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Chemistry: NaAlSi2O6 - Sodium aluminum silicate, sometimes with some calcium and iron.

Class: Jadeite or Nephrite.

Uses: Jewelry, ornaments, tools, weapons, gemstones.

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Specimens
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• Nephrite Jade
• Polished Jade

"Jade" is a cultural term used for a very durable, and often beautiful, material that has been fashioned into tools, sculptures, jewelry, gemstones, and other objects for over 5,000 years. It was first used to manufacture ax heads, weapons, scraping and hammering tools because of its toughness.

Then, because some specimens had a beautiful color and could be polished to a brilliant luster, people started to use jade for gemstones, talismans, and ornamental objects. Although most people who think of jade imagine a beautiful green gemstone, the material occurs in a wide variety of colors that include green, white, lavender, yellow, blue, black, red, orange, and gray.

The name is derived from the Spanish piedra de la ijada, which means "stone of the colic." There was a belief that when jade was placed on the stomach, it could cure colic in babies.

Chinese emperors were buried in suits made of the stone because they believed it would make them live on forever. The name has been used for both boys and girls in the United States. Jade was the 113th most popular name for girls born in the United States in 2007.

Nephrite deposits have been found in China, New Zealand, Russia, Guatemala and the Swiss Alps. Dark green jade, so-called Canada jade, is also found in Western Canada. Jadeite is found in China, Russia and Guatemala, but the best stones come from Burma, now known as Myanmar.

For collectors as well as jewellery lovers, jade is a fascinating gemstone. In Asia, above all, it is collected as an antique. Besides the quality of the gem and its processing, religion and faith also play an important role. In the West, many people prefer to collect jade in the form of snuff-boxes, cigarette holders, small bowls or rings. Since each collector has his or her own taste and his or her own likings with regard to colour, style and shape, it is no easy matter giving definite advice on the purchase of jade objects.

However, jade is, at the same time, a wonderful gem, not only in its traditional guise, but also in more modern designs. Especially in recent years, creative jewellery and gemstone producers have come up with some wonderful, up-to-date jewellery design, thus sprucing up the image of jade, which had had rather a traditional character for quite some time.

Jade is most valued for its metaphysical properties and is a heart chakra stone. It is the ultimate "Dream Stone," revered in ancient cultures, as well as today, to access the spiritual world, gain insight into ritualistic knowledge, encourage creativity, and dream-solve. It is cherished as a protective talisman, assuring long life and a peaceful death, and is considered a powerful healing stone. An amulet of good luck and friendship, Jade signifies wisdom gathered in tranquility, dispelling the negative and encouraging one to see oneself as they really are.

Color: Usually ranges in color between white, cream and dark green.

Luster: Vitreous to silky, waxy.

Transparency: Opaque to translucent.

Crystal System: Monoclinic.

Crystal Habits: Visible crystals are very rare. Most often as tough masses of dense fibers and interlocking blades. These masses may be smooth and waterworn, or they may be rough and massive. When crystals do occur, they are small, slender, and in bladed aggregates.

Cleavage: Prismatic but usually not seen because of a small grain size and splintery fracture.

Fracture: Splintery, uneven.

Hardness: 5 - 6

Specific Gravity: 3.0 - 3.3

Streak: Colorless.

Associated Minerals: .

Jade Mining in British Columbia, Canada

Largest Jade Market In The World - Mandalay, Myanmar