Morgan Hill Poppy jasper

I had the chance to dig at the only open Morgan Hill ranch site this past summer. The owner stated there was another site in town proper (town of Morgan Hill) near a bar some years ago, but it is closed. As for the common comments about dynamited jasper, this material is so heavily fractured I can see why some would call it dynamited. To me, the material I dug is generally unsuitable for jewelry. Since it occurs on a hillside with a foot of rich red clay, this clay and iron coating is on every stone you dig, making identification of good material impossible. Chipping does not help. Specular reflection of the exposed surface makes everything look like silver. Seeing patterns through the iron coating, even after hosing it all off several times, is problematic. Fractured from unfractured pieces are impossible to identify. I paid for a 5 gallon bucket I had dug, took it home, and tumbled the material to get the crud off. I lost a third in rock mud and rock that decomposed to bits. About one percent (guestimating) was decent, and shared two stone with friends. That is two out of 75 pounds of rock. Okay, maybe a few more pounds of small stones are decent. The patterns and colors are nice for the two, but they remain cut and polished specimens, as slabbing them would make them crumble to bits too small to use. As for the reservoir nearby (Anderson), there is a trail around at least the western part, but everything I found was abysmally poor agate or some junk supposed to have magnesite. If there is a poppy site, I would surmise you need a boat as the shore is heavily wooded in Oaks and covered in tall grass. The northern shore is cliffs. The trail is high above the shore, so I suppose you have to make your own trail.

My husband and I now live in Fernley, Nevada, a small town just east of Reno. We lived in Morgan Hill for 10 years before moving to Reno in 1988. My kids, both active boys, grew up climbing El Toro and the surrounding hills much to my annoyance. My oldest son, now 38 just told me he has a piece of poppy jasper in his rock collection. When we moved into our house in Morgan Hill in 1978, there was a fist-sized chunk of it in the back yard so we kept it because we liked it. We'd heard that Morgan Hill was the only place to find this particular type. It is beautiful.
My husband and I are now trying to landscape our back yard on a budget and the awesome black lava rocks are a dime a dozen out in the desert surrounding Fernley. We did find some really nice red jasper rocks the other day and I plan on trying my hand at jewelery making. We'll see how that goes but for my MH Poppy Jasper, it stays with us!! LOL Happy rock hunting.

For those of you wanting to dig for Poppy Jasper..The mine is located on a site owned by the county parks.. Mining is not allowed on county park property and this area is not open to the public (hence the fences) I do happen to know that the vein was virtually depleted several years ago by someone who now graces the inside of a prison cell for his efforts. So be forewarned.

Hello I saw your post on this blog. Its a few years old though. You said you could find where it was mined by the type. How do I go about researching that? I just came across some beautiful slices. Very defined poppy images, with ocean like swirls below it. Do you know a lot about it? I am very intrigued by this jasper, its really natures art.

Thanks,
Carolyn

Poopy jasper revealed? That stinks!

I am highly interested in the Poppy Jasper I found some on a jelwery site its so beautiful I never realised that there was such a stone as poppy jasper. The properties are unbelievable as far as they say making one feel better when they wear it. I want to order some jewlery made from this stone but do not want to get ripped off either. Do you know of anyone who works with this stone as far as a commison piece I am wanting a slide pendant.

I have the most awesome pics of the stone I would love to send to you and ask you is this true poppy Jasper or not??? I dont wnat to get ripped off as I said. I love stones of all kinds but this one is especially beautiul. I spent twelve hours these last two days at Barnes and Nobels studying Jasper and other stones. I was in Morgan Hill and never knew that they had such a awesome stone?
I love Morgan HIll, I live in Antelope Valley cali, do you know of any places stones can be found down my way?

Also why is it such a big deal to go rock hounding for it? If Mother Earth created it, we her children should be able to glean from her yes?
I am native american and I feel this could be why I am so drawn to this stone.

I remember going to Anderson Dam when I was a kid I use to live in Mountian View...I love it up there....that whole area you can keep Frisco though..LOL dont like crowded cities...nature nut.

Any help of where I could so stomping around for it on find it online at a decent priece I would greatly apperciate it I chk E bay today and some other auction places but they did not have this awesome stone I found on the Jewlery site. As I said I would love to send you a pic of the stone if you can e mail me I can j peg it to you. LaRueVanGogh@aol.com

Thanks a million, La Rue

Hey I was wondering if you could send my your e mail i want to send you a j peg of some awesome Poppy Jasper that some Jewlery site had I want to have a pendant slide made of it but dont want to get ripped off.

I was wondering if I sent you a j peg of it and asked your opinion of what the quality is and if you think it is in fact and indeed poppy jasper or not?

Thanks a lot for any help you can give me

La Rue )))

Morgan Hill Times
November 2, 2009
Men arrested for mining poppy jasper

Police cited two men from out of town for illegally excavating for poppy jasper rock on public property.

Sean Stewart, 45 of San Bruno, and Russell Kaniuth, 41 of Sunnyvale, are accused of digging for the rare rock that is used for exotic jewelry at Silveira Park, in southwest Morgan Hill, according to police.

They were cited for violating a county ordinance prohibiting excavating on public property Oct. 8 about 10:30 a.m.

[www.morganhilltimes.com]

WE live in hayward yes u cant dig for poppy jasper their no place thats open my wife and i try find a place but nothing open we are rock hounds