Jade

[Wwoofa]

Hi,
This month's "Gem of the Month" is .... Jade (aka Nephrite/Jadeite).

Feel free to add more info & pics. If anyone has any questions about Jade then this is a good place to post them.

You might like to change your "Gem of the Month" votes now that this one has been covered.

General Information:

Jade is an ornamental stone. The term Jade is applied to two different metamorphic rocks that are made up of different silicate minerals Nephrite & Jadeite.

Here are a few useful links that should cover all of the main information.

Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jade
Mindat - http://www.mindat.org/min-10403.html
Minerals.Net - http://www.minerals.net/gemstone/Jade_gemstone.aspx

Fossicking Locations:

Here are some of the main locations where Jade can be found.

SA - Cowell

The finest Australian Jade comes from Cowell in SA.  After its formation in 1976, Cowell Jade Pty Ltd became the dominant lease holder and marketeer of Cowell jade. In January 1987, Cowell Jade Pty Ltd became a public company and changed its name to Gemstone Corporation of Australia Ltd. After more than a decade of mixed fortune, the Gemstone Corporation entered an agreement with the Malaysian-based Royal Selangor Group to design, produce and market carvings, and items of jewellery, and tiles from Cowell (nephrite) jade.
 
Some more info here ...
http://www.mindat.org/loc-228871.html

http://www.openallday.au.com/JadeAustralia.html

NSW - Tamworth

Excellent quality Nephrite Jade can be found near Tamworth. It is generally a lighter color than the Cowell Jade.

Some more info here ...
http://australianmuseum.net.au/Nephrite-jade/

Here are some of Mick B's very nice specimens ...
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[mick B]

I think good Tamworth material is better than Cowell, but I may be bias, read the fine print under the boulder.

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[mick B]

A good read.
http://www.quangduc.com/photo/jadebuddha/jadebuddha-2.html

[Wwoofa]

Hi Mick,
Is that big slab from Tamworth?
Regards, Paul

[mick B]

Wwoofa, the big one in the top right is blue green, Tamworth, the small pic in the middle is a jadeite boulder that was auctioned in Burma 2007, sold for 80,000000 euro, highest price for a single piece of jade ever, may even be the highest price for any rough gem ?, mega rich Chinese buyer, imperial from Burma now sells for no less than 1m KG, crazy I think our A grade chrysoprase looks as good, most of the Qld mines are now owned by Chinese ?.

[mick B]

More links
http://www.ruby-sapphire.com/heaven-hell-jade-burma.htm
http://www.palagems.com/burma_jade_pt2.htm

[Wwoofa]

Here's a slice of Tamworth Jade I picked up from the Blaxland Gem Show this year ...

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[mick B]

Wwoofa, your piece is from a mine me  Alec and John Taggart visited a few weeks back, owned by Michael Barlow, the same location I found the botroidal  jade, most is a light green at this mine, the swirly yellow green back lit one, Australian Museum is from a different deposit, called Pits, both are on the peel fault about a mile apart.
 I mostly go to another area that has much darker material, deep blue greens and harder, all these deposits are in very steep terrain, there is currently a exploration licence on this area, by a guy in Melbourne, Michael Barlows mine is the only registered one.
 Michael loves jade like me, but I believe its rely a hobby and a love of jade, this new company with the licence seems to think they will make huge profits but many have tried and failed, there is good material but costs heaps to mine as every boulder must be cut, cannot be  smashed or broken due to its toughness, and the A grade material is a very low percentage, would never be enough for a large profit.

[Jimnyjerry]

Sounds like it maybe Crystal Universe. Really hope it is not them.

They are the ones that took over most of Wave Hill and are supposed to have wiped out the opalized wood dig at Springsure.

[mick B]

I was told they are going to use a very large bulldozer and rip there way along the fault where the jade is, the farmers in this region are very blunt, they hate these types of ventures, the main area where I get the deep blue green from is now a part of the overflow wall of a new dam he built, very clever, they can not go any where near it as it will destroy his dam.
 I have entry to dig by hand and thats all I need for my supply, there costs will out way profits, they are not locals and don,t know the area, one geologist they used walked over jade and did not even know he was standing on it, all theory but no practical experience. the good jade is a very low percentage, its not imperial jadeite that now brings millions for a good piece.

[chookie2]

Big ideas - little sense HUH?
 I am reading The Poona Emerald Book "Poona and the Seekers of it's Emeralds " by Alex Palmer, and it tells a very similar story of greed, inexperience, inefficiency and big dreams versus Mother Nature. Guess who wins?

[Jamo]

In this months (November) Gold Gem & Treasure there is an article entitled 'Adveturine or just plain green'. This material is from NSW & they don't know what the material is but from the pics it looks a lot like jade to me ... any thoughts?

[steveo]

I believe this to be Jade, if it isn't let me know and I'll take it off. Don't know where it was found but the guy I got it from had some with pink also but was a little bigger so I didn't get one.

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[southerly]

Some of Michaels amazing Tamworth jade collection









A couple of carvings using Tamworth jade





Work in progress, Tamworth jade knife scales:



David

[mick B]

David, great carvings, and knife scales, that,s an ugly mug in that pic, a piece I cut today from my last jade venture.

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