Jade is a gemstone that can be broken down into both the minerals jadeite and nephrite. In 1863, Alexis Damour made the distinction that Jade can come in two different forms. Jadeite is an aluminum-rich pyroxene mineral and nephrite is a magnesium-rich amphibole mineral. Both are silicates. They are both very similar but differ in their level of hardness and color. Jadeite, being tightly composed of packed microscopic crystals, is the harder of the two with a hardness of 6.5-7. Nephrite is very tough as well with a hardness of 6 and is composed of dense mineral fibers that are interlocked together. This makes it more prone to scratching. Jadeite is less dense and is more prone to chipping. Its toughness has made this mineral a favored stone for tools of the ancients and it was used to make weapons. Jadeite is the rarer of the two and it can display all colors of the visible spectrum. Nephrite is typically found in colors green, cream, brown, or white. Jade gemstones are often green but can be multicolored with hues of white. Uniformly colored stones are harder to come by. Deeper colored stones hold more value and the emerald-green translucent variety called Imperial Jade is the most valuable form. The main source of Jadeite comes from Myanmar (Burma), and a trade embargo placed by the US from imports of this country has made jadeite rare in the gemstone market. Other jadeite deposits include Tibet, Russia, Kazakhstan, the US (California), and Guatemala. Nephrite sources include China, Russia, Brazil, US (Wyoming, Alaska, and California), and Brazil. Typically, Jadeite is referred to as Burmese and American Jade and Nephrite is referred to as the Chinese counterpart. The term Jade is derived from a Spanish phrase “Piedra de Ijada” (or lapis nephrictus in Latin) meaning “Stone of the Loin/Hip”, as it was once used anciently as protection against kidney disease, as the kidneys sit at the hip. Other health benefits from this stone exist, and its metaphysical wealth has been noted for generations. Chinese and Latin American cultures have revered this stone, valuing it sometimes higher than gold, and carved ancient figurines that as a tradition is still in place today. Jade has been the most highly esteemed stone historically and was believed to strengthen the body during life and protect in the afterlife. You will often find this green gemstone used ornamentally and decoratively, as gems, beads, talismans, musical instruments, or incense burners, and its cultural and metaphysical significance deem this a worthy item to have in any mineral collection.

Green Jadeite

• Element: Earth
• Chakras: Heart (4th)
• Keywords: A stone of prosperity, harmony, balance, heart-healing, chakra aligning, tranquility, peace, mastery, and Divine abundance

Jade’s importance in energy healing has been known for centuries. Its tough lattice structure represents resilience in everyday life. Jade stimulates and harmonizes the heart chakra, bringing balance, abundance, prosperity, and peace. Jade helps heal scarcity fears such as fear of money, fear of poverty, greed, and covetous desires. It promotes joy in the physical world as it represents the oxygen-enriched and balanced energies of nature. Jade brings nature into your life and is a good stone for anyone stuck inside an office or a home for too many hours throughout the day. Jade brings the flow of Divine energies, stimulates one’s life force energy, and promotes true abundance, joy, and mastery of life. Jade is interesting in that it has historically been used as tools, talismans, and ornamentation, representing its unique ability to be mastered and utilized however one sees fit. It represents mastery, teaching one to be in control of what happens to them, as opposed to victims of this life. Jade’s stimulation of the heart chakra brings loving-kindness, compassion, peace, and tranquility to those that are around this stone. Physically, jade is a powerful heart healer, detoxifier, and regenerator. Jade dissolves energetic blockages through its stimulation of the chi and thus aligns the chakras. Jade is a great choice of stone for anyone struggling with balance as it brings the Earth’s healing energies in and provides harmony and joy. A stone of abundance and heart healing, green jade can benefit almost anyone.

