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Nephrite

Also Pounamu, Greenstone

The older jade: felted amphibole fibres, tough enough for axes.

Family
Jade
Formula
Ca₂(Mg,Fe)₅Si₈O₂₂(OH)₂
Mohs
6 to 6.5
System
Monoclinic

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Science

Nephrite is a felted mass of actinolite-tremolite fibres, less hard than jadeite but arguably tougher. It is the jade of Neolithic China, of the Maori, and of the Swiss lake dwellers. Iron darkens the green; iron-free nephrite is creamy white.

Mineral
Jade
Formula
Ca₂(Mg,Fe)₅Si₈O₂₂(OH)₂
Crystal system
Monoclinic
Mohs hardness
6 to 6.5
Specific gravity
2.90 to 3.00
Refractive index
1.600 to 1.630
Lustre
Greasy to vitreous
Colours
Green, Dark green, White, Black

Composition

Ca₂(Mg,Fe)₅Si₈O₂₂(OH)₂. Made of Calcium, Magnesium, Iron, Silicon, Oxygen, Hydrogen.

in formula

Origin

  • China
    Hotan, Xinjiang
  • Canada
    British Columbia
  • Russia
    Siberia
  • Australia
    Cowell
  • United States
    Wyoming
  • Taiwan

Filled dots are primary sources

Rarity

Common
2 of 5

Widely mined in Canada and Siberia; Hotan 'mutton fat' white nephrite and New Zealand pounamu are culturally restricted and expensive.

  1. 1 Abundant
  2. 2 Common
  3. 3 Uncommon
  4. 4 Rare
  5. 5 Exceptional

Hardness

Nephrite sits at 6 to 6.5 on the Mohs scale. Glass and a knife blade are about as hard; it wears well with care.

Fingernail
Copper coin
Knife, glass
Steel file
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

Energy

Associations from crystal-healing tradition, recorded here as folklore. They are not medical claims.

Chakras

  • Heart

Element

  • Earth

Zodiac

  • Libra
  • Taurus
  • Virgo

Planets

  • Venus

Properties

  • Balance
  • Wisdom
  • Protection
  • Ancestry
  • Calm

Lore

Chinese bi discs and cong tubes of Hotan nephrite date to 3000 BCE; Confucius listed its eleven virtues. The name comes from lapis nephriticus, kidney stone, since the Spanish brought it from Mexico as a cure for kidney ailments.

In Aotearoa New Zealand, pounamu is a taonga, treasure, owned by Ngāi Tahu; hei-tiki pendants are passed down generations and gain mana with each wearer.

  • Toughness
    Interlocking fibres make it the toughest common gem material.
  • Pounamu
    Ownership of South Island nephrite was returned to Ngāi Tahu by law in 1997.