Is jade always green?

No. Nephrite runs from spinach and forest green to gray, cream and the white the Hetian trade calls mutton fat; jadeite adds the emerald green of imperial jade, lavender, white, black and red-brown. Lavender jadeite is the rarest bead color and seldom reaches a strand. On strands the greens dominate — dark BC nephrite, pale Guatemalan jadeite, olive and new jade in serpentine's softer green — and yellow jade, flower jade and rainbow jade bring the other colors under trade names. Dyed color is titled dyed.

How can real jade beads be told from imitations?

By weight, feel and name. Nephrite and jadeite are dense — heavy for their size, cold to the touch and slow to warm — and so tough that drill holes and edges stay clean where glass and quartzite chip. The polish is waxy or oily rather than glassy; under a loupe glass shows bubbles and dyed quartzite shows color pooled in the cracks. Then the name: new jade, olive jade and African jade are honest trade names for other stones, and only nephrite and jadeite are jade. A strand priced like glass is glass.

Are new jade, olive jade and African jade real jade?

No, and they are not sold as if they were. New jade, new Burma jade, olive jade and lemon jade are serpentine — a softer stone, Mohs 2.5–5.5, with the waxy green look of jade and a lower price; a steel point marks it where it would skate off nephrite. African jade, also sold as Transvaal jade, is a green grossular garnet from South Africa, harder and heavier than jade. Both wear well in beads and carry their trade names on the strand; the stone record on each product page names the species.

Most bead-grade jade is natural, and nearly every strand here is recorded natural. Jadeite is graded by treatment: Type A is untreated apart from a surface wax, Type B has been bleached and filled with polymer to improve translucency, and Type C is dyed. Type B is the one to check — the polymer yellows with age and fails under ultrasonic or steam cleaning. Nephrite and the serpentine trade jades are natural or dyed, never polymer-filled, and dyed material is titled dyed. Treatment is labelled where known.

Which jade bead sizes suit malas and bracelets?

8mm is the mala round — 108 beads plus a guru bead string to about 34 inches — and the standard bracelet size; 6mm makes a finer mala or a stacking bracelet, 10mm and 12mm a heavier one, and 4mm rounds work as spacers. An 8-inch strand of 8mm rounds is one bracelet, roughly 25 beads. Jade's toughness suits knotted strands, since the holes do not chip. Large-hole 6mm, 8mm and 10mm rounds — BC jade, rainbow jade, yellow jade — take leather, cord or doubled stretch cord.

Jade Beads

Jade beads are two stones and a family of trade names. Nephrite — BC jade and Canadian jade — and jadeite, Guatemalan and Burmese, are the true jades, tougher than their Mohs 6–7 suggests. New jade, olive jade and lemon jade are serpentine, African jade is a grossular garnet, and yellow, flower and rainbow jade are trade names. Rounds run 4mm to 12mm, with faceted rounds, rondelles, chips and pebbles, nearly all natural. Beside gold, pearl, carnelian and lapis, jade is the green a design settles on.

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This is a Dakota Stones 10mm African Jade Gemstone strand with round beads in 15-16 inch strand.

African Jade (A) 10mm Round 15-16 Inch

$19.00 - $19.00

$19.00

$19.00 - $19.00

$19.00

African Jade is a complex Calcium Aluminum Silicate and is a Nephrite Jade. Its bright green coloration is due to traces of chromium. Metaphysicall...

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$19.00 - $19.00

$19.00

$19.00 - $19.00

$19.00

New Burma Jade 5x8mm Chip - 15-16 Inch

$15.00 - $15.00

$15.00

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$15.00

New Burma Jade is the trade name for a semi-translucent serpentine stone available in a variety of green shades including olive, sea green, green, ...

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$15.00 - $15.00

$15.00

$15.00 - $15.00

$15.00

This is a Dakota Stones 8mm New Burma Jade Energy Prism Gemstone strand with natural faceted beads in 15-16 inch strand.

New Burma Jade 8mm Natural Energy Prism Faceted - 15-16 Inch

$42.00 - $42.00

$42.00

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$42.00

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$42.00

This is a Dakota Stones 10mm Rnb Rainbow Jade Gemstone strand with natural round beads in 15-16 inch strand.

