Tell, I am on the phone with Emory, and he says it is one of the hardest Jaspers!! He rates it in hardness at about 7-8 or higher, and being that a diamond is at 9 ! He said each piece is different, and takes a lot of heat, and can vary with each piece. He said depending on how the stone grew, you can get hard layers on top, and then softer layers in between, and it also depends on how you use the natural grain of the stone. He said there is some of the Bruneau jasper, that has eyes, or orbs, and some of it has a lot of it, and it would probably be better sell that for jewelry, rather than try to knapp it. He said you can heat it anywhere from 600-1000 degrees, depending on the piece. You just have to experiment with it. He said you can call him. pm me, and I will give you his number. He is in Arizona at the moment, and will probably be there till March, but he said you can call him after dark, as he is doing some rock hunting, and occasionally is out of cell service. But he said to keep trying, and you will catch him eventually. He is an absolute wealth of information, and Extremely talented. If you ever get the chance to meet him, by all means do so. The stuff he makes, is just jaw dropping! You know the arrowhead in stone that Cowboy, and Sawfiler, are doing, he made some at the Quartzsite show, and even made a mini Danish Dagger, in a piece of stone, with "Stitching" in the handle!!! The Guy is amazing. But give him a call, and he can help you, and give you all kinds of info on various stones. He has been knapping since he was Five! His Dad, is a really nice guy also, and he used to have a lapidary shop. You can contact him around March on the internet, at
emorycoons@yahoo.com . But give him a call tomorrow, or whenever, but after dark. He should be back from rock digging, and be in cell range.
Wayne
