Description
Jade (from ancient Greek νεφρός – kidney; obsolete kidney stone ) is a mineral of the amphibole group with a characteristic fibrous structure. One of the valuable qualities of this mineral is its extremely high impact strength – jade is difficult to split. Jade has a wide palette of colors: from almost white through all shades of green (yellowish, herbaceous, emerald, marsh) to brown and almost black. There are also white, grayish, blue and red jade, but these varieties are rare and very valuable. The color depends on the content of iron and impurities of chromium and manganese. Samples with a monochromatic color are valued higher than with an uneven one (striped, spotted, “cloudy”). Jade is used as an ornamental stone and as a unique material for making jewelry and decorative and artistic products. Since ancient times, jade has acquired particular importance in the culture of China, being, in fact, its “national stone”.
