jade

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Chinese jade blade, Late Neolithic period to early Shang period, c. 2000–1000 bce; in the Art Institute of Chicago.

Dragon among clouds, carved jade medallion or button, Ch'ing dynasty, probably late 18th century (reign of Ch'ien-lung); in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London

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jade

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Category: Arts & Culture

Related Topics:: Chinese jade; gemstone; jadeite; nephrite; chloromelanite

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jade, either of two tough, compact, typically green gemstones that take a high polish. Both minerals have been carved into jewelry, ornaments, small sculptures, and utilitarian objects from earliest recorded times. The more highly prized of the two jadestones is jadeite; the other is nephrite. Jadeite and nephrite differ in both chemical composition and crystalline structure. Jadeite is a silicate of sodium and aluminum and is classed as a pyroxene. Nephrite is a silicate of calcium and magnesium belonging to the amphibole group of minerals and is properly regarded as tremolite. In both types, the microscopic crystals are tightly interlocked ...(100 of 977 words)

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