Beads > Gemstone Beads > Jade

Jade has been highly valued by humans for over 7,000 years. Considered a symbol of nobility and perfection by the Chinese, Jade was often carved into religious and mystical symbols. Jade was also used by ancient Central American cultures and was more highly valued than gold. The popularity of Jade in the Americas drastically decreased with the Spanish conquest. The term Jade encompasses two separate species of Jade: Jadeite and Nephrite. Jadeite being the rarer of the two stones is quite expensive. Jade's color is determined by the amount of iron within the stone. Low iron levels produce colors such as white and light grey, while higher level of iron result in darker reds, greys, and greens.