JADEITE JADE
Gemologists have identified two types of Jade around the world: Jadeite and Nephrite. Nephrite, also known as Chinese Jade, is very popular in Asia, especially in China, Japan and Thailand. The largest source of Nephrite in the world is located in British Columbia, Canada and New Zealand.
The other type of Jade is Jadeite which is rarer and harder to get. It is basically found in four countries around the world: Burma or Myanmar, Russia, Japan and Guatemala.The most important differences between these two types of Jade are their chemical composition and hardness. In the Moh’s scale, where diamond is ranked 10, nephrite hardness is between 6.0 and 6.5, while the hardness of jadeite oscillates between 7.0 and 7.5.
JADE IN GUATEMALA
The variety of jade found in Guatemala is Jadeite Jade. The main source of Jade in Guatemala, the same used by the Mayas, is found in Zacapa, approximately 180 Kms. from Guatemala City. In Guatemala, we have a wide range of colors of jadeite jade. The color of jade at the formation is a light white grayish color, commercially known as Moon Jade. Through the natural process of thousands of years of Jade being pushed up to the surface, other elements can change the chemical composition of it producing a variety of colors.
Some of the minerals that produce the different jadeite jade colors are: Titanium, which causes pastel shades specially lavenders and opal colors; Iron causes the very deep green and black color. Guatemala’s black Jade is very unique and it can only be found here, and Chromium causes all the other green shades. It also produces the most valuable bright, lime green color known as Imperial Jade, only found in a vein or at the core of some rocks. A very scarce, rare and valuable color that only Guatemala produce.
SYMBOLOGY OF DIFFERENT COLORS JADEITE JADE
- Moon Jade: Purity, fertility, youth and pure love.
- Blue Jade: Wealth, positive energy, peace and reflection.
- Lavander Jade: Prosperity, brings inner peace, attracts love, good health, relieves emotional pain.
- Black Jade: Protection, keeps away negativity, symbolizes power and elegance.
- Orange Jade: It is energetic, brings joy, teaches the interconnection of all beings.
- Shades of greens (about 23 in total): The earth, nature, life, has curative effects, solves irritability, transforms negative energy into positive.
- Imperial Jade: Power, status, eternity, good luck, formerly was only worn by royalty and people with a lot of power.
QUOTE:
«According to scientists and historians, The Mayans attributed to Jade… wealth, power, status and most importantly «life». They associated this beautiful green stone with a mystical passport to a supernatural world, named «Xibalba», or The Underworld.»
