Jade Description
Jadeite jade comes in a variety of colors. Green is the most valuable. - Courtesy Mason-Kay Fine Jade Jewelry
Nephrite is also accepted as jade in the international gem and jewelry industry. It ranges from translucent to opaque and can be light to dark green, yellow, brown, black, gray, or white. Its colors tend to be more muted than jadeite’s, and they’re often mottled or streaked.Modern gemologists use the word “jade” as a generic term for both nephrite and jadeite. These gems have been linked throughout history. In fact, the term jade has also been applied to a number of gems and ornamental materials that resemble jade, and even some manmade equivalents resembling jadeite and nephrite.
Rough jadeite jade often takes the form of boulders. This one from Myanmar weighs 23 metric tons.
