I was curious about the ocean jasper that we saw at the bead show last weekend so I looked it up. Here is what I read:
This same material has been marketed with various names by others including Sea Jasper, Ocean Jasper, and Orbicular Jasper. It is all found in the same remote region in the north west part of the island. Madagascar owns and operates the largest producing areas of this material in Madagascar near the town of Ambolobozo. The material is famous for its unpredictable color swirls and color patterns; particularly the many small spheres or "orbs" in its matrix, which appear as circles or eyes on cut sections. It is this dance of coloration, occasional druzy cavities, and a mixture of opaque and semi-translucent gemmy layers that attract the collectors to this popular chaledony gemstone. Adding further to the romance and mysticism of the Sea Jasper is the means by which the material is transported from the deposit. First the jasper is carried by ox driven carts (or "charrettes") to small boats. The boats sail to the nearest city, Analava. From here, the Sea Jasper is trucked to the factory or straight to the port for exporting full 20 ton containers.