• Partner Stones: Malachite, Moldavite, Tourmaline, Apatite, Quartz, Kyanite, Aquamarine, Turquoise, Chrysocolla, Emerald

Purple Jade

• Element: Earth

• Chakras: Crown (7th), Third Eye (6th), Earthstar (below the feet)

• Keywords: A stone of discernment of truth, spiritual knowledge, lightening, enhanced awareness, increased appreciation, cosmic humor, aura protection

Purple jade is powerful as it harmonizes the upper chakras with the lower Earthstar chakra. This is uncommon among most crystals and it allows for ethereal expansion and grounding simultaneously. This can be very important for anyone who struggles with meditation, struggles with energetic blockages, and struggles with finding joy and humor in life. Purple jade purifies one’s aura and protects the energetically sensitive. Purple jade aids in enhancing dreams, dream recalls, and meditations. Purple jade is a stone of discernment of truth, allowing the wearer to align with their truth, promoting faith in intuition, and allowing one to let go of self-limitations. Purple jade is a really powerful stone as a spiritual guide and aligns one with their true spiritual path. For anyone feeling lost in their life or like they do not belong, purple jade provides humor amongst the pain, emotional lightening, and increased appreciation of life allowing one to feel the joy life brings.

Lavender Jade

• Element: Earth

• Chakras: Crown (7th), Heart (4th)

• Keywords: A stone of compassion, intuition, acceptance, spiritual nourishment, and higher guidance

Lavender Jade carries much of the same energies as purple jade but with increased cosmic and ethereal attention. It is a stone of spiritual nourishment, emotional awareness, higher guidance, compassion, and acceptance. It purifies the spirit by releasing suppressed anger, promoting serenity, and attuning one with Divine Compassion and Divine Love. Lavender jade promotes spiritual intuition and will help anyone back on their spiritual path that may have seemingly strayed from it.

Black Jade

• Element: Earth

• Chakras: All
• Keywords: A stone of protection, dispels negativity, and chakra alignment
B
lack Jade acts as a shield against negative forces or entities and is the pivotal stone to have for anyone who feels attacked or vulnerable. Black jade is a stone of protection, purification, and honest self-evaluation. Like other jades, it is a stone of truthful discernment of self and will rid the body of self-limitations through active shadow work with this stone. Black jade allows for an honest assessment of life and will show the wearer self-behavior patterns that do not align with their spiritual existence and promote enhanced awareness of how to heal these blockages in a safe and invulnerable manner. Black jade opens the unconscious and allows traumatic experiences to come to the surface. For this reason, black jade is great for deep mediations and soul retrievals. Black jade is a stone of protection and purification and is great to have for anyone struggling with feelings of attack in this life, whether it be from societal events, the media, or themselves, black jade brings to the surface what needs to be brought to the surface for growth to occur.

Red Jade

• Element: Earth/Fire

• Chakras: Root (1st), Solar Plexus (3rd), Earthstar (below the feet)
• Keywords: A stone of courage, action, luck, physical vitality, strength, passion, dispels fear, stimulates chi, sexual/creative energy, and material prosperity

Red jade is an action stone. It will help anyone that feels stuck in taking the next steps. As a discernment stone, it allows the wearer the impassioned power to do what must be done and the truthful knowledge to know what must be done. It is a stone of courage and decisive action. It aligns one with their spiritual nature and can help overcome abuses, bringing to light blockages in the chakra and other self-limiting patterns, and giving the wearer the courageous power to tackle the next step in life. Red jade is beneficial for physical health and vitality, imbuing strength upon the body. Red jade carries the frequency of material prosperity and luck and is also a stone of manifestation. Red jade is beneficial for anyone scared to take the next step and dispels fear while stimulating sexual and creative energy.

Science Stuff

• Chemical Formula:
Jadeite: NaAlSi2O6
Nephrite: Ca2(Mg,Fe)5Si8O22(OH)2
• Color: White, Red, Green, Yellow, Orange, Brown, Pink, Purple, Gray, Black, Multicolored
• Hardness: 6-7
• Crystal Habit: Monoclinic
• Refractive Index: 1.60 - 1.67
• Specific Gravity: 2.9 - 3.7
• Optic Character: N/A
• Transparency: Transparent to Opaque
• Double Refraction: -0.027 (Nephrite); 0.013 (Jadeite)
• Luster: Waxy, Vitreous
• Fracture: N/A
• Cleavage: 1 or 2,2 - prismatic (rarely observed)
• Mineral Class: Silicates, Silicate Amphibole (Nephrite), Silicate Pyroxene (Jadeite)