Among the various Rolex gemstone dials, Jasper is one of the most beautiful and sought after.

Jasper is an aggregate gemstone, often consisting of quartz and chalcedony, that is known for its smooth and opaque surface. The vast majority of jasper stones used by Rolex for its precious gemstone dials are made from its dark green variety. Much rarer, though, is this beautiful vibrant red version.

Stone dials are beautiful due to the natural variation of the stones used, but they’re also quite fragile. Many of them have developed cracks or rips over the years. To the untrained eye this dial is perfection in and of itself, and without a loupe you will not encounter any discrepancies. However, with a 10X magnifying loupe one can find a few tiny scratches in the surface of the dial. One of them running through the last letters of the word "superlative" and "officially". Furthermore there is a hairline running from the corner of the date aperture to the edge of the dial. Other than these common irregularities it is one of the best looking stone dials in history with a spectacular color, and remarkably rarer than most others like Lapis, Onyx and Tiger Eye.

Typically, stone dials are found in Rolex’ most luxurious model: the Day-Date. It is rare to find one cased in a precious metal Datejust, especially a beautiful 18K yellow gold variant with smooth bezel, which is a rarity by itself. This ref. 1600/8 dates to 1972 and comes on a riveted Oyster bracelet in matching metal and stamped the same year. Simplicity at its finest, but extraordinary special for those who know.