Jade in Depth
Two different minerals share the name
Jade is two distinct minerals. Nephrite is an amphibole, a densely felted mass of tremolite and actinolite fibers, running 6 to 6.5 on Mohs. Jadeite is a pyroxene, harder at 6.5 to 7, and it is the one that produces the translucent emerald green called imperial jade. Both were called jade long before anyone could tell them apart, and the split was only established in 1863.
Nephrite's interlocking fiber structure makes it one of the toughest natural materials known, far more resistant to breaking than its hardness suggests. That is why Chinese and Maori carvers worked it for thousands of years into pieces with thin walls and fine detail. Jadeite comes overwhelmingly from Myanmar; nephrite comes from China, Siberia, British Columbia, and New Zealand.
Grading and what you are actually buying
The jadeite trade uses a lettering system worth knowing. Type A is natural, only surface waxed. Type B has been acid-bleached to remove brown staining and then impregnated with polymer, which looks good initially and degrades over years as the resin yellows and the stone becomes brittle. Type C is dyed. Type B+C is both.
Beyond that, a large amount of green stone sold as jade is serpentine, often labeled new jade or Korean jade, or it is dyed quartzite or even glass. Serpentine is noticeably softer at 2.5 to 5 and warmer to the touch. If a large carved jade piece is cheap, it is almost certainly not Type A jadeite.
Living with it
Jade is a wearing stone rather than a shelf stone. The traditional Chinese practice is constant contact, a bangle or a pendant worn for years, on the belief that the stone and the wearer settle into each other. Body oils genuinely do change the surface of nephrite over decades, so this is not purely symbolic.
Clean it with lukewarm water and a soft cloth. Avoid ultrasonic cleaners, harsh detergents, and prolonged heat, all of which are particularly bad for Type B material because they attack the polymer. Skip salt and skip acids. Nephrite resists chipping well, but jadeite bangles do break, usually from a knock against a doorframe rather than a drop.
Meaning and companions
Jade is tied to Taurus, Libra, and Virgo in Western practice, and to the heart chakra. Its themes are steadiness, moderation, and long-horizon good fortune rather than sudden change, which matches a stone people wear for decades rather than a season.
It pairs with green aventurine for a lighter version of the same theme, and with citrine in prosperity arrangements. Practitioners working on patience often set it with hematite. Because good jade is expensive, most people own one piece and treat it as an heirloom, which is the appropriate way to use it anyway.