Skip to content

Cart

Your cart is empty

Article: Nephrite

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.

Uses and Characteristics of Nephrite

  • 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.

Other Names and Varieties of Nephrite

  • 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.

History and Cultural Significance 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 in Māori Culture

  • 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.

Nephrite Data Sources

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

Read more

Nickel

Introduction and Occurrence Nickel is a chemical element with symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. Nickel is a hard and ductile transitio...

Read more

Neckline

Types of Necklines Boat neck (wide, curved neckline that hangs on both shoulders) Deep or plunging neck (low neckline in V, U, or square shapes) Funnel neck (high neckline close to the neck) Halter...

Read more