Nephrite

General Information about Nephrite

Nephrite is a mineral that belongs to the inosilicate group.
Its chemical formula is (Mg,Fe)(OH).
Nephrite has a monoclinic crystal system.
It is translucent to opaque and comes in various colors such as green, yellow, brown, white, gray, and black.
The hardness of nephrite on the Mohs scale is 6.0 to 6.5.

Nephrite is commonly used for carvings, beads, and cabochon cut gemstones.
It is one of the two minerals known as jade, with the other being jadeite.
Nephrite is mainly found in green colors but can also occur in other shades.
Western Canada is a major source of lapidary nephrite.
Nephrite jade has been historically used in China, New Zealand, North America, Europe, and Southeast Asia.

Nephrite has various synonyms and varieties, including axe-stone, B.C. jade, beilstein, kidney stone, lapis nephriticus, nephrit, nephrita, pounamu, New Zealand greenstone, spinach jade, and talcum nephriticus.
Tomb jade and grave jade refer to ancient burial nephrite pieces with specific textures.
Mutton fat jade and chicken bone jade describe different colors and opacities of nephrite.

Nephrite artifacts have been found in Neolithic and Chalcolithic cultures in Europe, particularly in Bulgaria, Greece, Serbia, Croatia, Poland, Sardinia, and Switzerland.
In ancient China, nephrite was sourced from the Ningshao area and Liaoning province for utilitarian and ceremonial objects.
Khotan in Xinjiang, China, became a significant source of nephrite, and tribute payments were made to the Chinese imperial court.
The historical Maritime Jade Road connected Southeast and East Asia, where nephrite jade was traded extensively by animist societies.
Nephrite jade holds cultural significance for the Māori people of New Zealand, known as pounamu, and is protected under the Treaty of Waitangi.

Nephrite, known as pounamu in Māori, is considered a taonga (treasure) and plays a vital role in Māori culture.
It is used to create weapons, ornaments, and tools such as adzes.
Māori designs of jade jewelry, commonly called greenstone, are popular with tourists.
Ngāi Tahu, a Māori tribe, oversees the exploitation of pounamu and runs a certification scheme for New Zealand stone.
Nephrite holds mana (prestige) and is often passed down as valuable heirlooms or given as gifts for important agreements.

Reference	URL
Glossary	https://harryandcojewellery.com.au/blogs/glossary/nephrite
Wikipedia	http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nephrite
Wikidata	https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138979
Knowledge Graph	https://www.google.com/search?kgmid=/m/03wht5t