Jade Culture
Jade has long been treasured in China as the gemstone associated with royalty. Due to jade's extreme hardness, it possibly may have once been used to craft tools and weapons early in history. However, jade is also very brittle, and the early jade artifacts that have been uncovered appear to have had symbolic purposes as opposed to practical ones. Jade historically comes from two distinct minerals jadeite and nephrite, today it is jadeite jade that is considered the genuine article, commanding much higher prices than nephrite because it comes in far more vivid green colors and has a finer translucency. In China, a clear emerald-green stone is prized above all other types of jade. 
In ancient times, just as today, jade was used for personal adornment. Rings, bracelets, pendants, beads, and other personal ornaments all caved from jade appear very early in history. The ring disk - a symbol of heaven - is worn as a talisman even today. Jade bracelets believed to offer protection against rheumatism are still worn in some parts of China. Jade is prized for its hardness, glassy luster, and rich translucent colors. Colours range from white to green, and there are also red, yellow and lavender jades. When pricing jade the overall colour is the most important factor, though attention is also paid to the translucency, texture, and also to pattern in the stone. My Questions *We welcome and appreciate your questions & reviews
