Jadeite, nephrite and the stones sold as jade that aren't

"Jade" isn't one stone. It's a name shared by two different minerals, and borrowed by a long list of others that look similar and cost much less. If you know how the names work, most listings become easy to read.

The two true jades

Nephrite is made of fine, fibrous crystals matted together like felt. It's the tougher of the two, usually a little softer in colour, and found in many parts of the world, including China, Canada and Russia. It's the jade of most ancient Chinese carving.

Jadeite is made of small, tightly packed grains. It's a touch harder, slightly heavier, and can be more translucent, with a wider range of colours. Most jadeite comes from Myanmar and Guatemala.

Both are genuine jade. We sell both, and every listing tells you which one you're buying. If you want the longer story of what makes jade special, it's in Why choose jade?

Guatemalan jade vs Burmese jade

This comes up a lot. Both are jadeite. Burmese jadeite from Myanmar is the most famous, and the source of the intense "imperial" green that sells for record prices at auction. Guatemalan jadeite, often sold as Mayan jade, comes from the Motagua valley, where the Maya and the Olmec found theirs. It's known for blues, blue-greens, deep greens and black, and for an icy, glassy look in its clearer pieces.

A 2024 study in Gems & Gemology found that Guatemalan "ice jade" is almost entirely jadeite and usually sells for a quarter to a third of the price of comparable Burmese material. In other words, it's the same mineral with a less famous postcode.

Names that sound like jade but aren't

These trade names turn up on market stalls and online listings. They're real stones, and some are lovely, but none of them is jade.

• "Malaysia jade" is usually dyed quartz or quartzite. Bright, very even colour is the giveaway.
• "New jade" and "Korean jade" are usually serpentine, a softer stone that scratches more easily and feels waxy.
• "Indian jade" is usually green aventurine, a quartz with tiny flecks of mica that sparkle in the light.
• "Mountain jade" is usually dyed marble or dolomite.
• "Mexican jade" is usually dyed calcite.

In the United States, the FTC's Jewelry Guides say it's deceptive to describe a stone with the wrong variety name. A fair seller tells you the actual mineral.

Why the difference matters

It isn't snobbery. Serpentine and calcite are much softer than jade, so they scratch and wear faster. Dyed quartz can fade. And the price of real jade only makes sense if the stone is real jade. When a listing says "jade" and the price looks too good, the name is usually doing the work the stone can't.

How we name our stones

Our jade pieces say which jade they are: nephrite, Guatemalan (Mayan) jade or Burmese jade. All of them are natural jade, never dyed, bleached or polymer-filled.

We also sell a small natural stone range: aventurine, agate, clear quartz, malachite, pearl and agarwood. Those listings name the real material and say plainly that it isn't jade. We'd rather sell you a beautiful aventurine bracelet that's called aventurine than blur the line.

And because names only go so far, you have 90 days from delivery to have any piece checked by a jeweller. If it isn't what the listing says, return it unworn for a refund under our returns policy.