page_title: Jade
section_title: Nephrite and jadeite
hierarchical_section_title: Jade / The mineral / Nephrite and jadeite
caption_attribution_description: English: A piece of jade displayed in Jade City, British Columbia, Canada.
context_page_description: Jade refers to an ornamental mineral, mostly known for its green varieties. It can refer to either of two different silicate minerals: nephrite, or jadeite.
  Jade is featured prominently in East Asian, South Asian and Southeast Asian art, but also has an important place in many other cultures.
context_section_description: It was not until 1863 that French mineralogist Alexis Damour determined that what was referred to as "jade" could in fact be one of two different minerals, either nephrite or jadeite.
  Nephrite consists of a microcrystalline interlocking fibrous matrix of the calcium, magnesium-iron rich amphibole mineral series tremolite (calcium-magnesium)-ferroactinolite (calcium-magnesium-iron). The middle member of this series with an intermediate composition is called actinolite (the silky fibrous mineral form is one form of asbestos). The higher the iron content, the greener the colour. Tremolite occurs in metamorphosed dolomitic limestones and Actinolite in metamorphic greenschists/glaucophane schists.
  Jadeite is a sodium- and aluminium-rich pyroxene. This, the more precious kind of jade is a microcrystalline interlocking growth of crystals (not a fibrous matrix as nephrite is.) It only occurs in metamorphic rocks.
  Both nephrite and jadeite were used from prehistoric periods for hardstone carving. Jadeite has about the same hardness (between 6.0 and 7.0 Mohs hardness) as quartz, while nephrite is slightly softer (6.0 to 6.5) and so can be worked with quartz or garnet sand, and polished with bamboo or even ground jade. However nephrite is tougher and more resistant to breakage. Among the earliest known jade artifacts excavated from prehistoric sites are simple ornaments with bead, button, and tubular shapes. Additionally, jade was used for adze heads, knives, and other weapons, which can be delicately shaped.
  As metal-working technologies became available, the beauty of jade made it valuable for ornaments and decorative objects.
caption: Jade on display in Jade City, British Columbia, Canada
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