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Jade
Jade is a name that was applied to ornamental stones that were being brought to Europe from China and Central America. It wasn't until 1863 that it was realized that Jade was being applied to two different minerals. The two minerals are both exquisite for the purposes that jade is put to task and are hard to distinguish from each other. So what to do? Leave it alone and call them both Jade!
The two varieties of Jade are known as Jadeite and Nephrite. Jadeite is very hard, appears in many shades of green to hazel and has a greasy feel when polished. Nephrite is more common than Jadeite, is even harder and may occur in colors ranging from dark green to grey-black or even blue grey
The toughness of jade is remarkable. It has a strength greater than steel and was put to work by many early civilizations for axes, knives and weapons.
BIRTHSTONE: Jade is an alternate birthstone for the month of August.
WEDDING ANNIVERSARY: Jade is the accepted gem for the 12th wedding anniversary.
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