GEM KNOWLEDGE · LABORATORY NOTES
Jaspilite
An India-sourced jaspilite material set in a pendant.
What the report found: Sample 1144 is fine-grained quartz rich in iron oxide, mainly hematite. Later quartz veins contain less iron. The mounting tested as sterling silver.
India and the newer-find history are Soul Body Gems sourcing details rather than a laboratory determination of origin.
View the original report
Select a page to enlarge it. 3 pages; findings are summarized in accessible text above.
Report images © Soul Body Gems, Alexander Falster and the Maine Mineral & Gem Museum. Please acknowledge all three when referring to these results. Findings apply to the specimen examined.
Understanding the report figures
Use this guide alongside the written findings and the original report transcript. It explains the purpose of each analytical figure and preserves the laboratory’s own figure labels. The interpretations apply to the tested specimen; signals alone do not establish the identity of every similar-looking stone.
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Electron microscope image: This view shows small-scale regions selected for analysis. Its brightness contrast helps distinguish regions with different compositions; it is not a photograph of their natural colors. Numbered spots connect this view to the analyses listed in the report.
Laboratory figure caption: Fig.2: Backscattered electron image of an area of the specimen.
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Elemental spectrum: The peaks record characteristic X-ray signals from elements in the analyzed spot or area. This is an analysis of that location, not automatically of the entire specimen. Any mineral identification or uncertainty named in the laboratory caption is retained below.
Laboratory figure caption: Fig. 3: Energy dispersive spectrum of spot 1 in Fig. 2. (mainly iron oxide in quartz matrix)
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Elemental spectrum: The peaks record characteristic X-ray signals from elements in the analyzed spot or area. This is an analysis of that location, not automatically of the entire specimen. Any mineral identification or uncertainty named in the laboratory caption is retained below.
Laboratory figure caption: Fig. 4: Energy dispersive spectrum of spot 2 in Fig. 2. (quartz with some iron oxides)
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Elemental spectrum: The peaks record characteristic X-ray signals from elements in the analyzed spot or area. This is an analysis of that location, not automatically of the entire specimen. Any mineral identification or uncertainty named in the laboratory caption is retained below.
Laboratory figure caption: Fig. 5: Energy dispersive spectrum of spot 3 in Fig. 2. (quartz veining, essentially iron-free)
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Elemental spectrum: The peaks record characteristic X-ray signals from elements in the analyzed spot or area. This is an analysis of that location, not automatically of the entire specimen. Any mineral identification or uncertainty named in the laboratory caption is retained below.
Laboratory figure caption: Fig. 6: Energy dispersive spectrum of the mounting in Fig. 2. (high-silver sterling silver alloy)
Read the laboratory document as text
Text and tables from the laboratory document are provided below. Consult the adjacent findings for the interpretation of each tested specimen.
Laboratory document 1
Analytical Result Report
Sample id: 1144 (#2 pendant, jaspilite)
Submitted by: Soul Body Gems
Date completed: 3-24-2025
Operating conditions: An AMRAY 1830 SEM operated at 25 kV acceleration potential, 24 mm working distance, 0 degrees sample tilt, coated with 250 Å carbon, and also using the attached XRF unit operated at 30 kV.
Photograph of the specimen. Approximately 4.5 cm maximum dimension,
Fig.2: Backscattered electron image of an area of the specimen.
Fig. 3: Energy dispersive spectrum of spot 1 in Fig. 2. (mainly iron oxide in quartz matrix)
Fig. 4: Energy dispersive spectrum of spot 2 in Fig. 2. (quartz with some iron oxides)
Fig. 5: Energy dispersive spectrum of spot 3 in Fig. 2. (quartz veining, essentially iron-free)
Fig. 6: Energy dispersive spectrum of the mounting in Fig. 2. (high-silver sterling silver alloy)
Summary of findings: This specimen (Fig. 1) is a pretty pendant. The sone is jasper/jaspilite which is an iron-oxide-rich fine-grained quartz. The iron oxide (hematite mainly) varies across the stone (Figs. 2-5) with the lowest content in the late quartz veins which are essentially just quartz. The mounting is sterling silver with 97% silver and the rest copper and zinc (Figs. 2 and 6).
Date: 3-24-2025 Signature