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.
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. Care is as easy as it gets: warm, soapy water and a soft brush. It is rarely treated or imitated, so what you see is honestly what you get.
Other patterned jaspers, with carnelian sharing mookaite's warm reds and oranges.