Rainbow Jade (Natural) 10mm Round - 15-16 Inch

$16.00 - $16.00

$16.00

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$16.00

Jade refers to an ornamental mineral, mostly known for its green varieties. Jade has been used for tens of thousands of years, initially as tools b...

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$16.00

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$16.00

This is a Dakota Stones 4mm Rnb Rainbow Jade Gemstone strand with natural round beads in 15-16 inch strand.

Rainbow Jade (Natural) 4mm Round - 15-16 Inch

$10.00 - $10.00

$10.00

$10.00 - $10.00

$10.00

Jade refers to an ornamental mineral, mostly known for its green varieties. Jade has been used for tens of thousands of years, initially as tools b...

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$10.00 - $10.00

$10.00

$10.00 - $10.00

$10.00

This is a Dakota Stones 8mm Rnb Rainbow Jade Gemstone strand with natural round beads in 15-16 inch strand.

Rainbow Jade (Natural) 8mm Round - 15-16 Inch

$14.00 - $14.00

$14.00

$14.00 - $14.00

$14.00

Jade refers to an ornamental mineral, mostly known for its green varieties. Jade has been used for tens of thousands of years, initially as tools b...

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$14.00 - $14.00

$14.00

$14.00 - $14.00

$14.00

This is a Dakota Stones 10mm Yellow Jade Gemstone strand with round beads in 8 inch strand.

Yellow Jade 10mm Round 8-Inch

$8.00 - $8.00

$8.00

$8.00 - $8.00

$8.00

Yellow Jade is not actually Jade, but a form of natural Serpentine which is commonly referred to as Yellow Jade in the stone industry. This semi-tr...

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$8.00 - $8.00

$8.00

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$8.00

This is a Dakota Stones Ff Yellow Jade pendant from the Dakota Stones collection.

Yellow Jade 25x37mm Free Form Marquise Pendant - CLEARANCE

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$16.00

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$16.00

Yellow Jade is not actually Jade, but a form of natural Serpentine which is commonly referred to as Yellow Jade in the stone industry. This semi-tr...

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$16.00

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$16.00

This is a Dakota Stones 4mm Yellow Jade Gemstone strand with round beads in 8 inch strand.

Yellow Jade 4mm Round - 8-Inch

$6.00 - $6.00

$6.00

$6.00 - $6.00

$6.00

Yellow Jade is not actually Jade, but a form of natural Serpentine which is commonly referred to as Yellow Jade in the stone industry. This semi-tr...

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$6.00 - $6.00

$6.00

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$6.00

Large Hole

Yellow Jade 10mm Large Hole Round 8-Inch

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$14.00

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$14.00

Yellow Jade is not actually Jade, but a form of natural Serpentine which is commonly referred to as Yellow Jade in the stone industry. This semi to...

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$14.00

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This is a Dakota Stones 6mm Yellow Jade Gemstone strand with round beads in 8 inch strand.

Yellow Jade 6mm Round 8-Inch

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$7.00

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$7.00

Yellow Jade is not actually Jade, but a form of natural Serpentine which is commonly referred to as Yellow Jade in the stone industry. This semi-tr...

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$7.00 - $7.00

$7.00

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$7.00

Large Hole

Yellow Jade 8mm Faceted Large Hole Round - 8-Inch

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$13.00

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$13.00

Yellow Jade is not actually Jade, but a form of natural Serpentine which is commonly referred to as Yellow Jade in the stone industry. This semi-tr...

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$13.00

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Large Hole

Yellow Jade 8mm Large Hole Round - 8-Inch

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$12.00

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$12.00

Yellow Jade is not actually Jade, but a form of natural Serpentine which is commonly referred to as Yellow Jade in the stone industry. This semi to...

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$12.00

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This is a Dakota Stones 8mm Yellow Jade Gemstone strand with round beads in 8 inch strand.

