This article is about the mineral. For the Sailor Moon character, see Dark Kingdom § Nephrite.
Not to be confused with Nephritis.
Nephrite
Nephrite from Jordanów Śląski (Poland)
General
Category
Inosilicate
Formula (repeating unit)
Ca2(Mg,Fe)5Si8O22(OH)2[1]
Crystal system
monoclinic[1]
Identification
Color
Translucent to opaque and often mottled. Light to dark green, yellow to brown, white, gray, black.[1]
Crystal habit
massive[1]
Fracture
splintery to granular[1]
Mohs scale hardness
6.0 to 6.5[1]
Luster
dull[1]
Specific gravity
2.95+0.15 −0.05[1]
Polish luster
vitreous to greasy[1]
Optical properties
Double refractive with anomalous aggregate reaction[1]
Refractive index
1.606 to 1.632+0.009 −0.006[1]
Birefringence
usually not detectable[1]
Pleochroism
none[1]
Ultraviolet fluorescence
inert[1]
Absorption spectra
Vague line may be present at 500 nm, but rarely any lines. Rarely, in stones of exceptional gem quality, vague lines in the red part of the spectrum may be seen.[1]
Nephrite is a variety of the calcium, magnesium, and iron-rich amphibole minerals tremolite or actinolite (aggregates of which also make up one form of asbestos). The chemical formula for nephrite is Ca2(Mg, Fe)5Si8O22(OH)2.[1] It is one of two different mineral species called jade. The other mineral species known as jade is jadeite, which is a variety of pyroxene. While nephrite jade possesses mainly grays and greens (and occasionally yellows, browns, black or whites), jadeite jade, which is rarer, can also contain blacks, reds, pinks and violets. Nephrite jade is an ornamental stone used in carvings, beads, or cabochon cut gemstones. Nephrite is also the official state mineral of Wyoming.
Nephrite can be found in a translucent white to very light yellow form which is known in China as mutton fat jade,[1] in an opaque white to very light brown or gray which is known as chicken bone jade,[1] as well as in a variety of green colors. Western Canada is the principal source of modern lapidary nephrite.[2] Nephrite jade was used mostly in pre-1800 China as well as in New Zealand, the Pacific Coast and Atlantic Coasts of North America, Neolithic Europe, and southeast Asia.
^ abcdefghijklmnopqrGem Reference Guide. Gemological Institute of America. 1988. ISBN 0-87311-019-6.
^Kirk Makepeace, George J. Simandl, Jade (Nephrite) in British Columbia, Canada Archived 2016-10-31 at the Wayback Machine; in G.J. Simandl, W.J. McMillan and N.D. Robinson, (editors), 37th Annual Forum on Industrial Minerals Proceedings, Industrial Minerals with emphasis on Western North America, Paper 2004-2-57, pages 287–288 (2004). Accessed October 30, 2016
Nephrite is a variety of the calcium, magnesium, and iron-rich amphibole minerals tremolite or actinolite (aggregates of which also make up one form of...
is often referred to by either of two different silicate mineral names: nephrite (a silicate of calcium and magnesium in the amphibole group of minerals)...
and the Four Kings of Heaven are derived from minerals: beryl, jadeite, nephrite, zoisite, and kunzite.: Act 11 In some English adaptations, Kunzite's...
Zealand English, refers to two main types of green stone valued for carving: nephrite jade, classified by Māori as kawakawa, kahurangi, īnanga, and other names...
China's history, jade has come in a variety of colors and white "mutton-fat" nephrite was the most highly praised and prized. Native sources in Henan and along...
The Hattusa Green Stone is a roughly cubic block of nephrite standing in the remains of the Great Temple at Hattusa, capital of the Hittites in the late...
Latin version of the name, lapis nephriticus, is the origin of the term nephrite, which is a different mineral that also shares the common name jade. Jadeite...
types of minerals that have been used as gemstones. Such as: Actinolite Nephrite (var.) Adamite Aegirine Afghanite Agrellite Algodonite Alunite Amblygonite...
Grossular is a calcium-aluminium species of the garnet group of minerals. It has the chemical formula of Ca3Al2(SiO4)3 but the calcium may, in part, be...
Philippine jade culture, or jade artifacts, made from white and green nephrite and dating as far back as 2000–1500 BC, have been discovered at a number...
Taiwan Jade is a type of nephrite primarily composed of minerals such as tremolite and actinolite. It has a green color and is found in the Laonao Mountain...
Noninvasive Mineralogical Study of Nephrite Artifacts from the Philippines and Surroundings: The Distribution of Taiwan Nephrite and the Implications for the...
that are not valid species: Jade (tough, green mineral either jadeite or nephrite amphibole) Jasper (variety of quartz) Jeffersonite (variety of augite)...
different coloured stones from three continents. The torso is of green nephrite jade from British Columbia, Canada, and pink thulite from Norway. The legs...
coast. It contains the only concentrated underwater deposit of quality nephrite jade in the world. Individuals are permitted to collect as much jade as...
with serpentinite (a jade precursor), greenstone (jade look-a-likes), and Nephrite jade. Jade City is by road about 19 hours north of Greater Vancouver, and...
different types and variety of marble then supply all over the country Nephrite (jade) is the precious stone, Rs 3000–5000 per kg. The mines are found...
jade (nephrite), abalone shell and pigments; from the New Zealand; Musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac (Paris) Hei-tiki; 18th century; nephrite and haliotis...
have been made of metal, wood, glass, plastic, bone, bamboo, reed, and nephrite. In its most basic form, a flute is an open tube which is blown into. After...
collected Australian species remain to be described. See for instance the nephrite cicada from the Han dynasty (c. 210 BCE) in the San Francisco Asian Art...
Dikov · in (7 December 2015). "Archaeologist Discovers 8,000-Year-Old Nephrite 'Frog-like' Swastika in Slatina Neolithic Settlement in Bulgaria's Capital...
Chinese historical sources indicate that Hotan was the main source of the nephrite jade used in ancient China. For several hundred years, until they were...
Chinese Turkestan). Black nephrite is also abundant in the Karakash River but these deposits are rarely reported in the primary nephrite finds. The Karakash...
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