WHAT IS Bumble Bee Jasper?
A member of the chalcedony family, Bumble Bee Jasper is a beautiful gemstone popular for its distinctive yellow, orange and black bands, imitating bumblebees. Also known as Eclipse Jasper, the gemstone has become a collector’s favorite in the last few decades due to its fascinating color. During the 90s, this gem first appeared in Java, Indonesia as Fumarole Jasper. Within no time, it became highly popular around the world for its enchanting swirls of distinct colors.
Determining Bumble Bee Jasper Value
Is Bumble Bee Jasper valuable? The value of colored stones is typically determined by a combination of its color, clarity, cut, and carat weight. This is no different when determining what Bumble Bee Jasper is worth. These guidelines will help you choose stones for your collection.
- Bumble Bee Jasper Color
This gemstone displays an appealing swirl of distinctive yellow, orange and black banding, imitating the coloring found on bumblebees. The color bands on every specimen of jasper are distinct, meaning that every gemstone a unique piece by itself!
When choosing Bumble Bee Jasper, the stone’s color is most important. A gemstone with higher color saturation is highly preferred and draws a higher price in today’s market.
- Bumble Bee Jasper Clarity
Bumble Bee Jasper is always opaque in clarity, and light cannot pass through the material. It is known to take an excellent polish and exhibits a subtle, glossy luster. This colorful stone is like glass in its shine.
- Bumble Bee Jasper Cut
The gemstone occurs in all standard cuts and shapes. Bumble Bee Jasper is typically shaped as a cabochon.
- Bumble Bee Jasper Carat
Bumble Bee Jasper occurs in small as well as bigger sizes. The value of the gemstone goes up significantly with size, especially in exceptional specimens. The size range of this gemstone at Shop LC starts around 8 millimeters and ranges to about 30 mm.
Carat weight for this variety of garnet ranges from 2 carats up to 20.
Bumble Bee Jasper Treatment
Bumble Bee Jasper is a soft stone, so it is coated to improve the durability of the stone. It requires no special treatment.
Caring for Bumble Bee Jasper
Bumble Bee Jasper ranks seven on the Mohs scale of hardness. It has fair to good toughness, which makes it a durable gemstone for daily use. The gem is sensitive to heat treatment and acids, so the use of steamers, ultrasonic cleaners, and chemicals should always be avoided.
Use warm, soapy water to clean the gemstone. Scrub gently with a soft bristle brush. After cleaning, rinse the gem in clean water to remove all soapy residue and dry the gemstone with a soft cloth.
Wrap Bumble Bee Jasper in a soft cloth for storage. A fabric-lined jewelry box is perfect for this.
Who Can Wear Bumble Bee Jasper?
Bumble Bee Jasper is famous for its unique swirls of yellow, orange and black color bands. It is a perfect stone for adding warmth and dimension to any look. Bumble Bee Jasper jewelry is enjoyable by those who chase the sun.
The bold and bright tones of Bumble Bee Jasper work in many ways. Consider these options for wearing this colorful gemstone.
When using neutral colors in clothing, Bumble Bee Jasper offers fun punctuation and spots of color to happy spring and summer palettes; a life-affirming hue ideal for looking fashionable and stylish.
Try making your Bumble Bee Jasper jewelry the focal point of an outfit. By contrasting this gem against neutrals, this stone injects a sting of color while its unique patterns add an element of energy to your style.
How Does Bumble Bee Jasper Compare to Other Jasper Stones?
When you compare Bumble Bee Jasper to similar stones, the main difference you’ll see is color. Gem-quality jasper displays appealing swirls of distinctive yellow, orange, and black banding. The patterns on this stone imitate the coloring found on bumblebees.
Where Does Bumble Bee Jasper Come From?
Shop LC sources its Bumble Bee Jasper from Java, Indonesia which is the only known source of this gem.
The extraction of this stone is hard as the area where this gem occurs is near hot springs, boiling volcanic mud pools and vents spewing smelly gasses. Since the mountain is prone to periodic massive violent eruptions, there is also always a threat of volcanic eruption!
How is Bumble Bee Jasper Mined?
Bumble Bee Jasper originates on the island of Bali near the hot vents of Mount Papandayan, an active volcano. The formation of this gemstone takes place in cracks, known as fumaroles, through which steam and gas can escape. Some cracks persist for decades or even centuries, while some disappear within weeks.
As these cracks collect rain, they become natural hot springs. In some breaks, nearby sediments liquefy and begin to boil. Some of these cracks get filled with gray mud, while others become colorful due to the presence of volcanic ash, gypsum, barite, sulfur, and orpiment. Gradually, these mud pools cool down, and the gemstone formation takes place. Miners use small tools as well as heavy machinery to extract Bumble Bee Jasper from the solidified mud pools.
Bumble Bee Jasper Properties
What Does Bumble Bee Jasper Mean?
Many gem therapists view Bumble Bee Jasper is a stone that invigorates willpower and creative capacities. It is said to teach one the possibilities of manifesting one’s dreams and inspirations. Some say this stone helps one go beyond fear and hesitation, enhancing one’s confidence and sense of adventure.
Bumble Bee Jasper is said to be beneficial for treating ailments of the liver, spleen, and pancreas. Gem therapists note that this colorful gemstone helps promote weight loss and combat constipation. Some believe it to be particularly useful in strengthening the immune system.
For informational purposes only. These remedies, approaches, and techniques are not a substitute for professional medical care or treatment. They should not be used to treat any ailment without prior consultation with a qualified health care professional.
Is Bumble Bee Jasper a Birthstone?
Bumble Bee Jasper is not a modern birthstone. However, the appealing swirls of distinctive yellow, orange, and black colors have kept this variety of jasper popular with collectors.
Bumble Bee Jasper Facts
- Bumble Bee Jasper ranks seven on the Mohs scale of hardness.
- Bumble Bee Jasper displays distinctive yellow, orange and black bands.
- Bumble Bee Jasper comes from Java, Indonesia.
- Bumble Bee Jasper is coated with resin to increase durability.
- Bumble Bee Jasper is also known as Eclipse Jasper and Fumarole Jasper.