Yellow Jade

Jadeite (Jade)

Jade is a general term applied to Jadeite and Nephrite. For centuries Jade was believed to be a single gemstone & it was not until 1863 that it was revealed to be two. Jadeite is the rarer of the two & is a silicate of sodium & aluminium.

Jadeite is made up of interlocking, monoclinic pyroxene crystals, which makes it very difficult to break but lends itself perfectly to carving.

Jadeite occurs in a wide range of colours including green, lilac, white, pink, brown, red, blue, black, orange & yellow. The colours are due to the presence of traces of iron, calcium or magnesium.

The most precious jade is that which is a rich emerald green colour. This type of Jade (Jadeite) is known as Imperial Jade, the colour being due to the presence of chromium.

The most important source of Jade is Mynamar (formerly known as Burma) which has supplied China with Imperial Jade for 200 years. Guatemala was also an important source supplying the Central American Indians.

Nephrite (Jade)

Nephrite is the compact, fine-grained variety of fibrous amphibole crystals. Its interlocking crystal structure makes it tougher than steel & again lends itself perfectly for carving, first for weapons then for jewellery.

Colours of Nephrite vary from dark green (iron rich) to cream (magnesium rich).

Nephrite Jade has been sourced from Turkestan, Myanmar, Siberia ( dark green), Russia , & China. Other sources include, Australia (black nephrite), USA, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Taiwan, Zimbabwe (dark green), Italy, Poland, Germany & Switzerland.

Nephrite is often dyed to improve or enhance the colour for jewellery, this is a fairly common practice.

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