Duncan Poppy Jasper is a new type of jasper that first appeared in the rockhound community on Facebook. Catching quick attention for its bright color, this variety is found along the Arizona/New Mexico border and is a brand-new find by journeyman Tim George. On one of his adventures hiking across old volcanoes, he discovered a small deposit of this cranberry-colored poppy jasper. In his recollection, he realized he missed the first deposit by 50 feet.
This bright new material contains various colored poppies, prominently deep reds and oranges, with one variety being pastel purple and pink flowers, too. Often, you will find many quartz crystal pockets and agate veins running through, making for great fun designing shapes to cab.
Buying Duncan Poppy Jasper Slabs
Though it’s limited because it’s a recent discovery, you can obtain some by contacting Tim George on Facebook, where he posts weekly sales of his many finds.
Preparing Poppy Jasper for Cabbing
Before kicking off the cabbing process, it is important to note a few pitfalls that a novice might encounter. Much like the Morgan Hill and Hornitos varieties of poppy jasper, you will find fractures, as currently, two-thirds of this jasper is found fractured. Tim takes the initiative to stabilize his material with HXTAL epoxy adhesive, which is great when first starting. Even so, if you can wet the slab and watch it dry off, any remaining moisture will linger in fractures, making it easy for the human eye to see and work around.
Additionally, because of the high quartz content in this stone, you will likely experience some undercutting between the harder jasper and agate with softer quartz. It’s not uncommon for druzy vugs to open while cabbing. While this may be a desired look for the dome, it can create an uneven girdle if it appears around the edges. It may take some practice, but the result is well worth the time.
Cabbing Step by Step
Trimming and Prepping Poppy Jasper Preforms
Before starting to trim your preforms, look over your slabs and double-check the presence of any fractures. It is best to find these fractures before starting so that if they do exist, they don’t break on you halfway through the cabbing process. I sometimes flex the slab even harder if there are any visible fractures.
Shaping and Polishing Poppy Jasper
Once satisfied and all done trimming out your preforms, you are ready to start cabbing. This jasper is hard enough to cab on the 80-grit steel wheel, but I suggest using it worn in to limit any breakouts and chipped edges. Take your time while on this wheel, as it is an ideal place to shape and dome this material while limiting any undercutting on the girdle. But with any new material, get a feel for how the stone cuts and become more comfortable with how to feel for the hardness.
Though there is no right next step, I prefer using the 60-grit soft resin wheel because it helps smooth the dome from the rough texture left by the 80-grit. I like to then move onto the 140 soft resin wheel to continue to remove and shape the stone in preparation for the 280. Doing so allows me to remove most deep scratches and makes less work for the next steps.
By this point, the rest should be routine. Move onto the 280-grit wheel until all the scratches are removed, and then continue onto the 600-grit. Check your work until all scratches are removed. From here, continue onward with your routine polishing process until you get the highest polish you can. For many, this ends at 14k grit wheels, which leaves you with a high shine. You can use polishing compounds for a further shine, but with the nature of this stone, these polishing compounds will fill these spots and are difficult to clean out.
FAQ
Q: What is poppy jasper?
A: Poppy jasper is a variety of jasper known for its bright, flower-like patterns called “poppies.” It comes in colors like deep red, orange, and pastel purple.
Q: Where is Duncan Poppy Jasper found?
A: This new type of poppy jasper is discovered along the Arizona/New Mexico border by prospector Tim George.
Q: How can I buy poppy jasper slabs?
A: Slabs are limited but available directly from Tim George through his Facebook postings.
Q: Is poppy jasper difficult to cab?
A: It can be tricky due to fractures and quartz inclusions, but careful preparation and proper cabbing techniques make it manageable.
Q: What is the best way to polish poppy jasper?
A: Start with an 80-grit wheel, progress through 60- and 140-grit soft resin wheels, then 280- and 600-grit, finishing with your polishing compounds for the highest shine.
This story was written for Rock & Gem magazine. Click here to subscribe. Story and photos by Ben Kaniuth.
