Nephrite Jade
Tougher than steel, the original "jade" of Chinese culture for 8000 years. Hetian white mutton-fat nephrite from Xinjiang's Yurungkash river tops the market; British Columbia supplies 80% of world production; New Zealand pounamu carries Maori tradition.
Known origins & mines
Hetian Yurungkash River · China
8000 years of jade history: white "mutton fat" boulders dredged from Karakash river gravels set Chinese auction records above gold prices pe…
Cassiar Asbestos-Nephrite · Canada
Asbestos mining byproduct turned world nephrite supply — Cassiar green-black jade fed Asian carving markets; BC still produces 80% of world …
Ospinsk Eastern Sayan Nephrite · Russia
Ophiolite-belt mines southwest of Lake Baikal producing what researchers call the highest-quality green and chatoyant nephrite in the world.…
Big Sur Nephrite Beaches · United States
California surf-tumbled jade pebbles wash onto Big Sur beaches — jade hunters comb the shoreline at low tide under strict collection rules.…
South Westland Pounamu Rivers · New Zealand
Maori taonga stone: greenstone boulders from Arahura and Hokitika rivers carved into hei matau and mere — collecting restricted to Ngāi Tahu…