Jade is a name shared by two different minerals, jadeite and nephrite. Mine is nephrite. Both are famously tough: GIA describes them as having exceptional toughness and being very resistant to breaking or chipping, even though nephrite sits at only 6 to 6.5 on the Mohs scale. Every stone here was cut and set by hand in my workshop in Tbilisi, in sterling silver (925).

Jade is also one of the most substituted names in the trade. A good deal of what is sold as jade is serpentine or dyed quartz, and GIA lists dyeing, bleaching, impregnation, coatings and heat treatment among the treatments jade can receive. So it is worth saying plainly: what you see here is nephrite jade. Clean it with warm soapy water and a soft cloth.

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