What is Jade?

Jade can be categorized into two major groups:
1. Jadeite: Ying (hard) jade, more valuable.
2. Nephrite: Ruan (softer) jade, less durable.

	Nephrite	Jadeite
Chemical composition	Ca2(Mg, Fe)5Si6O22(OH)	NaAISi2O6
Mineral composition	Amphibole Group	Pyroxene Group
Crystalline structure	fibrous	micro-granular
Hardness	6-6.5	6.5-7.5
Specific gravity	2.9-3.1	about 3.33
Refractive index	1.62	1.65-1.66
Polished surfaces	Smooth with a waxy sheen Appears oily	Hard and lustrous
Color	Evenly distributed; majority translucent in white, dark green, black, seaweed green etc.	Spotty or clustered distribution; white, grey, green
Desirable Value	Less	More
Translucency	Majority Translucent	Some, also according to years of wearing.
Well know example	XiuYan Jade, XinJing Jade HeNan Jade	Burma Jadeite, Burma Fei Cui Jadeite