Nephrite
Nephrite is a silicate mineral prized for its texture, translucency, and cultural significance, with notable Chinese occurrences.
About Nephrite
Nephrite is classified as a silicate mineral in the actinolite-tremolite series (compact microcrystalline aggregate) and has the chemical formula Ca2(Mg,Fe)5Si8O22(OH)2 [compact actinolite-tremolite]. It crystallizes in the monoclinic system and is one of the most visually varied minerals in the collector market. Its combination of structural character and global distribution make it a recognized species in both systematic and aesthetic collections.
Identification & care
Specimens usually show massive, compact; no distinct crystals; boulder-like alluvial forms ('pebbles' in Chinese tradition); carved into objects. Its color range is broad, including white (mutton-fat jade), pale green to dark green (spinach-green), black, yellow, orange, red, and brown. The luster is waxy, greasy, sub-vitreous, the streak is white, and specimens range from translucent to opaque. The cleavage is not visible in massive form. The fracture is splintery, uneven; extremely tough due to interlocking fiber texture, which aids identification.
Collector context
How it forms
The geological setting for Nephrite is typically compact fibrous tremolite-actinolite aggregate formed in metamorphic zones; especially in serpentinite-associated metamorphic lenses in suture zones. It is commonly found in association with serpentine, chlorite, talc, chromite, magnetite, dolomite.
Classic Chinese localities
**Yurungkash and Karakash Rivers** is a benchmark source for nephrite.
Why collectors care
Nephrite is central to Chinese material culture and is judged as jade, not as a crystal specimen. Collectors value fine pieces for dense fibrous fabric, quiet translucency, greasy luster, and a tradition of carving and connoisseurship spanning thousands of years. A good piece of nephrite feels cool, dense, and slightly greasy in the hand, with a quiet glow no photograph fully captures.
What affects value
Value in Nephrite is assessed, in typical order of weight, against: (1) verified source and historical provenance; (2) size and carvable volume; (3) color tone and evenness; (4) texture and compactness; (5) translucency and greasy luster; (6) polish response and surface quality; (7) workmanship on carved pieces. For culturally significant material, verified Hetian / Khotan provenance can weigh heavily beyond any single physical factor.
Naming history
The name Nephrite has a specific etymological and historical context — see Mindat's reference entry for provenance details. We have retained naming data at the record level; published prose is paraphrased from factual fields rather than copied from source.