Jadeite is rarer and more prized, although nephrite is the tougher stone. Both forms are generally a shade of green, although it can range from a nearly white to nearly black, often with a yellowish or brownish tint to it. Still, other colors (like blue) have been found.

Jade is associated with the element of water and the planet Venus. It's power is receptive. When struck, the stone produces a resonant sound, and has often been used in the creation of musical instruments. The toughness of jade is remarkable. It has a strength greater than steel and was put to work by many early civilizations for axes, knives and weapons.

A sacred stone to the Chinese, jade was fashioned into religious icons and used as wedding or engagement gifts between couples. Jade is said to attract love. Wearing a jade amulet shaped into a butterfly was worn in hopes of finding a partner. Also a stone of healing and longevity, jade is also worn to prevent disease. The Chinese would make bowls from jade, as they believed that the gem's power would transfer into the food. Four pieces of jade planted in the corners of a garden encouraged healthy crops

Jadeite is the more valuable of the two jades and is used for most of the top quality pieces available in today's market. Although Mynamar is known for the best jadeite in the world, it can also be found in Russia, Central America, Japan and even California. In top quality stones, jade from jadeite can emit a rich emerald-green color and deep translucence rivaling that found in star sapphires and rubies. These elite specimens are also known as Imperial jade which is colored by chromium. Other colors are influenced by iron (green and brown) and manganese is thought to produce the violet colors. Jadeite also grows in a far wider variety than nephrite. From the many shades of green, to lavender, black, orange, white, gray and even into more reddish tones, jadeite has proven itself to be the more well rounded of the two stones bearing the name jade. Jadeite is almost never found in individual crystals and is composed of microscopic interlocking crystals that produce a very tough material.

Nephrite was the main source for China's jade for many centuries, but it is also indigenous of New Zealand, Taiwan, Canada, Australia, Germany and the United States, to name a few. These days, nephrite jade is most commonly used for sculpture and shaped pieces. Nephrite is actually not a mineral, but a variety of the mineral actinolite. The nephrite variety is composed of fibrous crystals inter-twinned in a tough compact mass.