Jadeite or nephrite · 6 to 7 · the toughest gem

Jade

"Jade" is two different minerals: jadeite and nephrite. Both are made of tiny interlocking crystals that make them tougher than any other gem, which is why people carved tools and axes from them for thousands of years. Jade is not grown in labs. The fakes are dyed quartzite, serpentine and glass, and cheap jadeite is often bleached and filled with polymer.

From the ground to your hand

The same stone at four moments. Tap a photo of a listing to see it on Amazon.

01 In the ground (step 1 of 4)

A jadeite boulder from Myanmar with a "window" ground into its skin, the way buyers judge the green inside before cutting.

Real specimen. Photo: James St. John, CC BY 2.0.
02 Rough (step 2 of 4)

Hetian nephrite rough from China, the jade carved there for thousands of years.

Amazon listing photo. See it on Amazon
03 Cut (step 3 of 4)

A nephrite jade , 25 x 18 mm.

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04 Set (step 4 of 4)

A carved jadeite dragon pendant, sold as untreated Grade A.

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Minerals: Jadeite (pyroxene) or nephrite (amphibole)
Hardness: 6 to 7
Toughness: The toughest of all gems
Grown in labs: No, not commercially
Famous sources: Myanmar, Canada, China

Jade boulders, nephrite and jadeite, at the British Museum: the rough that carvers start from. Photo: Andres Rueda, CC BY 2.0.

Famous jade in museums

What the finest natural stones look like: real pieces in public collections. The whole gem museum.

The jade death mask of Pakal the Great: A mosaic of jadeite pieces with shell and obsidian eyes, made for Kinich Janaab Pakal, king of the Maya city of Palenque, who died in 683. — **The jade death mask of Pakal the Great**A mosaic of jadeite pieces with shell and obsidian eyes, made for Kinich Janaab Pakal, king of the Maya city of Palenque, who died in 683.National Museum of Anthropology, Mexico CityFound in 1952 on his face inside a sealed tomb deep under the Temple of the Inscriptions. To the Maya, green jade was the colour of maize, water and life itself.Photo: Gary Todd, CC0.

An Olmec jadeite mask: Jadeite, about the 10th to 6th century BCE, from the Gulf Coast of Mexico. — **An Olmec jadeite mask**Jadeite, about the 10th to 6th century BCE, from the Gulf Coast of Mexico.Metropolitan Museum of Art, New YorkThe Olmec carved jade more than a thousand years before the Maya, grinding it with sand and cord because no metal tool would cut it.Photo: Wikipedia Loves Art participant, CC BY-SA 2.5.

**An Olmec jadeite mask**Jadeite, about the 10th to 6th century BCE, from the Gulf Coast of Mexico.Metropolitan Museum of Art, New YorkThe Olmec carved jade more than a thousand years before the Maya, grinding it with sand and cord because no metal tool would cut it.Photo: Wikipedia Loves Art participant, CC BY-SA 2.5.

A Maya jade pendant of a seated lord: Jadeite carved with a seated ruler, Maya, Late Classic period. — **A Maya jade pendant of a seated lord**Jadeite carved with a seated ruler, Maya, Late Classic period.Metropolitan Museum of Art, New YorkMaya nobles wore jade at the ears, neck, wrists and teeth. A bead of jade was placed in the mouth of the dead.Photo: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, CC0.

**A Maya jade pendant of a seated lord**Jadeite carved with a seated ruler, Maya, Late Classic period.Metropolitan Museum of Art, New YorkMaya nobles wore jade at the ears, neck, wrists and teeth. A bead of jade was placed in the mouth of the dead.Photo: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, CC0.

A Liangzhu jade cong: A square tube with a round hole, carved from nephrite about 5,000 years ago. — **A Liangzhu jade cong**A square tube with a round hole, carved from nephrite about 5,000 years ago.Shanghai MuseumNobody knows exactly what the cong was for, but the Liangzhu people of eastern China buried their elite with them, worked without any metal tools.Photo: Gary Lee Todd, Ph.D., CC0.