Yellow Jade 8mm Round - 8-Inch

$8.00 - $8.00

$8.00

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$8.00

Yellow Jade is not actually Jade, but a form of natural Serpentine which is commonly referred to as Yellow Jade in the stone industry. This semi-tr...

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$8.00 - $8.00

$8.00

$8.00 - $8.00

$8.00

This is a Dakota Stones 5mm New Burma Jade Gemstone strand with table-cut cube beads in 15-16 inch strand.

New Burma Jade 5mm Cube Table Cut Bead - 15-16 Inch

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$37.00

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$37.00

New Burma Jade is the trade name for a semi-translucent serpentine stone available in a variety of green shades including olive, sea green, green, ...

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$37.00

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$37.00

This is a Dakota Stones 4mm West African Jade Gemstone strand with A grade round beads in 15-16 inch strand.

African Jade 4mm Round A Grade - 15-16 Inch

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$11.00

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$11.00

West African Jade is a complex Calcium Aluminum Silicate and is a Nephrite Jade. Its bright green coloration is due to traces of chromium. Metaphys...

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$11.00

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This is a Dakota Stones 4mm Flower Jade Gemstone strand with round beads in 15-16 inch strand.

Flower Jade 4mm Round - 15-16 Inch

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$11.00

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$11.00

Flower Jade is a form of Jadeite, a sodium aluminum silicate and one of the two minerals that are commonly known as “Jade,” the other being Nephrit...

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$11.00

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This is a Dakota Stones 8mm Flower Jade Gemstone strand with round beads in 15-16 inch strand.

Flower Jade 8mm Round - 15-16 Inch

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$14.00

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$14.00

Flower Jade is a form of Jadeite, a sodium aluminum silicate and one of the two minerals that are commonly known as “Jade,” the other being Nephrit...

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$14.00 - $14.00

$14.00

$14.00 - $14.00

$14.00

This is a Dakota Stones 10mm Flower Jade Gemstone strand with round beads in 15-16 inch strand.

Flower Jade 10mm Round - 15-16 Inch

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$19.00

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$19.00

Flower Jade is a form of Jadeite, a sodium aluminum silicate and one of the two minerals that are commonly known as “Jade,” the other being Nephrit...

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$19.00 - $19.00

$19.00

$19.00 - $19.00

$19.00

This is a Dakota Stones Gold Plated Gemstone pendant from the Dakota Stones collection.

17x19mm Gold Plated Faceted Gemstone Heart Charm/Pendant - Peach (Dyed) New Jade

$5.00 - $5.00

$5.00

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$5.00

Hearts aren't just for Valentine's Day! We are loving these faceted gemstone hearts from Dakota Stones. They are the perfect size to be a pendant o...

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$5.00

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$5.00

This is a Dakota Stones Silver Plated Gemstone pendant from the Dakota Stones collection.

17x19mm Silver Plated Faceted Gemstone Heart Charm/Pendant - Peach (Dyed) New Jade

$5.00 - $5.00

$5.00

$5.00 - $5.00

$5.00

Hearts aren't just for Valentine's Day! We are loving these faceted gemstone hearts from Dakota Stones. They are the perfect size to be a pendant o...

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$5.00 - $5.00

$5.00

$5.00 - $5.00

$5.00

Large Hole

BC Jade 10mm Round - Large Hole Beads

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$11.00

Jade refers to an ornamental mineral, mostly known for its green varieties. Jade has been used for tens of thousands of years, initially as tools b...

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$11.00 - $11.00

$11.00

$11.00 - $11.00

$11.00

This is a Dakota Stones 10mm African Jade Quartz Gemstone strand with round beads in 15-16 inch strand.

African Jade with Quartz 10mm Round - 15-16 Inch

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$16.00

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$16.00

West African Jade is a complex Calcium Aluminum Silicate and is a Nephrite Jade. Its bright green coloration is due to traces of chromium. Metaphys...

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$16.00 - $16.00

$16.00

$16.00 - $16.00

$16.00

This is a Dakota Stones 10mm Jadeite Gemstone strand with round beads in 15-16 inch strand.

