5" Polished Bumblebee Jasper - Mount Papandayan, Indonesia

Bumblebee jasper is the trade name for a vibrantly colored, fibrous calcite mined exclusively from Mount Papandayan in Indonesia. It is has very distinctive yellow, orange and black banding that resembles the color patterns of a bumblebee, hence the name. The orange and yellow colors are mainly caused by finely dispersed realgar while the black bands are caused by pyrite. Technically it is not a jasper as it is primarily calcite and contains very little silica.

A Note On Toxicity

Many websites list bumblebee jasper as a toxic mineral as it contains realgar which itself has a high arsenic content. But, the realgar within bumblebee jasper, in a polished state is not readily absorbed through the skin. So, it would be fairly safe to handle as long as you don't lick it, and we'd probably recommend washing your hands after handling just to be on the safe side.

The real danger would be to anyone cutting/polishing the stone or handling raw, unpolished bumblebee jasper. The dust created could easily be inhaled or ingested which would pose a serious health risk.