Jadeite vs Nephrite Jade: How to Choose a Jade Bracelet

Jadeite and nephrite jade are two different minerals that share one English word. Jadeite is a sodium aluminium silicate, and nephrite jade is a calcium magnesium iron silicate from the amphibole group.^(GIA) Both are rocks of tiny interlocking crystals, which is why both are unusually tough.^(GIA)

In a bracelet, the difference shows in the lustre. Jadeite is slightly harder and denser, and at its best it looks glassy and almost translucent. Nephrite jade is a little softer and lighter, with a gentle, oily sheen. Hetian jade, the classic Chinese white jade, is a nephrite.

Oudbracelet is the retail shop of AgarwoodTown. Our workshop makes jade bracelets in both, and pairs both with agarwood. So this guide compares the two jades plainly, with figures from GIA, the Gemological Institute of America.

According to GIA, jadeite has a hardness of about 6.5 to 7 and a specific gravity of about 3.34, while nephrite has about 6 to 6.5 and 2.95.^(GIA) First, jadeite is the denser stone. Then both are extremely tough. Finally, both count as real jade, so ask which one you are buying.

Jadeite and nephrite jade differ most in density and lustre, according to GIA.^(GIA) A specific gravity of 3.34 against 2.95 means a jadeite bead weighs about 13% more than a nephrite bead of the same size. For example, a strand of jadeite beads feels noticeably heavier in the hand. Hardness overlaps at about 6.5 on the Mohs scale. In practice, the look decides more often than the numbers: glassy and bright for jadeite, oily and calm for nephrite jade.

Nephrite jade is the jade of ancient China. People carved nephrite into tools and ritual objects thousands of years ago, and the stone stayed the classic material for carving long after. Toughness explains the choice: according to GIA, Neolithic knives and axe heads often came from nephrite.^(GIA)

Today, most people meet nephrite jade as Hetian jade: white, cream or celadon beads and carvings with a soft, buttery lustre. Hetian jade is less flashy than jadeite. However, many buyers prefer exactly the calm look, especially next to wood. For example, our agarwood and Hetian jade strands pair nephrite jade with plantation agarwood. Finally, with a specific gravity of about 2.95, a nephrite strand sits a little lighter on the wrist than jadeite.^(GIA)

Jadeite is the brighter of the two jades. Jadeite reached China much later, and the stone became the prized jade of the last few centuries. At its best, jadeite is intensely green and glows in light, which is where names like imperial jade come from. Additionally, colours include lavender, white, yellow and near black.

Because jadeite is slightly harder and denser than nephrite jade, a jadeite bracelet feels heavier in the hand and takes a glassier polish. The figures, according to GIA, are a hardness of about 6.5 to 7 and a specific gravity of about 3.34.^(GIA) So if you want colour that reads across a room, jadeite is the stronger choice. For example, our agarwood and jadeite strands set a few jadeite beads among the wood.

Jadeite suits a bracelet with bright colour and some weight, while nephrite jade suits a calm, tonal look. The choice also changes the weight, according to GIA figures: a specific gravity of about 3.34 for jadeite against about 2.95 for nephrite.^(GIA) For example, green jadeite beads stand out strongly against dark agarwood, while white Hetian jade sits quietly beside the wood. In practice, both jades are extremely tough, so either one suits daily wear. Finally, ask about treatment before you choose, because treatment matters more to value than the name.

Treatment matters more to value than the name. In the jadeite trade, according to GIA, A jade means natural colour and untreated; B jade has been bleached with acid and impregnated with polymer resin; C jade has been dyed and polymer impregnated.^{(GIA 2016)} These labels come from the jadeite trade, and nephrite jade has its own treatments, such as dyeing and waxing.

So ask every seller what the seller knows about treatment. For our own pieces, we tell you what we know, and we show the stone close up in the weighing video. However, for a high-value jade bracelet, only an independent laboratory report proves treatment status. We would rather say so plainly than print a grade we have not tested.

Buying a jade bracelet from us follows four steps. First, pick jadeite for brightness or nephrite jade for a calm look. Second, choose stone only, or jade set among agarwood beads. Then we film the exact piece close up in daylight, because jade colour shifts with light. Finally, you approve the piece in the video before any payment. For a high-value jade bracelet, an independent laboratory report remains the only proof of treatment status.

Jade care is simple, because both jadeite and nephrite jade are extremely tough, according to GIA.^(GIA) Still, tough is not unbreakable, and a hard knock on a stone floor can chip a bead. For example, a mixed strand with agarwood follows the wood: keep the whole piece dry and away from perfume.

Both jades are tough, beautiful and old in Chinese culture. In short, jadeite is the bright, dense jade, and nephrite jade is the calm, lighter one. The figures, per GIA, are a specific gravity of about 3.34 for jadeite and 2.95 for nephrite.^(GIA) Neither is simply better.

So choose by the look you want, ask plainly about treatment, and see the piece before you pay. For example, B jade carries acid bleaching and polymer resin, which changes value a great deal.^{(GIA 2016)} Browse our jade bracelets, or read how we pair stones in our agarwood jade bracelet guide.