Jadeite 10mm Round - 15-16 Inch

$60.00 - $60.00

$60.00

$60.00 - $60.00

$60.00

Jade refers to an ornamental mineral, mostly known for its green varieties. Jade has been used for tens of thousands of years, initially as tools b...

View full details

$60.00 - $60.00

$60.00

$60.00 - $60.00

$60.00

This is a Dakota Stones 5x8mm Canadian Jade Gemstone strand with chip beads in 15-16 inch strand.

Canadian Jade 5x8mm Chip - 15-16 Inch

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$16.00

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$16.00

Canadian Jade is the trade name for this stone that ranges in color from light to dark green, with small, dark specks or veins. This material is ac...

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$16.00

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$16.00

This is a Dakota Stones 5x8mm Jade Gemstone strand with faceted rondelle beads in 15-16 inch strand.

Jade 5x8mm Rondelle Faceted - 15-16 Inch

$28.00 - $28.00

$28.00

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$28.00

Jade refers to an ornamental mineral, mostly known for its green varieties. Jade has been used for tens of thousands of years, initially as tools b...

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$28.00 - $28.00

$28.00

$28.00 - $28.00

$28.00

Large Hole

Jade 8mm Faceted Round Large Hole 8-Inch

$18.00 - $18.00

$18.00

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$18.00

Jade refers to an ornamental mineral, mostly known for its green varieties. Our Jade is one of two mineral varieties -- nephrite, a silicate of cal...

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$18.00

$18.00 - $18.00

$18.00

Large Hole

Jade 8mm Faceted Rondelle Large Hole 8-Inch

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$22.00

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$22.00

Jade refers to an ornamental mineral, mostly known for its green varieties. Jade has been used for tens of thousands of years, initially as tools b...

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$22.00 - $22.00

$22.00

$22.00 - $22.00

$22.00

This is a Dakota Stones 8mm Olive Jade Cut Gemstone strand with coin star beads in 15-16 inch strand.

Olive Jade 8mm Star Cut Coin - 15-16 Inch

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$17.00

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$17.00

Olive Jade is the commercial name for this yellow to green to olive green stone and ranges from translucent to opaque. This material is actually Se...

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$17.00

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Large Hole

Rainbow Jade 5x8mm Large Hole Faceted Rondelle - 8 Inch

$17.00 - $17.00

$17.00

$17.00 - $17.00

$17.00

Jade refers to an ornamental mineral, mostly known for its green varieties. Jade has been used for tens of thousands of years, initially as tools b...

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$17.00 - $17.00

$17.00

$17.00 - $17.00

$17.00

Large Hole

Rainbow Jade 6mm Large Hole Round - 8 Inch

$15.00 - $15.00

$15.00

$15.00 - $15.00

$15.00

Jade refers to an ornamental mineral, mostly known for its green varieties. Jade has been used for tens of thousands of years, initially as tools b...

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$15.00 - $15.00

$15.00

$15.00 - $15.00

$15.00

Large Hole

Rainbow Jade 8mm Large Hole Round - 8 Inch

$16.00 - $16.00

$16.00

$16.00 - $16.00

$16.00

Jade refers to an ornamental mineral, mostly known for its green varieties. Jade has been used for tens of thousands of years, initially as tools b...

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$16.00 - $16.00

$16.00

$16.00 - $16.00

$16.00

This is a Dakota Stones Jade pendant from the Dakota Stones collection.

Jade 40mm Donut Pendant

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$9.00

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$9.00

Jade refers to an ornamental mineral, mostly known for its green varieties. Jade has been used for tens of thousands of years, initially as tools b...

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$9.00 - $9.00

$9.00

$9.00 - $9.00

$9.00

This is a Dakota Stones 6mm White Jade Gemstone strand with star beads in 15-16 inch strand.

White Jade 6mm Star - 15-16 Inch

$12.00 - $12.00

$12.00

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$12.00

White Jade is a form of Nephrite Jade, and a valuable version, at that. Sometimes referred to as "Mutton Fat Jade" when a translucent white to ligh...

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$12.00

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$12.00

This is a Dakota Stones 6mm New Jade Hexagon Gemstone strand of round beads in 15-16 inch strand.

