Jadeite is the kind of jade many tai tais adorn on their fingers that come in the colours of green. They range from Imperial Jade (which simply put, is the colour of a Heineken Beer Bottle) but there is apple green, "vegetable" green, "Pea" green and the list goes on... but, there are other colours of Jadeite. Lavender, red, yellow, brown, blue and even pink. I will touch on this rather sticky topic in detail on another occasion...
Nephrite on the other hand is very understated. It is a stone that many who are inexperienced easily mistake as marble or stone... BUT IT IS JADE! Chinese Jade!
The picture above is a little nephrite seal that dates back to the Qing Dynasty. Just to illustrate how a nephrite might look like...
Jadeite on the other hand looks much more like a gem...
I have chosen to feature a little dainty ring that was given to me by my grandaunt... a proper teochew lady of good family, she was always seen in jade, platinum and diamonds and nothing else. I remember she would always tell me, "A respectable lady must have her jade and she must have a respectable collection!"
The ring is made up of 5 cabochons of Apple Green Jade flanked with tiny little pointer diamonds on the side... 4 to be exact. Though my grandaunt could well afford a bangle made of Imperial Jade quality, she would always say that elegance must be shown in an understated manner. Those who understand it will get it, the old rich, she would say, those who dun, will never get it!
