The Chinese people discovered jade 5,000 years ago; since then, it has held a very sacred place in their culture. Most Chinese people wear a Buddha made of jade, given to them by a loved one; it is considered one of their most precious possessions. Jade is so entwined in the Chinese culture that it means “beautiful” in the Chinese language; if you want to say “beautiful mountain” you say “jade mountain.” The Maoris of New Zealand used jade in place of metal; their jade weapons and tools actually hold a better edge than iron. Jade was considered the real treasure of the Maya and Aztec civilizations, coming before gold and emeralds in value.

Jade has a long history in jewelry. Traditionally, it is worn by itself or in combination with gold, pearls and diamonds. It is worn for good luck as well as for adornment.

There are many green gemstones, but there are only two true jades: jadeite and nephrite. They have different characteristics that help to differentiate them but there are always exceptions to the rule. Gemologists can tell them apart by performing tests measuring the reflective index and viewing the absorption spectra
of the two stones.

Jadeite is usually a brighter green; however, it also comes in lavender, red-orange yellow, brown, white, black and gray. Imperial jade (jadeite) is a vivid bright green and can command a price greater than diamonds. Nephrite is usually a darker green and in some cases has dark spots that will identify it as nephrite (as they do not appear in jadeite).

Carving in jade is an ancient art in many cultures, and many of the carvings have special meaning. The Buddha of prosperity, tossing coins above his head, is carved in many gemstones, but when carved in jade it brings the most luck and prosperity. You might have heard that jade is a very hard stone and wondered, if it is so hard, why is it a choice gemstone for carving? There is a difference between hardness and toughness. Hardness measures how easily a stone is scratched. The hardest gem is diamond, 10 on the Mohs hardness scale. Jadeite is only 6.5-7 and nephrite is 6-6.5, which is why jade can be carved. Toughness measures how easily a stone breaks when struck. Jade earns the highest rating, “exceptional,” where diamond is exceptional only in certain directions - if struck along the cleavage plain, it will break. Jade is made up of interlocking crystals that create a tightly intergrown, compact mass that bonds together and resists breaking.

When a jade buyer looks at a piece of rough jade at the market, the only visible sign of the stone’s quality shows through a small window polished on the stone. The buyer takes a risk on the rest of the rough stone. The buyer can also wet the rough stone trying to determine the color, but none of these tests are a sure sign of what lies beneath.

There are a few jade substitutes; these gemstones are beautiful in their own right but should not be confused with true jade.

• Serpentine ranges in toughness between 2.5-6, and is used a lot in carvings that look very much like jade carvings. You can scratch most serpentine so it can be used to tell it apart from jade; however, Booyo precious serpentine can be as tough as nephrite jade so it is the exception to the rule. Also, be aware that scratching is a destructive test so use it wisely.
  
  
• Chrysoprase chalcedony sometimes achieves the popular “apple green” color of jadeite, making it a desirable gem.
  
  
• Green hydrogrossular garnet is a fairly common jade substitute.
  In conclusion, jade is one of the most influential gemstones in human history, helping to shape many cultures from ancient times to the present.
  

Project Images	Samples of Jadeite

Project Images	Samples of Nephrite

Project Images	Samples of Jade look-a-likes