EXEPTIONAL 180.08Ct 100% NATURAL NEPHRITE (JADE) BEADS! A TRUE GIFT FROM MOTHER NATURE!

WE ONLY SELL NATURAL GEMSTONES AND THE IMAGE THAT YOU SEE IS THE ACTUAL AND ENLARGED IMAGE OF THE ITEM ON DISPLAY

 Nephrite Jade

Although "jade" has been in use for a variety of utilitarian and artistic purposes for over 7000 years, it was only in 1863 that a gemological distinction was made between the two different species commonly given this name. Jadeite, an aggregate of granular pyroxenes, actually is not related to nephrite, an aggregate of fibrous amphiboles. The fact that they occur in the same color and translucency range, are both incredibly tough, and were traditionally used for the same purposes, along with their superficially similar appearance has led to the odd consequence of having two quite different gems with the same name.

Even though marketers, jewelers and the public continue to refer to both gems as jade, more properly the species should be used as, or at least included in, the name: so either nephrite (or nephrite jade) or jadeite (or jadeite jade) is the preferred terminology.

Nephrite is, then, a calcium-magnesium silicate that varies from translucent to opaque, and from shades of green, through browns and yellows to greys and near whites as it varies in the proportion of the amphibole minerals in its makeup. The darker pieces are mostly made up of iron rich (up to 5% iron content) actinolites, the lighter pieces contain more of the magnesium rich tremolites. Pieces may be mottled or banded in color, and black inclusions are common. Typically the iron induced green colors of nephrite are dulled somewhat by brown tones in comparison to the more highly saturated chromium derived hues of green jadeite.