Nephrite Jade Crystals from Canada
Jade has been used by the Chinese for more than 5000 thousand years.
In 1863 it was discovered not all jade was the same. There were in fact two varieties which although very similar had a different chemical composition. One was called nephrite and the other jadeite.
Although this was the first time the two varieties had officially been recognised as being different, Chinese craftsmen had noted a few hundred years earlier not all jade was the same.
One material was harder, denser, took on a higher polish and was generally easier to work with. This became the more popular and most prized of the two. It was later renamed jadeite.
Jadeite and nephrite are still commonly known as jade. This is because with the name having been used for thousands of years it was believed it would be too difficult to start using different names for two materials that looked almost identical.
Nephrite is made up of the minerals actinolite and tremolite. Jadeite is made up almost exclusively of the mineral jadeite. It can be exceptionally difficult to tell one material from the other.
Our nephrite jade crystals are a medium sized stone. Size can vary from piece to piece.
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