New Jade 6mm Hexagon - 15-16 Inch

$27.00 - $27.00

$27.00

$27.00 - $27.00

$27.00

Jade is the industry name for this beautiful deep green stone. Ours is actually a Serpentine, but takes a trained eye and a microscope to discern t...

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$27.00 - $27.00

$27.00

$27.00 - $27.00

$27.00

This is a Dakota Stones 6mm Yellow Jade Hexagon Gemstone strand of round beads in 15-16 inch strand.

Yellow Jade 6mm Hexagon - 15-16 Inch

$27.00 - $27.00

$27.00

$27.00 - $27.00

$27.00

Yellow Jade is not actually Jade, but a form of natural Serpentine which is commonly referred to as Yellow Jade in the stone industry. This semi to...

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$27.00 - $27.00

$27.00

$27.00 - $27.00

$27.00

This is a Dakota Stones 8mm Yellow Jade Gemstone strand with faceted rondelle beads in 8 inch strand.

Yellow Jade 8mm Faceted Rondelle - 8-Inch

$12.00 - $12.00

$12.00

$12.00 - $12.00

$12.00

Yellow Jade is not actually Jade, but a form of natural Serpentine which is commonly referred to as Yellow Jade in the stone industry. This semi to...

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$12.00 - $12.00

$12.00

$12.00 - $12.00

$12.00

This is a Dakota Stones 12mm Yellow Jade Jasper Gemstone strand with coin beads in 8 inch strand.

Yellow Jade 12mm Coin - 8-Inch

$10.00 - $10.00

$10.00

$10.00 - $10.00

$10.00

Yellow Jade is not actually Jade, but a form of natural Serpentine which is commonly referred to as Yellow Jade in the stone industry. This semi to...

View full details

$10.00 - $10.00

$10.00

$10.00 - $10.00

$10.00

This is a Dakota Stones 10x20mm New Jade Double Drill Gemstone strand of round beads in 8 inch strand.

New Jade 10x20mm Double Drill - 8-Inch Strands

$14.00 - $14.00

$14.00

$14.00 - $14.00

$14.00

Jade is the industry name for this beautiful green stone. Ours is actually a Serpentine, but takes a trained eye and a microscope to discern the di...

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$14.00 - $14.00

$14.00

$14.00 - $14.00

$14.00

This is a Dakota Stones 13x18mm New Jade Gemstone strand with oval beads in 8 inch strand.

New Jade 13x18mm Oval - 8-Inch Strands

$9.00 - $9.00

$9.00

$9.00 - $9.00

$9.00

Jade is the industry name for this beautiful green stone. Ours is actually a Serpentine, but takes a trained eye and a microscope to discern the di...

View full details

$9.00 - $9.00

$9.00

$9.00 - $9.00

$9.00

This is a Dakota Stones 12mm New Jade Gemstone strand with coin beads in 8 inch strand.

New Jade 12mm Coin - 8-Inch Strands

$9.00 - $9.00

$9.00

$9.00 - $9.00

$9.00

Jade is the industry name for this beautiful green stone. Ours is actually a Serpentine, but takes a trained eye and a microscope to discern the di...

View full details

$9.00 - $9.00

$9.00

$9.00 - $9.00

$9.00

This is a Dakota Stones 5x10mm New Jade Double Drill Gemstone strand of round beads in 8 inch strand.

New Jade 5x10mm Double Drill - 8-Inch Strands

$12.00 - $12.00

$12.00

$12.00 - $12.00

$12.00

Jade is the industry name for this beautiful green stone. Ours is actually a Serpentine, but takes a trained eye and a microscope to discern the di...

View full details

$12.00 - $12.00

$12.00

$12.00 - $12.00

$12.00

This is a Dakota Stones 4mm New Jade Gemstone strand with faceted rondelle beads in 8 inch strand.

New Jade 4mm Faceted Rondelle - 8-Inch Strands

$9.00 - $9.00

$9.00

$9.00 - $9.00

$9.00

Jade is the industry name for this beautiful green stone. Ours is actually a Serpentine, but takes a trained eye and a microscope to discern the di...

