The Two Types of Jade Stones
Jade is an amazing stone of immense beauty. It’s no wonder the Chinese valued it above all other stones. Not only did the Chinese use jade for intricate carvings, funeral ornaments and other items but they also used it for jewelry.
There are two forms of the jade stone which come from all over the world. These are jadeite and nephrite.
Jadeite is the harder of the two and measures a 6.5-7 on the MOCHS scale. It is the rarer of the two jades and in turn in the most valuable. Jadeite is found in high grade commercial amounts in Burma (modern day Myanmar) and Guatemala.
The other type of jade is Nephrite. Nephrite is the softer of the two jades, which measures a 6-6.5 on the MOCHS scale. Though this is also the most common of the two jades it is also the jade which was used by the Chinese for thousands of years and referred to as the Stone of Heaven. This jade is also the most commonly used jade for jewelry.
One of the most interesting things about Nephrite jade is how tough it is. Though it is softer than jadeite it is much harder to break. This is a phenomenon that is hard to explain. Nephrite is made out of many interlocking jade ‘crystals’ which are very compact and dense. This makes nephrite the toughest natural substance on earth! No wonder why the Chinese revered it above all other possessions and why it has been used for making tools and weapons for thousands of years.
Jade comes from all over the world and can be found in Alaska, Canada, California, Wyoming, Russia, China, Guatemala, Myanmar and many other locations. The most popular items that jade is made into are jade rings, jade bracelets or bangles, earrings and necklaces or pendants.
