Back in 2017, I went to the Tucson Gem and Mineral Shows, and one of those shows was the Miner’s Co-op. There were fascinating things to be seen there, like the large, reconstructed cluster of smoky quartz and amazonite from the Lake Creek District, for sale for only $180,000. Another man was selling jade from Nevada with interesting, embedded crystals and inclusions of magnetite. Another man was selling jasper, and the story he told me of finding slightly different jaspers on every knob and hilltop in one region of Nevada (no, he didn’t say which one) is the one that stuck with me.

According to mindat.org, Nevada has several well-known jaspers:

• Dead Camel, Dead Camel Mountains, Churchill County, Nevada,
• Jasper from Virgin Valley, Humboldt County, Nevada
• Picture jasper from Jackpot, Elko County, Nevada
• Jasper from Tunnel Hill Mine, Velvet Mining District, Pershing County, Nevada, also called Rattlesnake Agate (or jasper) and Royal Flamingo jasper.

The Virgin Valley in northwestern Humboldt Co., Nevada is best known for precious black opal, famous for digging available at fee mining sites, but petrified wood, common opal, obsidian, agate, and jasper can also be found in the area.

Beautiful Picture Jasper is found in the Jackpot, Elko County, area of Nevada. You have probably seen this beautiful stone mounted in frames. Gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, magnetite, and tungsten minerals, as well as garnets, agate, jasper, copper, malachite, geodes, petrified wood, and fossils can all be found nearby.

Elko, Nevada area:

https://exploreelko.com/things-to-do/uncommon-activities/rock-hounding/

Howardite, also known as Rattlesnake Jasper or Royal Flamingo Jasper is an opalized volcanic tuff sourced brecciated jasper interspersed with opal or agate, with a striking striped reddish-brown pattern. By the way, the name Howardite is not approved, according to Mindat.

https://www.geologyin.com/2022/12/howardite-rattlesnake-jasper.html

Dead Camel Jasper is a new find compared to the famous porcelain jaspers of Oregon and Idaho, although some lapidaries compare it to those jaspers. It is found in the Dead Camel Mountains of northern Nevada, which were named for the camels imported to serve as beasts of burden, which were lost and died in these mountains. It’s known for shades of red, pink and blue or green, and takes a very good polish. Claims in this area include Dead Camel, Red Falcon, Dead Ringer, Fire Ledge, and Mescalero, among others.