**A Liangzhu jade cong**A square tube with a round hole, carved from nephrite about 5,000 years ago.Shanghai MuseumNobody knows exactly what the cong was for, but the Liangzhu people of eastern China buried their elite with them, worked without any metal tools.Photo: Gary Lee Todd, Ph.D., CC0.

A Liangzhu jade bi disc: A flat nephrite disc with a hole in the centre, Neolithic China. — **A Liangzhu jade bi disc**A flat nephrite disc with a hole in the centre, Neolithic China.Metropolitan Museum of Art, New YorkThe bi became one of the oldest symbols in China, later linked with heaven. Donut-shaped jade pendants today descend from it.Photo: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, CC0.

**A Liangzhu jade bi disc**A flat nephrite disc with a hole in the centre, Neolithic China.Metropolitan Museum of Art, New YorkThe bi became one of the oldest symbols in China, later linked with heaven. Donut-shaped jade pendants today descend from it.Photo: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, CC0.

The jade burial suit of Prince Liu Sheng: About 2,500 small jade plates sewn together with gold wire, for a Han dynasty prince who died in 113 BCE. — **The jade burial suit of Prince Liu Sheng**About 2,500 small jade plates sewn together with gold wire, for a Han dynasty prince who died in 113 BCE.Hebei Museum, ShijiazhuangThe Han believed jade would keep the body from decay. It did not work: when the tomb was opened in 1968, only the suit was left.Photo: Gary Todd, CC0.

**The jade burial suit of Prince Liu Sheng**About 2,500 small jade plates sewn together with gold wire, for a Han dynasty prince who died in 113 BCE.Hebei Museum, ShijiazhuangThe Han believed jade would keep the body from decay. It did not work: when the tomb was opened in 1968, only the suit was left.Photo: Gary Todd, CC0.

The Jadeite Cabbage: A piece of half-white, half-green jadeite carved as a bok choy with two insects hiding in the leaves, Qing dynasty. — **The Jadeite Cabbage**A piece of half-white, half-green jadeite carved as a bok choy with two insects hiding in the leaves, Qing dynasty.National Palace Museum, TaipeiJadeite only reached China from Burma in the 18th century; the carver used the natural colour split for the white stalk and green leaves. It is one of the most loved objects in the museum.Photo: National Palace Museum, Taipei, OGDL-Taiwan-1.0.

**The Jadeite Cabbage**A piece of half-white, half-green jadeite carved as a bok choy with two insects hiding in the leaves, Qing dynasty.National Palace Museum, TaipeiJadeite only reached China from Burma in the 18th century; the carver used the natural colour split for the white stalk and green leaves. It is one of the most loved objects in the museum.Photo: National Palace Museum, Taipei, OGDL-Taiwan-1.0.

A knotted dragon pendant: A dragon tied in a knot, carved in jade, ancient China. — **A knotted dragon pendant**A dragon tied in a knot, carved in jade, ancient China.Metropolitan Museum of Art, New YorkNephrite is so tough that carvers could cut thin, curling forms like this without them snapping.Photo: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, CC0.

**A knotted dragon pendant**A dragon tied in a knot, carved in jade, ancient China.Metropolitan Museum of Art, New YorkNephrite is so tough that carvers could cut thin, curling forms like this without them snapping.Photo: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, CC0.

The wine cup of Shah Jahan: White nephrite carved as a gourd with an ibex-head handle, made in 1657 for the Mughal emperor who built the Taj Mahal. — **The wine cup of Shah Jahan**White nephrite carved as a gourd with an ibex-head handle, made in 1657 for the Mughal emperor who built the Taj Mahal.Victoria and Albert Museum, LondonCarved so thin that light passes through it. Its maker is unknown; its owner is not.Photo: Colindla, CC BY-SA 3.0.

**The wine cup of Shah Jahan**White nephrite carved as a gourd with an ibex-head handle, made in 1657 for the Mughal emperor who built the Taj Mahal.Victoria and Albert Museum, LondonCarved so thin that light passes through it. Its maker is unknown; its owner is not.Photo: Colindla, CC BY-SA 3.0.