View full details

$9.00 - $9.00

$9.00

$9.00 - $9.00

$9.00

This is a Dakota Stones 5x15mm New Jade Gemstone strand with chip beads in 8 inch strand.

New Jade 5x15mm Chip - 8-Inch Strands

$14.00 - $14.00

$14.00

$14.00 - $14.00

$14.00

Jade is the industry name for this beautiful green stone. Ours is actually a Serpentine, but takes a trained eye and a microscope to discern the di...

View full details

$14.00 - $14.00

$14.00

$14.00 - $14.00

$14.00

This is a Dakota Stones 8x16mm New Jade Rice Gemstone strand of round beads in 8 inch strand.

New Jade 8x16mm Rice Bead - 8-Inch Strands

$9.00 - $9.00

$9.00

$9.00 - $9.00

$9.00

Jade is the industry name for this beautiful green stone. Ours is actually a Serpentine, but takes a trained eye and a microscope to discern the di...

View full details

$9.00 - $9.00

$9.00

$9.00 - $9.00

$9.00

This is a Dakota Stones 10x14mm New Jade Gemstone strand with oval beads in 8 inch strand.

New Jade 10x14mm Oval - 8-Inch Strands - CLEARANCE

$8.00 - $8.00

$8.00

$8.00 - $8.00

$8.00

Jade is the industry name for this beautiful green stone. Ours is actually a Serpentine, but takes a trained eye and a microscope to discern the di...

View full details

$8.00 - $8.00

$8.00

$8.00 - $8.00

$8.00

This is a Dakota Stones 8mm New Jade Gemstone strand with faceted square beads in 8 inch strand.

New Jade 8mm Faceted Square - 8-Inch Strands

$9.00 - $9.00

$9.00

$9.00 - $9.00

$9.00

Jade is the industry name for this beautiful green stone. Ours is actually a Serpentine, but takes a trained eye and a microscope to discern the di...

View full details

$9.00 - $9.00

$9.00

$9.00 - $9.00

$9.00

This is a Dakota Stones 12mm New Jade Gemstone strand with round beads in 8 inch strand.

New Jade 12mm Round - 8-Inch Strands

$12.00 - $12.00

$12.00

$12.00 - $12.00

$12.00

Jade is the industry name for this beautiful green stone. Ours is actually a Serpentine, but takes a trained eye and a microscope to discern the di...

View full details

$12.00 - $12.00

$12.00

$12.00 - $12.00

$12.00

Nephrite and jadeite — the two jades, and why they last

Jade is two minerals that share a name. Nephrite, the older jade of China, British Columbia and New Zealand, is a felted mass of amphibole fibers; jadeite, from Burma and Guatemala, is a granular pyroxene that reached China from Burma only in the late 1700s. Both sit at Mohs 6–7 but are far tougher than the number — the fibers and interlocked grains resist breaking, which is why jade was carved for millennia before it was cut into beads. Both take a soft, waxy polish, and most strands are natural.

New jade, African jade, yellow jade — the trade names, and what they are

The bead trade sells several stones as jade. New jade, olive jade, lemon jade and new Burma jade are serpentine — softer, Mohs 2.5–5.5, with the same waxy green. African jade is a green grossular garnet, also sold as Transvaal jade. Yellow jade, flower jade, rainbow jade and green-and-white jade are trade names for opaque and mottled material sold by color. Each strand carries its trade name and its recorded treatment — nearly all natural, with dyed material titled dyed — and the product page names the species.

Jade rounds 4mm to 12mm, faceted cuts, chips and pebbles — the mala sizes

Jade is hard-wearing: mild soap and a soft cloth, and no ultrasonic or steam on dyed or polymer-treated material. Smooth rounds run 4mm to 12mm, 8mm the mala size and 6mm the finer strand; faceted rounds and microfaceted 3mm rounds, faceted rondelles 2x3mm to 5x8mm, hexagons, stars, crosses, coins and table-cut cubes; chips, heishi, side-drilled pebbles and top-drilled teeth for the rough look; large-hole 6mm, 8mm and 10mm rounds for cord, on 16-inch and 8-inch strands. It pairs with gold, freshwater pearl, carnelian, lapis and onyx.

