Munjina Jasper from Australia

[Taogem]

I only purchased the one piece in the first two images, but was surprised with a nice buyers bonus from this ebay seller.

[Taogem]

The larger of the two pieces of rough shown was the one I actually purchased. It is the second bonus piece that I like the most!

These slabs show the patterns much tighter in the smaller piece of rough. Should make much nicer looking cabs than that of the larger piece. Although it will make some super cabs too! 

[seth]

The bottom material is Noreena Jasper the fist two are Munjina in case you were wondering why they look so different.

[Taogem]

Thanks Seth.

The colors looked so much alike that I thought they were the same Munjina.

[seth]

Now that I look at the close they all look like noreena. Google noreena jasper.

[Taogem]

Yes, I see what you mean.....

Odd....

Here is the seller who I bought this from.

Check out some of them that they are calling Sci-Fi Jasper, which sure looks identical to the piece I bought. Then they also have the one called Munjina. Both are labeled from Australia.

Your right too. What I have slabbed looks identical to a Noreena.

[seth]

I guess they are kind of the same Noreena and munjina but the white in it makes me call it Noreena. interesting how they have two names for the same rock. Noreena jasper can also have many hair line cracks that Munjina does not. They are all pretty though.

[theimage1]

I talked with Glen Archer about the two jaspers (munjina and noreena) at Quartzsite earlier this year. He (Glen) is the owner of the Noreena claim, and its within a hundred or so miles of the munjina claim. They are both found in the same geologic rock formation in Australia, and both are silicified mudstone with high iron content. Thus they are quite similar in most physical characteristics. Glen indicated that the munjina sometimes had a black color and that noreena usually has white/cream in the same type of location in the average stone.

They both appear to work about the same, and personally have had problems getting a high polish on either one. I have tried some finer polishes but have experienced cracking on both when any heat is generated. I assume the mudstone must still retain a little water. I can get a nice shine, but have not been able to get a polish like on Owyhee or other fine grained jaspers.

I think the material you purchased and showed is Noreena and not Munjina. THe noreena often breaks up into diamond like shapes like your third photo. It seems to be weakest where the red bands are the widest and can split down a red wide band.