Jade Stone Beads
The
word "Jade" is used to define two different minerals
having similar appearance but their chemical compositions are
different from each other. These two minerals that constitute the
word "Jade" are jadeite (silicate of aluminum and sodium)
and nephrite (silicate of calcium and magnesium). The most adorable
jade is "Chinese Jade", which is also known as Jadeite. Beads made up of either type of mineral have a wide range of color shades. These color shades include brown, yellow, pink, green and gray. The jade beads either translucent or opaque depending upon the chemical composition of the minerals from which these have been derived. In these beads, sometime cloudy and milky appearance can be noticed with very small black spots.
Jadeites are of bright green color beads. These jadeite beads are very rare and so beautiful that these are extremely expensive. There is a suggestive rule regarding the purchasing process of jadeite beads is that one should not pay more than what he/she would pay for emerald. In jadeite beads, the degree of translucency is higher than the average translucency of entire jade stone beads family. With comparison to jadeite beads, the other type of jade stone bead, i.e. "Nephrite Beads" are less expensive but these also have a long range of colors. Both type of jade beads are strong and tough enough. Bleaching, dyeing etc are done of these two type of jade stone-beads. Nephrite beads are more stable than the jadeite beads.
Jade Stone
Chemical Formula: NaAl(Si2O6)
Mineral Name: Nephrite or Jadeite
Color: Shades of emerald green as well as white, gray, yellow, orange and violet
Hardness: 6.5 - 7.0
Specific Gravity: 3.25-3.36
The term "jade" refers to two different, yet similar in physical properties, semi-precious metamorphic mineral gemstones, Jadeite and Nephrite. Jadeite is almost never found in individual crystals and is composed of microscopic interlocking crystals that produce a very tough material. Nephrite is actually not a mineral, but a variety of the mineral actinolite. The nephrite variety is composed of fibrous crystals inter-twinned in a tough compact mass. Nephrite is usually only green and creamy white, while jadeite can have the full range of jade's colors.
Jade has resistance to breakage and chipping as jade and due to its toughness it was made a superior weapon and tool for early man. It has popularly become a symbolic stone used in ornaments and religious artifacts. Valued for its beauty, Jade is highly sought after by artwork collectors. Jade has a warm, approachable and desirable appearance, admirable for both it's simplicities and complexities. The Chinese consumed powdered jade as a medical remedy for just about every ailment known. It was also consumed by the dying, as a powerful embalming solution. Jade in mined in the regions of Canada, Australia, United States and Taiwan.
