An exciting announcement from my favorite Madagascan supplier: new Ocean Jasper material has made it to the market!
First, some background on Ocean Jasper:
Ocean Jasper is an orbicular chalcedony found exclusively in Madagascar, and sourced primarily from two locations near the villages of Marovato and Kabamby. There have been eight larger deposits (called 'veins' due to the shape of their formation) thus far. Some small pockets of additional material outside of these primary veins have always been on the miners' radar, but weren't formally documented until after the 7th vein was discovered.
New finds:
"Veinless" Ocean Jasper
In Marovato, two small pockets of new ocean jasper were recently discovered after working the 8th Vein (which is now mined out). One of these pockets exhibits stunning yellow, red, and pink dogs on a green background (similar to some 3rd/4th vein material) and the other is predominately red and green (similar to some 1st/2nd vein material) and the other . These pockets are being referred to as “Veinless” Ocean Jasper. This material is extremely limited, so I was fortunate that I was able to pre-pay for some ahead of the Franklin Gem Show, because by the time I arrived in North Carolina - it had already sold out. These are available now at themineralmaven.com.
Kabamby Ocean Jasper
In addition to the Veinless OJ, there is also new ocean jasper material coming out of the vein near the village of Kabamby. Generally Kabamby Ocean Jasper is predominately green and yellow, but some of the more recent material features more reds, pinks and creams. This more colorful rough is an exciting development in the Kabamby deposits, and I'm fortunate to have sourced some. These are available now at themineralmaven.com.
Ethically sourced:
I've been working with this supplier since the beginning of 2020, about six months after the inception of my business. They operate the Ocean Jasper mines, own the trademark of the trade name, and do all of the lapidary work at their factory located in Madagascar.
In both the mines and lapidary factory, workers are compensated fairly, have paid meals (including costs of food covered) and breaks. Their pay structure even includes holiday pay, overtime, and bonuses. Workers are provided PPE and the factory features air extractors and fans to minimize dust in the factory. Additionally, underage workers are not employed in the factories or mines.
This material is collected via shallow surface mining, which doesn't use heavy machinery, explosives, or chemicals. There aren't any dangerous byproducts released into the environment, and excavated areas are refilled with waste stone and native vegetation is restored with replanting projects.
In addition to ethical treatment of workers on site, their families are supported with education and health clinic donations, and local communities are supported with better infrastructure (like bridges), clean drinking water, and economic development (like infrastructure repairs and solar power) during the rainy season and beyond.
'VEINLESS' OCEAN JASPER PALM STONE (1st QUALITY)
$52.00
This listing is for (1) 1st quality 'veinless' ocean jasper palm stone, which is intuitively selected. As these are natural stone, they will vary in appearance and size from those pictured (each is unique). These are a gorgeous quality and from a small… read more
PICK YOUR OWN: 'VEINLESS' OCEAN JASPER PALM STONE (1st QUALITY)
$62.00
This listing is for (1) 1st quality 'veinless' ocean jasper palm stone, whichever one you select from the drop down menu. As these are natural stone, they contain surface imperfections like pitting and druzy vugs. These are a gorgeous quality and from… read more
KABAMBY OCEAN JASPER PALM STONE (1st QUALITY)
$34.00
This listing is for (1) 1st quality Kabamby ocean jasper palm stone, which is intuitively selected. As these are natural stone, they will vary in appearance and size from those pictured (each is unique). These are a gorgeous quality and some of the newest… read more
PICK YOUR OWN: KABAMBY OCEAN JASPER PALM STONE (1st QUALITY)
$44.00
This listing is for (1) 1st quality Kabamby ocean jasper palm stone, whichever one you select from the drop down menu. As these are natural stone, they contain surface imperfections like pitting and druzy vugs. These are a gorgeous quality and some of… read more
