Bumble Bee Jasper

Bumblebee Jasper (which is actually not a true Jasper) is a complex calcium carbonate mineral with inclusions of arsenic and manganese oxides. The banding and layering, which resembles a common bumblebee (hence the name), is caused by inclusions of sulfur (yellow), calcium & Aragonite (white), Orpiment & Realgar (orange), and Pyrite (black). This mineral was only recently discovered in the 1990’s in Papandayan Volcano, West Java Province, Indonesia. Since then, this mineral has yet to be discovered anywhere else on Earth and geologists don’t expect to find another deposit of it anytime soon. This is an extremely rare occurrence in nature that simply doesn’t happen and it should be cherished, respected, and valued for the true uniqueness it holds.