What is Jadeite?
A gem-quality silicate mineral in the pyroxene family that is one of the two forms of jade. The more prized of the two types of jade, jadeite (imperial jade) is usually found as transparent-to-opaque, compact, veins, or nodules. Jadeite, sodium aluminum silicate (NaAlSi2O6), may contain a number of impurities (often calcium) that give it a variety of colours: white, emerald green, apple green, red, brown, and blue. Jadeite is a rare mineral with a number 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs’ hardness scale.