Jade a hard semi-transparent stone that has been revered in China and elsewhere for centuries. Actually two types of minerals, jadeite and nephrite, jade in the pure jadeite form is very rare. When it displays a deep emerald green color, we call it Imperial Jade today. Jade displays a range of color but is best known for its shades of green. Other colors include lavender, yellow, reddish-orange, white and black. Both jadeite and nephrite rate a 6.5-7 on the Moh's Scale; despite it's low scratch rating, jade is incredibly tough due to it's interlocking layered crystalline structure. Jade is most often carved into cabochons, cameos and sculptures.
See Also: Moh's Scale, Cabochon