Jade For thousands of years jade has been treasured from China to Central America, (although in Europe it is not quite as distinguished). Since at least 2,950 BC the Chinese have cherished the green gem as the royal gemstone. Jade was thought to preserve the body after death and can be found in emperor's tombs dating back to thousands of years ago. The ancient jade carved in China was what is today called nephrite jade. In the 19 th century it was discovered that the material from the New World was not the same mineral as Chinese jade. The Central American version was called jadeite to distinguish it from its Chinese counterpart. Today jadeite jade is considered the real jade commanding prices well beyond those for nephrite jade since it is available in much more vivid green and can boast a finer translucency than nephrite jade. Jadeite jade is more treasured for its vivid green but also comes in lavender, pink, yellow, and white. Nephrite is found in less intense dark spinach green, white, brown, and black.
