We’re always on the lookout for any connections between purebred dogs and, well, anything else. Whether it’s a cocktail named for a breed, an invention inspired by a purebred dog, or a colloquial expression that borrows its term from a dog breed (like the example below), the more disparate it is, the better we like it:
You can imagine our delight, then, to have come across a rock named for a breed, and for obvious reasons. The Dalmatian jasper comes from Chihuahua, Mexico (but is also found in Brazil), and to be technically accurate, it should really be referred to as the Dalmatian Stone.
Why?
Because as a member of the silicate, quartz and Chalcedony group, the makeup of the stone doesn’t meet Jasper’s gemological definition. For readers with a geological or gemological bent, Dalmatian Stone has predominantly mesoperthite or feldspar, Alkali Amphiboles, Quartz and smaller amounts of Epidote and Hematite. Put another way, it’s a microcrystalline quartz that owes its speckled look to Tourmaline deposits, and a stone that seems to have several colors owes it to the formation of opal, agate, and certain fossilized materials in the sedimentary, volcanic rocks or hydrothermal veins where it was found.
The Dalmatian stone is regarded as semi-precious because it is a portion of a mineral, which, in refined and cut form, is used to create jewelry or other embellishments. It can be polished to a very high luster which is why it’s usually found as beads, cabochons, tumbled stones and carvings.
We can’t imagine a better gift for a Dalmatian owner, but given its appeal and alleged restorative properties, anyone might want their own Dalmatian stone.