Jade is the name for two different stones, jadeite and nephrite. Both are tough and slightly waxy, and the word is used loosely: many green beads sold as jade are other stones.
Silicate (pyroxene: jadeite; amphibole: nephrite)
Jade
Jade
- Palette
- Green White Purple Black Brown Orange Yellow
- Mined in
- Myanmar, China, Guatemala, Canada, New Zealand, Russia
- Hardness
- Mohs 6.0–7.0 ?
- See-through
- translucent
- Known since
- Prehistoric
- Named for
- Spanish piedra de ijada, flank stone, first recorded in 1565
- Also sold as
- jadeite, nephrite, yu (Chinese), pounamu (nephrite, New Zealand), fei cui (jadeite, Chinese)
- Intention
- Abundance Love
- Looking for
- Luck Prosperity Relationships Peace
- Water
- Keep it dry; wipe with a soft cloth
- Dye or finish
- Jade is often altered in the trade: jadeite may be waxed, bleached and resin-filled, or dyed; nephrite is only rarely dyed. Many beads sold as jade are other dyed stones.
Not in our pieces now
UNDER 12 PLACES
Jadeite is documented in fewer than a dozen places in the world, which is part of why fine jade is rare.
ALEXIS DAMOUR
The French mineralogist Alexis Damour gave jadeite its name in 1863.
180 AXE HEADS
More than 180 Neolithic jadeite axe heads from northern Italy have turned up across the British Isles.
What it is
'Jade' is the name for two different tough, slightly waxy stones: jadeite and nephrite. Green is the best known color, but both also come in white, lavender, yellow, brown and black. Many green beads sold as jade are other stones, such as serpentine, so the word is used loosely in the bead trade.
What gives it its color
In jadeite, a trace of chromium gives green and a trace of manganese gives lavender. Jadeite is often bleached, waxed, resin-filled or dyed in the trade, while nephrite is rarely dyed.
Where it comes from
Myanmar (Kachin State) produces most high-quality jadeite, Guatemala's Motagua valley is another source, and nephrite comes from Hotan in China, British Columbia, New Zealand and Siberia.
In history
In China, Dushan jade was mined as early as 6000 BC, and the Liangzhu and Hongshan cultures carved nephrite thousands of years before the Shang kings. Liu Sheng, a Han prince, was buried in a suit of 2,498 jade plates joined with gold wire, found at Mancheng in 1968. Jadeite from Burma reached China in quantity only after about 1800 and became a favorite of the Qing court.
What's said about it
In Chinese tradition, jade has been prized for thousands of years as a stone of luck, good character and loyalty. It is often given as a gift to family and friends.
In Mesoamerica, the Olmec, Maya and Aztec carved it as a rare, honored material. Today people keep it for luck and good relationships, and wear it on the wrist or keep it at a work desk.
How people wear or keep it: On the wrist, in a pocket, on a work desk, or in a cash box.
In crystal practice
In the crystal tradition, jade is paired with the sacral and solar plexus chakras, so practitioners rest it there during meditation or lie down with it in place for a few quiet minutes. Day to day, the same tradition suggests keeping it close: on the wrist, in a pocket, on a work desk. People reach for it when they want luck, prosperity, relationships, and many set an intention when they put it on. Most practitioners cleanse a new stone first (running water only if the stone can take it, otherwise smoke or moonlight) and set it aside now and then to rest.
These are beliefs people have held and still hold about the stone, reported as such. Nothing here is a promise or a medical claim. We sell stones as jewelry, not for these effects.
Associations
The chakra and star sign this stone is usually matched with. These are popular traditions, not facts about the stone.
ChakraSacral, Solar Plexus
ZodiacLibra, Taurus
ElementEarth
Also calledjadeite, nephrite, yu (Chinese)
Care
- Tough for its hardness, but a hard knock can still chip or crack it.
- Wipe with a soft cloth; for a deeper clean use a damp cloth and dry straight away.
- Skip salt, strong soaps and household cleaners, and keep away from heat.
- Store apart from harder stones so it does not pick up scratches.
How to tell what you have
- Real jade is either jadeite or nephrite, both tough and fine-grained.
- Serpentine (often called new jade) and dyed quartz or marble are the usual stand-ins; serpentine is softer and scratches more easily. Color pooled in cracks or a uniform bright green points to dye.
What sets the price
Price follows what the bead really is (jadeite, nephrite, or another stone sold as jade), then color, translucency and size. Beads left as they came from the ground cost more than ones that have been bleached, filled with resin or dyed.
Rules and sourcing
Jadeite from Myanmar (Burma) falls under US sanctions that block dealings with the Burmese state gem enterprise and other listed Burmese gem companies, so a seller should be able to say where the jade came from. Nephrite from Canada, New Zealand or elsewhere is not what the Burma rules aim at. Jadeite may be waxed, bleached and resin-filled, or dyed, while nephrite is rarely dyed, and many beads sold as jade are other dyed stones. The FTC jewelry guides call for a seller to disclose bleach, resin and dye.
Questions people ask at our table
Is jade one stone?
No. Jade is the name for two different minerals, jadeite and nephrite. They look similar and have been used the same way, but jadeite is the rarer of the two.
Is the jade in bead bracelets real?
Sometimes. Many beads sold as jade are other green stones such as serpentine, and some real jade is dyed to deepen its color. A trusted seller will name the exact stone.
Where does jade come from?
Most fine jadeite comes from Myanmar, with Guatemala another source. Nephrite is found in China, Canada, New Zealand and Russia.
Does jade change color?
Natural jade holds its color well. Dyed jade can fade with strong light or harsh cleaners.
Why is jade important in China?
Jade has been carved there since the Neolithic period and was long linked with rank, good character and luck. It is still a common gift.
Not in our pieces right now
Stones we do carry that are close to it are listed under related stones.
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