hand: a genuine natural crystal will always be cool to the touch -- that includes Ocean Jasper.
- Search for cracks in the resin used to fake the crystal. The cracked spots will have ink pool up and be oddly dark in cooler.
How Rare Is Ocean Jasper
Nowadays, something be rare is very unlikely. It's rare to be rare. Ocean Jasper is not exception. Despite that fact that it was only made public in the year 2000 by Paul Obenich, it isn't that expensive.
It's easy enough to get a 2in x 2in piece on Etsy for $25-$50.
Is that cheap?
No.
But is it super duper expensive?
Also no.
It's price reflects that it's not one of the most rare stones in the world, but since all the mines have dried up in the past few years...
Perhaps the price of this stone WILL go up over time. And as pieces are lost or broke, so too will its rarity.