A Maori hei-tiki in pounamu: A hei-tiki, a human figure pendant, carved from New Zealand nephrite. — **A Maori hei-tiki in pounamu**A hei-tiki, a human figure pendant, carved from New Zealand nephrite.Auckland War Memorial MuseumHei-tiki were treasured heirlooms, worn and passed down for generations. Under New Zealand law, the pounamu of the South Island belongs to the Ngai Tahu people.Photo: Szilas, Public domain.

**A Maori hei-tiki in pounamu**A hei-tiki, a human figure pendant, carved from New Zealand nephrite.Auckland War Memorial MuseumHei-tiki were treasured heirlooms, worn and passed down for generations. Under New Zealand law, the pounamu of the South Island belongs to the Ngai Tahu people.Photo: Szilas, Public domain.

A Neolithic jadeite axehead: A polished jadeite axe found in Cornwall, England, made about 6,000 years ago. — **A Neolithic jadeite axehead**A polished jadeite axe found in Cornwall, England, made about 6,000 years ago.Royal Institution of CornwallAxes like this were quarried high in the Italian Alps and carried across Europe. They were polished for months and almost never used: they were treasures, not tools.Photo: Royal Institution of Cornwall (Portable Antiquities Scheme), CC BY-SA 2.0.

**A Neolithic jadeite axehead**A polished jadeite axe found in Cornwall, England, made about 6,000 years ago.Royal Institution of CornwallAxes like this were quarried high in the Italian Alps and carried across Europe. They were polished for months and almost never used: they were treasures, not tools.Photo: Royal Institution of Cornwall (Portable Antiquities Scheme), CC BY-SA 2.0.

The stone flowers of the Taj Mahal: White marble inlaid with cut stones such as jasper, jade, lapis and carnelian, a technique called pietra dura, 17th century. — **The stone flowers of the Taj Mahal**White marble inlaid with cut stones such as jasper, jade, lapis and carnelian, a technique called pietra dura, 17th century.Taj Mahal, Agra, IndiaShah Jahan built it for his wife Mumtaz Mahal. The stones were brought from across Asia, and each petal is a separate piece cut to fit.Photo: Rajesnewdelhi, CC BY-SA 3.0.

A Mughal dagger with a ram’s head: A jewelled dagger whose hilt ends in a ram’s head, with a matching case, Mughal India. — **A Mughal dagger with a ram’s head**A jewelled dagger whose hilt ends in a ram’s head, with a matching case, Mughal India.National Museum, New DelhiMughal workshops were famous for carved jade dagger hilts in the shape of animal heads, often set with rubies and emeralds.Photo: Saad Akhtar, CC BY 2.0.

**A Mughal dagger with a ram’s head**A jewelled dagger whose hilt ends in a ram’s head, with a matching case, Mughal India.National Museum, New DelhiMughal workshops were famous for carved jade dagger hilts in the shape of animal heads, often set with rubies and emeralds.Photo: Saad Akhtar, CC BY 2.0.

A Mughal hookah base of jade, lapis and rubies: A jade huqqa (hookah) base inlaid with lapis lazuli and rubies set in gold, Mughal India, about 1700, later mounted in Paris in 1798. — **A Mughal hookah base of jade, lapis and rubies**A jade huqqa (hookah) base inlaid with lapis lazuli and rubies set in gold, Mughal India, about 1700, later mounted in Paris in 1798.British Museum, LondonMughal workshops set gold, lapis and rubies flush into pale jade. A French jeweller later gave it a gilt stand, so it is half India and half Paris.Photo: Daderot, CC0.

A shrine of crystal, gold and lapis: A shrine presented to Pope Pius XI by the city of Milan in 1929, of crystal, gold plate, lapis lazuli, pearls, jade and precious stones. — **A shrine of crystal, gold and lapis**A shrine presented to Pope Pius XI by the city of Milan in 1929, of crystal, gold plate, lapis lazuli, pearls, jade and precious stones.Vatican MuseumsEven in the twentieth century, a gift fit for a pope was still built in lapis.Photo: Daderot, Public domain.

