Earth Record
Mineralogy and formation
Variety of Jasper
Formation occurs during low-to-medium grade regional metamorphism of mafic volcanic rocks (basalts, andesites) or their tuffaceous equivalents. When these iron-and-calcium-rich volcanic rocks are subjected to metamorphic conditions -- temperatures of approximately 300-500 degrees Celsius and moderate pressures -- the original ignite minerals (pyroxene, plagioclase, olivine) break down and recrystallize as epidote, quartz, chlorite, and associated minerals.
The epidote provides the green coloration: its iron (Fe3+) content produces the characteristic pistachio to forest green hues. Where manganese was available in the parent rock, piemontite forms instead of or alongside epidote, producing deep red to burgundy zones.
The dramatic green-and-red patterning results from heterogeneous distribution of iron and manganese in the original volcanic rock. Where iron dominated, green epidote crystallized. Where manganese dominated, red piemontite formed. The two minerals are chemically related -- piemontite is essentially epidote with manganese substituting for aluminum and iron -- but their visual contrast is striking.
The resulting stone shows bold patches, swirls, and veins of green and red that can look genuinely organic, as though something alive bled into something growing.
The primary source material comes from Precambrian greenstone belts -- ancient volcanic sequences that have undergone billions of years of metamorphism. The Western Australian Pilbara Craton and the South African Barberton Greenstone Belt produce the best-known specimens, with the Australian material generally more vivid and the South African material often richer in red piemontite.
Mohs hardness of 6. 5-7 reflects the mixed quartz and epidote composition. Specific gravity is approximately 3. 0-3. 5, denser than pure quartz due to the epidote and piemontite content.
Mixed (monoclinic epidote + trigonal quartz) structure
Chemical FormulaSiO2 + epidote + piemontiteCrystal SystemMixed (monoclinic epidote + trigonal quartz)Mohs Hardness6.5Specific Gravity3.0-3.5LusterVitreous to waxyColorGreen with red spots and veinsIMA Statustrade_nameIMA NumberNo IMA number (trade name, parent Jasper pre-IMA) Western AustraliaSouth Africa
Telling it apart
Dragon blood jasper is neither jasper nor bloodstone, despite the visual similarity of green matrix with red spots. It is an epidosite, a metamorphic rock composed of epidote (green) and piemontite (red, manganese-bearing epidote) with microcrystalline quartz. The red in dragon blood jasper comes from manganese (Mn3+) in piemontite, not from iron oxide (hematite) as in true bloodstone.
True bloodstone (heliotrope) is dark green chalcedony (quartz) with red hematite spots, entirely different in composition. The distinction matters for hardness and toughness: dragon blood jasper runs 6. 5 to 7 as a composite, similar to bloodstone, but specific gravity is higher at 2. 70 to 3. 10 due to the denser epidote component, versus bloodstone at 2. 58 to 2. 64. Under magnification, dragon blood jasper's green zones show the pistachio-green crystalline texture of epidote rather than the waxy translucent green of chalcedony.
Most material comes from western Australia. Sellers who label it as bloodstone or heliotrope are misidentifying the rock because the mineralogy, coloring mechanism, and geological origin are all different. The epidote-piemontite composition makes this stone unique among green-and-red ornamental materials.
Spotting the real thing
Color Integration Genuine dragon blood jasper shows green and red that are integrated into the stone's structure, the colors grow from within, with natural boundaries, gradients, and mixing zones. Dyed or painted stones show color sitting on the surface, pooling in cracks, or appearing unnaturally uniform. The green-red boundary in real dragon blood jasper is geological, not geometric.
Look for the organic, irregular patterns that metamorphism produces. Hardness Verification Dragon blood jasper (Mohs 6. 5-7) will scratch glass. Test on an inconspicuous corner. If the stone cannot scratch glass, it may be dyed or reconstituted material with lower hardness. Genuine epidote-piemontite-quartz aggregate is hard and dense. Fakes made from softer stones (serpentine, dyed howlite) will fail the glass scratch test.
Density Check Dragon blood jasper is noticeably dense in the hand, specific gravity 3. 0-3. 5, heavier than pure quartz.
Cross-referenceMindat ↗