A mineral that is a form of chalcedony, opaque and either red, yellow, green or blue; it’s an ancient stone, described in the Bible in Exodus 28 as one used on the High Priest’s breastplate.
Whilst the most esteemed are green, the colour ‘jasper’ almost always refers to the ginger-reddish-brown effect of jasper stones with iron inclusions. The variety of close tones makes the stone a particular inspiration for paint techniques and for passementerie, embroidery stitches and textured weaves.