Jade (Nephrite)

Item Description

Jade is a highly valued gem, and certainly of the most popular "non gem quality" stones in the world. Most Jade is translucent, and while truly transparent material does exist, they are some of the most expensive gems extant, rivaling the same price per carat as "pigeon's blood" Ruby or superb Diamonds. Jade actually refers to two distinct types of stones which closely resemble one another, Jadeite and Nephrite, but the term Jade is still commonly used in both the gem and mineral world. The name comes from the Spanish terms ''piedra de ijada'', meaning "loin stone" as the stone was believed to cure afflictions of the loins and kidneys. Jade has been treasured for over 5000 years in China as the royal gemstone, as many Asian cultures hold it in high esteem. Typically most people associated Jade as being a shade of green, and this "Pear Cabochon" cut stone is shows a milky white hue on the upper portion with a small amount of chrome green coloring at the base.