Editing Nephrite (section)

{{short description|Variety of jade}}
{{about|the mineral|the Sailor Moon character|Dark Kingdom#Nephrite}}
{{Distinguish|Nephritis}}
{{Infobox mineral
| name        = Nephrite
| category    = [[Inosilicate]]
| boxwidth    = 
| boxbgcolor  = #9dec76 
| image       = Nephrite jordanow slaski.jpg
| imagesize   = 
| caption     = Nephrite from [[Jordanów Śląski]] (Poland)
| formula     = Ca<sub>2</sub>(Mg,Fe)<sub>5</sub>Si<sub>8</sub>O<sub>22</sub>(OH)<sub>2</sub><ref name="GRG"/>
| molweight   = 
| color       = [[Translucent]] to [[Opacity (optics)|opaque]] and often mottled. Light to dark green, yellow to brown, white, gray, black.<ref name="GRG"/>
| habit       = massive<ref name="GRG"/>
| system      = monoclinic<ref name="GRG"/>
| twinning    = 
| cleavage    = 
| fracture    = splintery to granular<ref name="GRG"/>
| mohs        = 6.0 to 6.5<ref name="GRG"/>
| luster      = dull<ref name="GRG"/>
| polish      = vitreous to greasy<ref name="GRG"/>
| refractive  = 1.606 to {{val|1.632|0.009|0.006}}<ref name="GRG"/>
| opticalprop = Double refractive with anomalous aggregate reaction<ref name="GRG"/>
| birefringence = usually not detectable<ref name="GRG"/>
| dispersion  = 
| pleochroism = none<ref name="GRG"/>
| fluorescence= inert<ref name="GRG"/>
| absorption  = Vague line may be present at 500&nbsp;nm, but rarely any lines. Rarely, in stones of exceptional gem quality, vague lines in the red part of the spectrum may be seen.<ref name="GRG"/>
| streak      = 
| gravity     = {{val|2.95|0.15|0.05}}<ref name="GRG"/>
| density     = 
| melt        = 
| fusibility  = 
| diagnostic  = 
| solubility  = 
| diaphaneity = 
| other       = 
}}
'''Nephrite''' is a variety of the calcium, magnesium, and iron-rich [[amphibole]] minerals [[tremolite]] or [[actinolite]] ([[Aggregate (geology)|aggregate]]s of which also make up one form of [[asbestos]]). The chemical formula for nephrite is [[calcium|Ca]]<sub>2</sub>([[magnesium|Mg]], [[iron|Fe]])<sub>5</sub>[[silicon|Si]]<sub>8</sub>[[oxygen|O]]<sub>22</sub>(O[[hydrogen|H]])<sub>2</sub>.<ref name="GRG">{{cite book |title=Gem Reference Guide |year=1988 |publisher=[[Gemological Institute of America]] |isbn=0-87311-019-6 }}</ref>  It is one of two different mineral species called [[jade]]. The other mineral species known as jade is [[jadeite]], which is a variety of [[pyroxene]]. While nephrite jade possesses mainly grays and greens (and occasionally yellows, browns, black or whites), jadeite jade, which is rarer, can also contain blacks, reds, pinks and violets. Nephrite jade is an ornamental stone used in [[Stone carving|carvings]], [[bead]]s, or [[cabochon]] cut gemstones. Nephrite is also the official state mineral of [[Wyoming]].

Nephrite can be found in a translucent white to very light yellow form which is known in China as ''mutton fat'' jade,<ref name="GRG"/> in an opaque white to very light brown or gray which is known as ''chicken bone'' jade,<ref name="GRG"/> as well as in a variety of green colors. Western [[Canada]] is the principal source of modern [[lapidary]] nephrite.<ref>Kirk Makepeace, George J. Simandl, [http://www.em.gov.bc.ca/Mining/Geoscience/IndustrialMinerals/Documents/P2004-2-57.pdf Jade (Nephrite) in British Columbia, Canada] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161031091846/http://www.em.gov.bc.ca/Mining/Geoscience/IndustrialMinerals/Documents/P2004-2-57.pdf |date=2016-10-31 }}; in G.J. Simandl, W.J. McMillan and N.D. Robinson, (editors), ''37th Annual Forum on Industrial Minerals Proceedings, Industrial Minerals with emphasis on Western North America'', Paper 2004-2-57, pages 287–288 (2004). Accessed October 30, 2016</ref> Nephrite jade was used mostly in pre-1800 [[China]] as well as in [[New Zealand]], the Pacific Coast and Atlantic Coasts of North America, Neolithic Europe, and southeast Asia.