Jade
| Colour | Green |
|---|---|
| Mohs hardness | 6–7 |
| Lustre | waxy |
| Streak | colorless |
| Crystal system | Monoclinic |
| Transparency | Translucent, opaque |
| Cleavage | None |
| Fracture | Splintery |
| Specific gravity | 2.9–3.38 |
What is Jade?
Jade is an umbrella term for two different types of decorative rocks used for jewelry or ornaments. Jade is often referred to by either of two different silicate mineral names: nephrite, or jadeite. Nephrite is typically green, although it may be yellow, white or black. Jadeite varies from white or near-colorless, through various shades of green, to lavender, yellow, orange, brown and black. Rarely it may be blue. Both of these names refer to their use as gemstones, and each has a mineralogically more specific name. Both the amphibole jade (nephrite) and pyroxene jade are mineral aggregates (r
How to identify Jade
- Lustre: waxy.
- Hardness: Mohs 6–7 — about as hard as a steel knife.
- Streak: colorless.
- Habit: Monoclinic crystal system.
Jade value
Jade is a fine gemstone priced per carat by quality — colour, clarity, cut, carat and origin — not by weight in grams. Typical market ranges:
| Quality | Price per carat |
|---|---|
| Commercial | $1–$20 / ct |
| Good | $10–$100 / ct |
| Fine | $30–$300 / ct |
| Top | $100–$500 / ct |
Ranges cross-validated across two independent research passes against gemstone price guides, 2026-06 — sources: gia.edu, naturalgemstones.com. Colour saturation, clarity, cut and origin move the price enormously, and treatments or lab-grown stones sell for a fraction — so this is a guide, not an appraisal. Have anything valuable checked by a certified gemmologist. See the full crystal & gemstone value guide.
