Jasper Jasper Jasper, an aggregate of microgranular quartz and/or chalcedony and other mineral phases, is an opaque, impure variety of silica, usually red, yellow, brown or green in color; and rarely blue. The common red color is due to iron(III) inclusions. The mineral aggregate breaks with a smooth surface and is used for ornamentation or as a gemstone. It can be highly polished and is used for items such as vases, seals, and snuff boxes. The specific gravity of jasper is typically 2.5 to 2.9. A green variety with red spots, known as heliotrope (bloodstone), is one of the traditional birthstones
USS Heliotrope (1863) about 50 men up Mattox Creek. Three schooners and various types of supplies were captured or destroyed on this 2-day foray. The small gunboat continued her vital work of choking off Confederate supplies in the Potomac River area until mid-April, when she steamed for New York City, arriving 20 April. "Heliotrope" decommissioned 12 January 1865 and was sold 17 June to the Department of the Treasury for use with the Lighthouse Service. USS Heliotrope (1863) USS "Heliotrope" (1863) was a wooden steamer acquired by the Union Navy for use during the American Civil War. In addition to patrol duty, "Heliotrope"