Jade vs Jadeite

The word Jade is loosely used in today’s context. We frequently get asked this question: “Is Jade the same as Jadeite?” – The answer is both yes and no.

Jade comes in two forms: nephrite and jadeite, both of which are prized for their hardness, firmness and ability to be carved and the luster generated by their water content, which also affects translucency. Nephrite and jadeite are two chemically different and distinct materials.

Nephrite, otherwise known as “soft jade” or “white jade”, （和田玉）is historically older was excavated from the Kunlun Mountains of northwest China, from 5000 BC to the 1700’s, and China remains an important source for the mineral today. However, nephrite can now be found in numerous countries, namely Russia, New Zealand and even Korea. It is less commonly used for jewelry in today’s context, losing to its jadeite counterpart.

Jadeite, known as "fei-cui-yu" (翡翠玉）was discovered much later in the 18th century. It occurs only in metamorphic rocks, most often in those that have been subjected to the high pressures deep below the Earth’s surface. Jadeite is rare; its presence at the surface indicates great uplift of earlier buried regions and great amounts of erosion. Although Jadeite deposits have been found across the world, the primary source is from Burma, where most gem quality jadeite is found. The large demand for jadeite is strongly driven by People of the Orient.

Contrary to popular belief, Jadeite doesn’t just occur in green. There are many colours of Burmese Jadeite: Green, Lavender, Russet Yellow, Black and even colourless.

At Little Jadeite House, we only sell Burmese Jadeite with no chemical treatment. Each piece of jadeite is hand selected through our strict standard to deliver you pieces of uncompromising quality.