POLISHED RAINFOREST JASPER (RHYOLITE)

Rainforest jasper is the trade name for a very colorful type of rhyolite. It was formed during an eruption of the long extinct Mount Hay volcano near Queensland, Australia about 120 million years ago. Rainforest jasper gets its name because the mixture of green, red, yellow, brown, and orange colorations reminds people of a rainforest canopy. The spherical cavities (orbs) are often lined with opal and tridymite and filled with chalcedony. The stone is also frequently known as rainforest rhyolite, orbicular jasper, and spherulitic rhyolite.