The Qianlong Emperor’s jade book: A poem in the emperor’s calligraphy, engraved and gilded on ten leaves of nephrite jade, China, dated 1745. — **The Qianlong Emperor’s jade book**A poem in the emperor’s calligraphy, engraved and gilded on ten leaves of nephrite jade, China, dated 1745.Museum collection (Commons photograph)The Qianlong Emperor was obsessed with jade and wrote hundreds of poems about it. Here one of his poems is itself made of jade.Photo: Wikimedia Commons (public domain), Public domain.

A Han jade bi disc: A flat jade disc with a hole in the centre, carved with rows of raised spirals, Western Han dynasty (206 BC to AD 9). — **A Han jade bi disc**A flat jade disc with a hole in the centre, carved with rows of raised spirals, Western Han dynasty (206 BC to AD 9).Henan Provincial Museum, ZhengzhouThe bi is one of the oldest Chinese jade shapes. It was placed with the dead and may stand for heaven.Photo: Gary Todd, CC0.

**A Han jade bi disc**A flat jade disc with a hole in the centre, carved with rows of raised spirals, Western Han dynasty (206 BC to AD 9).Henan Provincial Museum, ZhengzhouThe bi is one of the oldest Chinese jade shapes. It was placed with the dead and may stand for heaven.Photo: Gary Todd, CC0.

A Qing jade seal: A jade seal carved with a beast on top, Qing dynasty. — **A Qing jade seal**A jade seal carved with a beast on top, Qing dynasty.Shanxi Provincial Museum, TaiyuanIn China a seal was a signature. The emperor’s own seals were carved from jade, and the imperial seal itself was called a jade seal.Photo: Gary Lee Todd, Ph.D., CC0.

A Han jade pig with gold foil: A small jade pig wrapped in gold foil, placed in the hand of the dead, Han dynasty. — **A Han jade pig with gold foil**A small jade pig wrapped in gold foil, placed in the hand of the dead, Han dynasty.National Palace Museum, TaipeiThe dead held jade pigs, symbols of wealth, so they would not leave the world empty-handed.Photo: Gary Todd, CC0.

A Shang jade deer: A flat jade deer with tall antlers, Shang dynasty (about 1600 to 1046 BC). — **A Shang jade deer**A flat jade deer with tall antlers, Shang dynasty (about 1600 to 1046 BC).Museum collection (Commons photograph)More than three thousand years old: Shang carvers cut jade with abrasive sand, since jade is too hard to carve with metal.Photo: User:Mountain, CC BY-SA 3.0.

An Olmec jadeite figure: A standing figure carved from blue-green jadeite, Olmec culture, Mexico, about 900 to 400 BC. — **An Olmec jadeite figure**A standing figure carved from blue-green jadeite, Olmec culture, Mexico, about 900 to 400 BC.Kimbell Art Museum, Fort WorthThe Olmec were the first great jade carvers of the Americas, a thousand years before the Maya.Photo: User:FA2010, Public domain.

A Maya jade plaque of a king: A jade plaque carved with a seated Maya king, Classic period, found far from home at Teotihuacan. — **A Maya jade plaque of a king**A jade plaque carved with a seated Maya king, Classic period, found far from home at Teotihuacan.British Museum, LondonFound in central Mexico, hundreds of kilometres from the Maya world: jade like this was traded and given as a royal gift.Photo: Ooligan, CC BY-SA 3.0.

A Maori mere of pounamu: A short club of New Zealand greenstone (nephrite jade), a weapon and a treasure handed down through generations. — **A Maori mere of pounamu**A short club of New Zealand greenstone (nephrite jade), a weapon and a treasure handed down through generations.Te Papa, Museum of New Zealand, WellingtonA mere was shaped by months of grinding with sandstone. The finest had names and histories of their own.Photo: Rudolph89, CC BY-SA 3.0.

**A Maori mere of pounamu**A short club of New Zealand greenstone (nephrite jade), a weapon and a treasure handed down through generations.Te Papa, Museum of New Zealand, WellingtonA mere was shaped by months of grinding with sandstone. The finest had names and histories of their own.Photo: Rudolph89, CC BY-SA 3.0.

