blood jasper
Manufacture
The blood jasper (or heliotrope) used to create decorative objects in the 19th century came mainly from several regions of the world where this stone was mined. At the time, the most important blood jasper deposits were in India, particularly in the Gujarat region, and in Russia, particularly in the Ural mountains, which were a major source of semi-precious stones for European craftsmen.
Russia, under the Tsars, was particularly famous for mining these stones, with specialist cutting workshops such as those at Peterhof creating decorative objects and jewellery from stones such as jasper. Other sources included regions of Germany (such as Saxony) and areas of North Africa, although these deposits were less exploited at the time for European decorative arts.
These stones were imported to Europe, where workshops such as those in Florence and Paris worked them to create objets d’art, jewellery and other decorative pieces in a style often inspired by Neoclassicism or 19th-century Orientalist trends.
