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Jadeite:
Inosilicates (Sodium aluminum silicate, often with some calcium and iron; pyroxene group) NaAlSi2O6 AKA: Actinolite (variety of Nephrite), Imperial Jade, Jade |
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System: Monoclinic; crystals rare; usually in tough, compact felted masses of elongated blades. Appearance: Apple-green or emerald-green to white; vitreous, dull, waxy; streak white. Physical Properties: Hardness: (6.5 - 7.0); Specific gravity: (3.3 - 3.5). Cleavage: distinct, two directions at nearly right angles; fracture, splintery, uneven, difficult; translucent to opaque; brittle. Similar species: Jadeite has higher gravity than nephrite (variety of tremolite) or serpentinite, and is much harder and tougher than serpentinite. Occurrence: Jadeite is a metamorphic mineral and occurs with glaucophane in blue schist of regional metamorphic rocks, and with prehnite and vesuvianite in lode hydrothermal replacement deposits. The finest gem-quality jadeite (jade) comes from Burma, but crystals and masses of jadeite may be found in California. Miscellaneous: Semitransparent to translucent varieties are called jade. Jade is a term used in the gem industry to refer to two different minerals: jadeite and nephrite. Precious jade is always jadeite. Jadeite jade colors are: white to green, and white with greenish spots, the most common; pale lavender is less common; bluish lavender; emerald green ("Imperial Jade"); silvery white; reddish-brown; and brownish-red. Value increases with transparency, color, evenness of color, and freedom from flaws. Jadeite is fashioned into beads, earrings, bracelets and cabochons for rings and brooches, or carved into ornamental objects. Conventional Wisdom: The name is from the Spanish piedra de ijada, "stone of the side", in allusion to the belief that jade could cure kidney disorders if applied to the side of the body. This mineral was exalted by the the Mayan and Aztec cultures as a stone of magic, bringing to fruition, in times of need, the protective forces of the ethers. It represented status and was only possessed by the elite of the realm. It can be used to induce the cohesiveness of groups, allowing for understanding between the members. Belongs to the Astrological Sign of Aries. |