Jade

Jade, name for either of 2 tough, hard minerals with a compact interlocking structure, commonly green but sometimes white, mauve, or yellow. Jade is used as a gem stone to make carved jewelry and ornaments. Nephrite, the commoner form of jade, occurs in China, the former USSR, New Zealand, and the western United States. Jadeite, rarer and prized for its more intense color and translucence, is found chiefly in Burma, China, and Japan.