Shah Jahan’s jade thumb ring: An archer’s thumb ring of white nephrite jade inscribed in gold, Mughal, dated 1632. — **Shah Jahan’s jade thumb ring**An archer’s thumb ring of white nephrite jade inscribed in gold, Mughal, dated 1632.Victoria and Albert Museum, LondonMade for the emperor who built the Taj Mahal. Archers wore thumb rings to draw a bowstring; by this time they had also become royal jewellery.Photo: SpeakingArch, CC BY-SA 4.0.

A Boucheron Art Deco corsage ornament: A corsage ornament of palladium gold, lapis lazuli, coral, jade, onyx and turquoise made by Boucheron in 1925, the year of the Paris exhibition that gave Art Deco its name. — **A Boucheron Art Deco corsage ornament**A corsage ornament of palladium gold, lapis lazuli, coral, jade, onyx and turquoise made by Boucheron in 1925, the year of the Paris exhibition that gave Art Deco its name.Boucheron Collection, ParisFive coloured stones in one jewel: Art Deco treated gems like paint.Photo: Sailko, CC BY 3.0.

A Mughal jade wine cup set with rubies and emeralds: A wine cup of jade inlaid with gold, rubies and emeralds, made in Mughal India in the 18th century. — **A Mughal jade wine cup set with rubies and emeralds**A wine cup of jade inlaid with gold, rubies and emeralds, made in Mughal India in the 18th century.Guimet Museum (Musée Guimet), ParisMughal jewellers set gems into jade so finely that the gold lines look painted on.Photo: Vassil, Public domain.

Jade through history

The only gem that three civilisations on opposite sides of the world each decided was worth more than gold.

Two stones, one name

Jade is two different minerals that look alike. Nephrite is a mat of tiny interlocking fibres, which makes it one of the toughest natural materials known: it dents rather than shatters. Jadeite is a mass of tiny interlocking crystals, a little harder, and it can be glassy and brilliantly green. Neither can be cut with a knife or a metal saw. For most of history jade was shaped by grinding it with sand of harder minerals, slowly, for months.

NephriteChina, Canada, New Zealand, Siberia
JadeiteMyanmar, Guatemala, Japan
HardnessAbout 6 to 7
ToughnessAmong the highest of any gem

China: eight thousand years of jade

Chinese carvers were working nephrite before 6000 BCE. The Liangzhu culture, around 3300 to 2300 BCE, carved the mysterious square cong tubes and flat bi discs and buried them with their leaders. Confucius compared jade to the virtues of a gentleman: warm, smooth, firm and honest. A Chinese saying puts it plainly: gold has a price, jade is priceless.

Han dynasty princes were buried in suits of jade plates sewn with gold wire, in the belief that jade would preserve the body. For most of that history Chinese jade meant nephrite, much of it from the rivers of Hotan in the far west. Jadeite only arrived from Burma in the 1700s, and the emperors fell for its green.

Boulders of nephrite and jadeite in the British Museum — Raw boulders of nephrite and jadeite, the two minerals called jade. Photo: Andres Rueda, CC BY 2.0.

Mesoamerica: greener than gold

On the other side of the world, the Olmec of Mexico were carving jadeite by about 1000 BCE, and the Maya made it their most precious material. Green jade was the colour of maize, water and the breath of life. Kings wore jade earspools, collars and belt plaques, had jade set into their teeth, and went to their graves in jade masks, like Pakal the Great of Palenque.

Almost all of it came from one river valley, the Motagua in Guatemala. When the Spanish arrived they wanted gold and ignored the green stone, the craft died out, and the source of Maya jade was forgotten for centuries until it was found again in the 20th century. Jade from that valley is cut in Guatemala again today.

The jade death mask of Pakal — The jade mosaic death mask of Pakal the Great, king of Palenque. National Museum of Anthropology, Mexico City. Photo: Gary Todd, CC0.

New Zealand: pounamu

The Maori found nephrite in the rivers of the South Island and called it pounamu. It made the best adze blades they had, and the most treasured ornaments: the hei-tiki figure and the koru, the unfurling fern frond. Named pieces were passed down through families for generations. Since 1997, New Zealand law has recognised the pounamu of the South Island as belonging to the Ngai Tahu people.

