This is stone from a mine in XinMi, China, it’s in the mix of what I guess you’d call “new jade” and colors range from dark green to pinks, tan and whites with variations depending on location to other minerals and oxides? In the context of Jadeite and Nephrite I don’t believe this is jade at all, rather some quartz with maybe something else that gives it better properties for carving, or is it plain quartzite or something else different? I’ve always wondered when I first visited there everyone called it jade, later another friend looked a some and thought it was quartz like.
On another trip I tried to get some clarification but due to huge language differences my questions were just confusing so I gave up and went with the flow. I think the confusion arises with what the word “yu” (jade) meaning in mandarin and in translation. Still I’m curious if anyone might be familiar with this stone?
Images; saw cut two sides, close up of what I think are cleavages and the same stone slightly different shade carved and polished by hand with sandpaper I think (in case it makes a difference compared to buffing wheel with oxides?).
On another trip I tried to get some clarification but due to huge language differences my questions were just confusing so I gave up and went with the flow. I think the confusion arises with what the word “yu” (jade) meaning in mandarin and in translation. Still I’m curious if anyone might be familiar with this stone?
Images; saw cut two sides, close up of what I think are cleavages and the same stone slightly different shade carved and polished by hand with sandpaper I think (in case it makes a difference compared to buffing wheel with oxides?).
