Jade (rare purple color)

Item Description

Jade is one of the most popular "non gem quality" stones around. The word Jade is derived from the Spanish word 'piedra de ijada', meaning "loin stone. Jade actually refers to two distinct types of stones which closely resemble one another, Jadeite and Nephrite. Jade has been treasured for over 5000 years in China as the royal gemstone. Typically most people associated Jade as being a shade of green, but an extremely rare purple variety is found in Turkey. These stones are exceptionally difficult to find, and valued highly on the market. The material is often only translucent, but the beautiful purple color is what attracts collectors. This "Pear Cabochon" cut stone has a fantastic royal purple color (slightly more pink than the photos show), and is translucent for all intents and purposes. Now the stone has been treated - most likely it has been resin filled - to enhance the color, but this is a perfectly accepted practice in the Jade world as long as the buyer knows that the stone has been treated. It is a very attractive stone and truly glows when backlit. A very cool stone of this sought after material.