Science & Origin of Ocean Jasper

Ocean Jasper, also known as Orbicular Jasper or Cellular Jasper, is a very rare variety of Jasper, a silicon dioxide mineral, and a member of the Quartz family. Its defined by circular “orb” like patterns that can be seen as green, brown, blue, yellow, grey, white, pink or red. This unusual mineral has only one known locality that offers extreme obstacles to even get too. This mineral is mined from the base of a cliff only accessible by boat during low tide. The exact location is Marovato, Ambolobozo, Analalava District, Sofia Region, Mahajanga Province, Madagascar; which is located along the northeastern coast of the country.

A lot of lore and history comes alongside this interesting mineral. It was first discussed and written way back in 1922, although the location was sadly soon lost for over 75 years. That is until Paul Obenich of Madagascar Minerals spent 45 days searching the coast of Madagascar for any clues of this Jasper’s location. He discovered Ocean Jasper after he factored in one of the most important elements into his accuracy, the tide. For so long this mineral has gone unfound due to it only being able to be seen at low tide. Paul debuted his discovery at the 2000 Tucson Gem and Mineral Show, and has garnered a loyal following ever since. Mining operations of Ocean Jasper was stopped in 2006 when the locality was deemed depleted, as well as heightened safety risks. All Ocean Jasper on the market today is either a back stock or has been hoarded by collectors and sellers for years.