Question: what is the difference between jade and greenstone?
Answer: Greenstone / Pounamu / Jade are often the same thing from different angles. ... “Greenstone” is the term Captain Cook used to describe Maori Jade carvings. It's a term that is only used in New Zealand/Australia and can be confusing in nature as we have a lot of “green” stones. Jade is the common word for nephrite.