Europe, India and beyond

Six thousand years ago, Neolithic people quarried jadeite high in the Italian Alps and carried polished axeheads as far as Britain, Ireland and Scandinavia. Most show no sign of use: they were prestige objects. In Mughal India, emperors commissioned paper-thin cups and dagger hilts of white nephrite, like the wine cup of Shah Jahan. In Japan, the comma-shaped magatama, often of jadeite, was worn for thousands of years and is part of the imperial regalia.

How to buy real jade today

Ask which jade: nephrite or jadeite. Untreated jadeite is sold as Type A; Type B has been bleached and filled with polymer, and Type C is dyed. Most cheap green jade online is neither mineral: it is dyed quartzite, serpentine or glass, often sold as Malaysia jade or new jade. Real jade feels cold and heavy for its size and rings when two pieces are tapped together. The pieces in the shop above all name the mineral.

Real jade vs the imitations

What real jade is and what is sold as jade
	Real jade (jadeite or nephrite)	Common imitations
Material	Jadeite or nephrite	Dyed quartzite ("Malaysia jade"), serpentine ("new jade"), aventurine, glass
Feel	Cold, heavy, smooth, almost oily polish	Lighter or glassy
Scratch	A steel knife will not scratch it	Serpentine scratches easily
Colour	Natural colour, even in fibres	Dye collects in cracks and grain
Treatment	Grade A: untreated. B: bleached and polymer-filled. C: dyed	Usually dyed

Treatments. The trade grades jadeite A (untreated), B (bleached with acid and filled with polymer) and C (dyed). B and C jade are worth a fraction of A and can weaken or fade. For anything costly, buy with a lab report stating "natural, untreated". All gem treatments explained.

Where jade comes from

Pins mark mining districts, not exact mines. Drag to move, pinch or scroll to zoom, tap a pin to read about it. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

List of every place on the map (6)

Jade: Hpakant, Kachin State, Myanmar. Almost all fine jadeite comes from here.
Jade: Motagua valley, Guatemala. Jadeite worked by the Maya and Olmec.
Jade: Northern British Columbia, Canada. Major source of nephrite jade.
Jade: Hotan (Khotan), Xinjiang, China. The legendary source of white nephrite, carved in China for thousands of years.
Jade: Lake Baikal region, Siberia, Russia. Bright green nephrite.
Jade: West Coast, South Island, New Zealand. Pounamu, nephrite treasured by Maori.

How it is cut

Jade is carved, not faceted: bangles, beads, pendants and cabochons. Because it is so tough, it can be carved into thin, delicate shapes that would shatter in any other gem. See cuts from easiest to hardest and whether cutting your own is cheaper than buying cut.

What to buy

Checked in stock on October 10, 2026. Photos are the listings' own; prices are rounded.

Our first pick

MPH-JEWELRY carved jadeite dragon pendant, sold as Grade A untreated

about $80

Burmese jadeite with a certificate per the listing.

See it on Amazon

Also good

ABCGEMS British Columbia nephrite jade beads, 10 mm

about $20

Canadian nephrite from a well-reviewed bead seller.

See it on Amazon

Also good

Canadian nephrite jade bead bracelet, 8 mm

about $45

Real nephrite in a simple everyday bracelet.

See it on Amazon

All 10 checked jade picks

See them all For women 5 For men 6 Beads 1

Orange and red jade

Jadeite can be orange to red where iron stained the outer layer of a boulder. The Chinese call it fei, and fine red jadeite is valued. But most cheap "orange jade" on Amazon is dyed quartz or dyed jade, so we only list pieces sold as natural colour, plus one honestly labelled dyed strand.

WomenRed jadeite Cai Shen pendant, grade A orange-red (hong fei)Sold as untreated grade A red jadeite: the real thing, coloured by iron near the skin of a jadeite boulder.about $80on Amazon →

WomenYellow-orange jadeite bangleSold as natural genuine jadeite. Ships on a lead time.about $40on Amazon →

WomenNatural colour red and white jade bangleNatural colour, not dyed, with about 65 ratings.about $25on Amazon →

BeadsDyed orange jade rondelle beads, 5 x 8 mmHonestly labelled as dyed. Fine for bead projects; most cheap orange jade is dyed stone like this.about $9on Amazon →

The jade shop: 30 more pieces we trust

Every piece names the real stone and comes from a seller with a record, checked in stock on October 11, 2026. Photos are the listings' own; prices are rounded.

