Jade is a name that was applied to ornamental stones that were being brought to Europe from China and Central America. It wasn't until 1863 that it was realized that the name Jade was being applied to two different minerals -- Jadeite and Neprite. The two minerals are both exquisite and hard to distinguish from each other. So what to do? Leave it alone and call them both Jade.

The Jadeite emerald green color is highly sought after by artwork collectors. Also called "Imperial Jade," it is colored by chromium. Iron creates the green/brown tones and manganese is thought to produce the violet colors. Nephrite is usually only green and creamy white, while jadeite can have the full range of jade's colors, including yellow, orange, violet, and gray.