Hardness
6-6.5
 |
| 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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