Sort

MenIna & Co New Zealand pounamu pendant, hand carvedPounamu is New Zealand nephrite, sacred to the Maori. This one is cut from New Zealand stone.about $180on Amazon →

Men81stgeneration nephrite double koru pendantThe koru, an unfurling fern frond, a Maori symbol of new life.about $190on Amazon →

Men81stgeneration nephrite koru toki pendantThe toki is an adze blade, once a working tool, now a symbol of strength.about $220on Amazon →

Women81stgeneration nephrite fern leaf pendantA carved silver-fern leaf in greenstone.about $150on Amazon →

WomenNOVICA Guatemalan jade circle pendant on cottonJadeite from Guatemala, the same source the Maya used.about $70on Amazon →

WomenNOVICA Guatemalan jade heart pendant, sterling silverGuatemalan jadeite, cut and set by artisans there.about $90on Amazon →

WomenNOVICA Guatemalan jade pendant, sterling silverDeep green Guatemalan jadeite.about $100on Amazon →

WomenNOVICA light green jade pendant, sterling silverA paler Guatemalan jadeite.about $90on Amazon →

WomenCuckoo Jewels Grade A jade circle pendant, 43 mmA large donut, the shape of the ancient Chinese bi disc.about $50on Amazon →

WomenReadJade Hetian jade fish pendantHetian nephrite carved as a fish, a Chinese symbol of plenty.about $40on Amazon →

WomenJadeous icy green jadeite band ringA solid ring cut from one piece of jadeite.about $40on Amazon →

WomenJadeous icy white jadeite band ringWhite jadeite, translucent like ice.about $30on Amazon →

Your kit for jade

Five tools that let you check what you bought (a loupe, a UV torch, locking tweezers, a gem box and a pocket scale), plus a turntable that spins your stone under the light the way jewellers show one. The full collector's kit.

LookGemOro 10x triplet loupeunder $20

LookDARKBEAM filtered 365 nm UV flashlightabout $10

HandleHonoson locking tweezers, 3 packabout $10

StoreTeensery gem display boxes with clear lids, 10 packabout $9

ShowComXim motorized turntable, adjustable speed and directionabout $15

MeasureGemOro Platinum XP500 pocket scale, 0.01 gabout $40

In short

Jade is jadeite or nephrite, the toughest gems on earth, and it is not grown in labs. Most cheap "jade" is something else. Buy from sellers who name the mineral and the source, and for jadeite of real value, insist on Grade A with a report.

See our first pick: MPH-JEWELRY carved jadeite dragon pendant, sold as Grade A untreated

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between jadeite and nephrite?

They are different minerals. Jadeite is a pyroxene, rarer and more valuable, with the brightest greens from Myanmar. Nephrite is an amphibole, a little softer, in greens, whites and creams, from Canada, China, Russia and New Zealand. Both are true jade.

Is there lab-grown jade?

Not commercially. Jadeite was synthesised in a lab in the 1980s but is not made for jewellery. Anything sold as "lab jade" is an imitation.

How can I test jade at home?

It should feel cold and heavy, resist a steel knife on a hidden spot, and show natural texture under a torch. Dye shows as colour concentrated in cracks. A lab report is the only sure test for treatment.

Is orange jade real jade?

Sometimes. Real orange and red jadeite exists: iron from the soil stains the outer layer of jadeite boulders, and red jadeite (hong fei) is prized. But most bright, cheap "orange jade" beads are dyed quartzite or dyed pale jade. Natural colour sits in patches and fades into white; dyed colour is even and collects in cracks.

Photo credits

jadeite-burma.webp: James St. John, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
jade-boulders-british-museum.webp: Andres Rueda, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Product photos: Amazon listings, via the Amazon Product Advertising (Creators) API.

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