Mama's Minerals.com

Monday, August 27, 2012

Mama's Weekly Rock Facts


Hardness 6-6.5
Carved Jade Tortoise
Carved Jade Tortoise
Two types of metamorphic rock are classified as Jade; Nephrite and Jadeite.  Nephrite is a tremolite and actinolite composite usually green but can be white, brown, or mixes of the three colors.  Jadeite is mostly pyroxene and usually green, black, or lavender but in some rare cases can be blue or red.  Color variation in both types is from trace minerals such as iron oxides which create browns.

Jade is commonly carved into jewelry and sculptures but ancient peoples also used jade to make weaponry due to its hardness.

 
by Amanda Rice, Resident Geologist, Mama's Minerals 

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