Artwork from God

Rocks and minerals attract people of all ages for a variety of reasons, but the visual appeal is paramount. Crystals, due to their smooth sparkling faces and interesting colors always draw the eye, but the more sophisticated afficionados of rocks soon learn about jaspers and agates. Truly, jaspers and agates--the crypto-crystalline chalcedonies--are my favorite rocks. The ranges of colors and designs in jaspers probably exceeds those found in agates, and for many people, a slice of jasper that has been wet or polished resembles an abstrace expressionist painting. This is especially true of such jaspers as morrisonite, chapenite, Stone Canyon jasper, and Bruneau jasper. However, there are a slew of so-called picture jaspers, whose designs often resemble landscapes. The most desirable of these include Biggs, Deschutes, Willow Creek, Wildhorse, Owyhee. For the jasper collector, a slice or two of these species are must-haves. Don't you agree?