Physical Features
1. Color- Green, white, gray, bluish, brown.
2. Streak- Colorless.
3. Luster- Greasy.
4. Cleavage-Good.
5. Transparency- Translucent.
6. Fracture- Splintery.
7. Hardness- 6.5-7.
8. Forms- Rare as a crystal
9. Crystal system-Monoclinic
Jade is actually two seperate minerals called Nephrite and Jadite. Nephrite (a member of the amphibole group), which consists of a microcrystaline interlocking fibrous matrix of calcium magnesium-iron rich amphibole. Jadite (a proxene) consists almost entirely of sodium and aluminium rich proxene with interlocking crystal matrix also. Both minerals form is of microcrystaline and generally occur in metamorphic rocks with a higher pressure, Low temperature, but are made up of different silicate minerals. Although Nephrite and Jadite are mainly recovered as pebbles and boulders it can also occure in the rocks which it was originally formed. Large occurrences can be found in Alaska, California, British Columbia, Japan and China.
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