JADEITE

Jadeite has a Mohs hardness of about 6.5 to 7.0 depending on the composition.

The name jadeite is derived from the Spanish phrase “piedra de ijada” which means “stone of the side”. It was believed to cure kidney stones if it was rubbed against the side of the afflicted person’s body.

Jadeite’s color commonly ranges from white through pale apple green to deep jade green but can also be blue-green (like the recently rediscovered “Olmec Blue” jade), pink, lavender and a multitude of other rare colors. Chloromelanite is a very dark green to black variety. Colour is largely affected by the presence of trace elements such as chromium and iron. Its translucence can be anywhere from entirely solid through opaque to almost clear. Variations in color and translucence are often found even within a single specimen.

Over 100 axe heads made from jadeite quarried in northern Italy in the Neolithic era have been found across the British Isles. Because of the difficulty of working this material, all the axe heads of this type found are thought to have been non-utilitarian and to have represented some form of currency or be the products of gift exchange.

Typically, the most highly valued colors of jadeite are the most intensely green, translucent varieties, though traditionally white has been considered the most valuable of the jades by the Chinese, known for their carefully crafted jade pieces. Other colours, like “Olmec blue” jade, which is characterized by its deep blue-green, translucent hue with white flecking, are also becoming more highly valued because of its unique beauty.