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Jasper (Jjaspis)

 

JasperJasper, the sixth precious stone on Aaron's gown, corresponds to Jacob's sixth son Naphtalim and his tribe. According to St. Epiphanies of Cyprus, green, dotted reddish and striped green are the colors of jasper. The latter is considered to be of particular value.

In Chinese literature jasper is often associated with female beauty. Jasper stairs have become the symbol of a palace and royal life. A thin translucent (i.e. thereby expressive of its inherent meaning) disc of jasper with an opening in the middle was considered an emblem of nobility and even imperial dignity in ancient China. This scepter, made of two hemispheres exactly fitting each other, used to symbolize the sky, its infinity and power.

It is believed that the mystical properties of jasper endow a person with wisdom, foresight and perseverance in times of hardship. These are the features of the cold-colored jasper. The red-coloured stone helps to stop bleeding.

In the Apocalypse, heavenly Jerusalem is garnished with jasper. According to the Christian exegesis, the color of jasper in this context is that of burning coals. This color defies words and is all-inclusive like the sun-light, embodying in itself all the colors of the rainbow in their inseparable entirety.

Contemporary biomedical studies demonstrate that jasper guards its owner from the evil eye, helps strengthen the nervous system and cure various female diseases, epilepsy, stuttering, infertility, infectious illnesses, cardiovascular and other health problems. Jasper is the gem of Aries (March 21 - April 20) and Philip is considered the apostle of this zodiac sign.