Jadeite forms in high-temperature, relatively low-pressure environments—usually where one tectonic plate subducts beneath another, a recipe for the birth of volcanoes and the dazzling transformation of minerals. The water-rich fluids from ocean floor sediments penetrate rocks, triggering chemical changes, especially in aluminium-rich minerals, and giving rise to jadeite. The classic regions producing jadeite—Myanmar, Guatemala, and parts of Russia—have yielded treasures in hues of emerald, green, white, lavender, yellow, brown, and even black. It was especially the emerald and “imperial” greens, coloured by trace amounts of chromium, that captured the imagination of Chinese emperors and artisans especially the Han Dynasty (206BCE–220CE), these vibrant greens adorned burial suits, ceremonial artifacts, and imperial insignias—objects believed to protect and immortalize the wearer.

Nephrite, meanwhile, is born in low pressure and relatively low temperature  environments, often at tectonic boundaries where rocks undergo contact metamorphism. Its creation—through the recrystallization and alteration of amphibole minerals—results in a dense, interlocking, fibrous structure. Found in China, Russia, New Zealand, and Canada, nephrite primarily appears in shades of green, white, grey, and black. Ancient Chinese cultures, especially the Hongshan people over 7,000 years ago, began carving this softer resilient green nephrite long before jadeite’s prized hues arrived via trade. The stone’s greens symbolized heaven and virtue, and its whites and greys—much rarer—were reserved for sacred artifacts and nobility.