About this stone

Color

GreenWhiteLavenderYellowBlackRed-Brown

Origin

ChinaBurma/MyanmarGuatemalaCanada (British Columbia)New ZealandRussia

Mohs hardness

6–7

Treatment categories

NaturalDyedBleached and Polymer-Impregnated (Type B)

Industry-standard treatment

Untreated (Type A) jadeite and natural nephrite are the standard for collector-grade material. Type B (bleached + polymer) and Type C (dyed) jadeite are common in the broader market.

Mineral chemistry

Two distinct minerals share the trade name: nephrite (calcium magnesium iron silicate, Ca2(Mg,Fe)5Si8O22(OH)2) and jadeite (sodium aluminum silicate, NaAlSi2O6)

Crystal system

Monoclinic (both nephrite and jadeite)

Stone family

Jade

Common cuts

RoundRondelleFaceted RoundCoinDonutCabochon

Common sizes

4mm6mm8mm10mm12mm

Care notes

Mohs 6–7 (jadeite is the tougher of the two due to its interlocking crystal structure). Mild soap and soft cloth; ultrasonic generally safe for untreated material but should be avoided for Type B / polymer-impregnated jadeite. Many trade-name 'jades' (New Jade, Serpentine Jade, African Jade) are not true jade — check the species on the product page.

Related stones

Serpentine, Aventurine, Chrysoprase, Hetian (white nephrite)

Frequently asked questions

Is jade always green?

No. Nephrite runs from spinach and forest green to gray, cream and the white the Hetian trade calls mutton fat; jadeite adds the emerald green of imperial jade, lavender, white, black and red-brown. Lavender jadeite is the rarest bead color and seldom reaches a strand. On strands the greens dominate — dark BC nephrite, pale Guatemalan jadeite, olive and new jade in serpentine's softer green — and yellow jade, flower jade and rainbow jade bring the other colors under trade names. Dyed color is titled dyed.
How can real jade beads be told from imitations?

By weight, feel and name. Nephrite and jadeite are dense — heavy for their size, cold to the touch and slow to warm — and so tough that drill holes and edges stay clean where glass and quartzite chip. The polish is waxy or oily rather than glassy; under a loupe glass shows bubbles and dyed quartzite shows color pooled in the cracks. Then the name: new jade, olive jade and African jade are honest trade names for other stones, and only nephrite and jadeite are jade. A strand priced like glass is glass.
Are new jade, olive jade and African jade real jade?

No, and they are not sold as if they were. New jade, new Burma jade, olive jade and lemon jade are serpentine — a softer stone, Mohs 2.5–5.5, with the waxy green look of jade and a lower price; a steel point marks it where it would skate off nephrite. African jade, also sold as Transvaal jade, is a green grossular garnet from South Africa, harder and heavier than jade. Both wear well in beads and carry their trade names on the strand; the stone record on each product page names the species.
Is jade treated?

Most bead-grade jade is natural, and nearly every strand here is recorded natural. Jadeite is graded by treatment: Type A is untreated apart from a surface wax, Type B has been bleached and filled with polymer to improve translucency, and Type C is dyed. Type B is the one to check — the polymer yellows with age and fails under ultrasonic or steam cleaning. Nephrite and the serpentine trade jades are natural or dyed, never polymer-filled, and dyed material is titled dyed. Treatment is labelled where known.
Which jade bead sizes suit malas and bracelets?

8mm is the mala round — 108 beads plus a guru bead string to about 34 inches — and the standard bracelet size; 6mm makes a finer mala or a stacking bracelet, 10mm and 12mm a heavier one, and 4mm rounds work as spacers. An 8-inch strand of 8mm rounds is one bracelet, roughly 25 beads. Jade's toughness suits knotted strands, since the holes do not chip. Large-hole 6mm, 8mm and 10mm rounds — BC jade, rainbow jade, yellow jade — take leather, cord or doubled stretch cord.