Mookaite Jewelry
An Australian jasper in warm outback colours of cream, mustard, plum and red
Unearthed Gemstones Mookaite Jewelry
Click the photos for a closer look of the jewelry pieces
Hardness
6.5 - 7 (Durable): Great for daily wear.
Toughness
Good (Generally resistant to chipping under normal wear)
Mineral Family
Quartz (Jasper)
Transparency
Opaque
Crystal System
Trigonal
Lustre
Vitreous
What Is Mookaite?
Mookaite is an Australian jasper from Mooka Creek in Western Australia, and it comes in a warm outback palette: cream, mustard yellow, burgundy, plum and brick red, often blended in one stone. Geologically it is a silicified radiolarite, meaning it formed from the silica skeletons of countless tiny sea creatures that settled on an ancient seabed and were later cemented into stone. So every piece is, in a sense, a compressed prehistoric ocean. The name comes from a local Aboriginal word said to mean running waters.
Is Mookaite Durable Enough for Everyday Jewelry?
Like other jaspers, mookaite is a solid 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs scale with good toughness, so it takes daily wear in its stride. It is cut as cabochons and beads, and its bold colour patches make every stone one of a kind. It takes a beautiful high polish, which is most of its charm.
How to Care for Mookaite Jewelry
Care is as easy as it gets: warm, soapy water and a soft brush.
How to Tell If Mookaite Is Real
It is rarely treated or imitated, so what you see is honestly what you get.
Gemstones Similar to Mookaite
Other patterned jaspers, with carnelian sharing mookaite's warm reds and oranges.
