JADE - PHYSICAL & METAPHYSICAL PROPERTIES

Jade is the gem name for mineral aggregates composed of either or both of two different minerals, Jadeite and Nephrite. Nephrite is the green with black fleck and everything else is Jadeite. Jadeite is a sodium-rich aluminous pyroxene; nephrite is a fine-grained, calcium-rich, magnesium, iron, aluminous amphibole. All jade is composed of fine-grained, highly intergrown, interlocking ("matted" or "felted" texture, like asbestos or felt) crystals of one or both of these minerals. Though neither mineral is very hard (6-7), jade is one of the toughest gem minerals known because of the intergrown nature of the individual crystals. Jade is used in the practice of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Commonly, it is ground into a fine powder and administered along with other ingredients. According to practitioners, jade has the properties of calming the soul, maintaining healthy blood circulation, and clearing the eyes and ears. It can “moisten” the heart and lungs. Moisten, here, refers to a positive maintenance of the liquid medium that protects and lubricates body tissue. The ancients Chinese used it as a weapon to prevent and cure disease. It has been a major medical ingredient for treatment and as prevention for aging. Jade’s long history can be traced back to the early alchemists.