Mineral Guide · Material
Jade is a durable ornamental material that includes jadeite and nephrite, valued for its toughness, colour and long history in carving and jewellery.
Jade is a durable ornamental material that includes jadeite and nephrite, valued for its toughness, colour and long history in carving and jewellery.
Reference formula: No single formula applies because this is a rock or trade material.. Jade is a trade and cultural material, not one fixed mineral species. Jadeite is a pyroxene mineral, while nephrite is a tough aggregate dominated by amphibole minerals; a responsible description should name which material is present when known. Jade is classified with a reference material rather than one mineral class and has a not applicable to the material as a whole crystal system. Typical hardness is 6–7 on the Mohs scale and specific gravity is approximately 2.9–3.3.
Typical colours include green, white, lavender, yellow, black. The usual massive, granular, fibrous habit and vitreous, pearly, dull lustre help describe a specimen, but colour alone is not diagnostic.
Jade forms in or is associated with metamorphic and metasomatic rocks in subduction-related geological settings. Important documented localities include Myanmar, China, Guatemala, New Zealand, Russia, Canada and the United States.
Jade earns its place in a mineral and design collection through exceptional toughness, tactile polish and a colour range that moves from imperial green to soft lavender and creamy white. It works equally well as a carved object, a jewellery material or a reference specimen showing the difference between jadeite and nephrite.
Jade has a documented cultural history in carving, ritual objects and jewellery across several regions. Modern crystal traditions also attach symbolic meanings to it, but those beliefs vary and are not mineralogical properties.
Protect polished surfaces from scratches and harsh chemicals; for valuable pieces, retain provenance and use professional testing rather than colour alone.
Reviewed by NotOnlyRocks Editorial Team
Last reviewed: 25 August 2026
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