Judging quality
Look for well-defined dark orbs in a green matrix. It is softer and slightly more porous than true jasper.
Sedimentary
Kambaba Jasper
Dark green and black orbicular stone built from fossilised cyanobacterial colonies — technically a stromatolite rather than a jasper. The swirling eyes give it an unmistakable reptilian look.
Care
Water and cloth; avoid acids.
History & lore
The structures are among the oldest fossil forms on earth, built by microbes that oxygenated the atmosphere.
Cultural history, recorded as tradition rather than as medical or scientific claim.
Common questions about Kambaba Jasper
- What is Kambaba Jasper?
- Dark green and black orbicular stone built from fossilised cyanobacterial colonies — technically a stromatolite rather than a jasper. The swirling eyes give it an unmistakable reptilian look.
- How hard is Kambaba Jasper and what is it made of?
- Kambaba Jasper is a Sedimentary-family mineral with the composition SiO2 with stromatolitic structure. It crystallizes in the — system and rates 6-7 on the Mohs hardness scale. It occurs in bottle green, black, olive green.
- Where does Kambaba Jasper come from?
- Notable localities for Kambaba Jasper include Madagascar, South Africa.
- How do you tell good Kambaba Jasper from filler?
- Look for well-defined dark orbs in a green matrix. It is softer and slightly more porous than true jasper.
- How do you care for Kambaba Jasper?
- Water and cloth; avoid acids.
See it in person
Photographs only go so far
Both rooms are open six days a week, and there is always someone happy to pull pieces out of the case so you can compare them under the light.