Considered as a sacred stone in Asia, jade has been used on this continent since before 3,000 BCE. Priceless for the Chinese, it forms many ornaments and items of jewelry. It is also used to depict divinities or Buddhas in sculpture form. Likewise used in Central America until the Pre-Columbian period, this ornamental stone remains a choice natural resource in fine jewelry.
There are two types of jade. Jadeite displays a wide range of colors: green, yellow, white, brown, light purple, black, red, brown. Imperial jade is much sought-after for its deep green color. Strong and more widespread than jadeite, nephrite comes in gray white, yellow, red, brown, and green.
Jadeite is sourced from deposits located in Myanmar, China, Mexico, Guatemala, and more recently Canada. It presents a hardness of 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs scale. Nephrite, extracted in New Zealand, Australia, Brazil, and China, has a hardness of 6 to 6.5.
Alone or combined with fine stones, jade fits seamlessly into Mazet Joaillerie’s unique creations.