Leopardite belongs to the jasper group, being sedimentary rocks. The name of this group is derived from the Greek word “jaspi”, which means stained stone.

In the case of leopardite, its appearance of brown and gray spots does resemble the fur of this animal. These stains consist of accumulations of iron and manganese. Other names used for this stone are leopard jasper, leopard skin jasper, and leopard agate.

We at Gemrock Peru recently discovered that leopardite is phosphorescent. When put under UV light the stone lights up emitting a bright white light. When the UV light is switched off, it shows a very strong long-lasting green afterglow. Read more in our section on fluorescent and phosphorescent stones of Peru: