Coquina Jasper Stone Rough Rock Slab Elephant #3

A great slab of Coquina Jasper from India!

Coquina is a consolidated sedimentary rock of biochemical origin, mainly composed of mineral calcite, often including some phosphate, in the form of seashells or coral.  Coquina forms near shore, where wave action is vigorous and sorts the sediments well.
This material is also known as Elephant Jasper, but we like Coquina Jasper better and it is more accurate!  Coquina is the Spanish word for cockleshells or shellfish.

The Greek origin of the word jasper, iaspis, means "spotted stone." This form of chalcedony, or microcrystalline quartz, is usually red, brown or green. Its patterns are much less regular and defined than those of the other chalcedony variety, agate. Another difference between the two is that jaspers are generally opaque, while agates tend to be translucent (or at least contain translucent bands).