Jade is Stone of China in the world; it is Stone of Heaven in China! In Chinese culture, "Gold has a value but jade is invaluable".

Jade is natural gem stone found in mountains or riverbeds. True jade is generally classified into soft jade (nephrite) , so-called "ancient jade" and hard jade (jadeite) . Jade produced in China is mostly soft jade (nephrite). Most jade used in Chinese history is nephrite. Hard jade (jadeite) is mostly from Myanmar (Burma) after Ming Dynasty (about 600 years ago) or closed province of Yunnan in China. Generally speaking, jadeite is more popular and valuable than the nephrite after Qing dynasty in China. Most popular colors of jade are green and white.

Nephrite is one kind of Tremolite or Actinolite, naturally light green but may occur in any colors. Its chemical formula is Ca2(Mg,Fe)5Si8O22(OH)2, basic is calcium(Ca), magnesium (Mg), iron (Fe) and silicate (Si). Nephrite is valued for its purity; its smooth glossy appearance, softer for fine carved or samped.

Some of the famous Chinese Nephrite are:

Hetian jade:A kind of tremolite with a hardness of 6.0-6.5 degree from Hetian, Xinjiang Autonomous region . It varies greatly in color, such as white ,blue bluish white,green, yellow and black, the white one is the best. Lots of ancient chinese jade wares were carved from it.

Xiu jade: really is a very special category of nephrite jade.A kind of serpentine with a hardness of 2.5-5.5 degree from Xiuyan, Liaoning province of China with white or light green color usually. Some other places in China also have this kind of stone ,as Jiuquan jade from Gansu,and Xinyi jade from Guangdong.Because Xiu jade is not as hard as Burmese jadeite, they can be intricately carved more easily.truly exceptional Xiu jade pieces that is very rare and beautiful do have investment value.  Chinese use Xiuyan Jade for more than 4000 years in Hongshan culture. It's one of the most popular Nephrite in market today.

Nanyang jade: A kind of plagioclase rock with a hardness of 6-6.5 degree from Dushan,Nanyang, Henan province. So sometimes it is called Dushan jade.

Jadeite :A kind of pyroxene with a hardness of degree, mainly from Burma,It was popularly used in the Qing dynasty(1644-1911). Jadeite is naturally light to dark green but may be cream, gray, white, or a mixture of white and light green. Occasionally also yellow, pink, purple, brown, and black or dark-red (more Fe). It is brighter, more vivid colorful and wear-resistanting. Jadeite is a mineral made up of Sodium (Na) aluminum (Al) silicate (Si), chemical formula is NaAlSi2O6, hardness is 7.0.

Jade is the royal gemstone in China.

Jade was a Royal Gemstone in China and Asia, used as the Emperor Seal in the Palace, as the totems and the Essence of Heaven and the Earth in eastern religion. Of all materials in the world of Chinese antiquities, jade best exemplifies the essential aspects of Chinese culture. It is used for both spiritual and ornamental purposes. It is the symbol of power and associated with heroes, the symbols of pure, noble and sublime, and stands for morality. It is also a symbol of ethics and norms. In ancient times, only aristocrats could own jade wares. The imperial seal of the Qin dynasty, the first feudal society in China, was made of jade.

Jade has been the symbol of love and virtue for thousands of years in China. It was used for ritual utensil, funeral utensils, accessories, currency, weapons, diplomatic gifts, musical instruments (since the sound is pleasing to the ear and travels far) and food containers. It was not just a piece of jewelry, it was a part of one's being -- a gentleman would never discard his jade ornaments in Chinese culture.

Chinese people believed that jade ornaments could resist invasion of evil influence and create safety. The Taoists believed jade could keep one immortal physically. Jade carvings are used as amulets to protect people from disease and calm their emotions with spirituality in Buddhism.Confucius even concluded jade had many virtues, namely benevolence, fidelity, courtesy, etiquette, wisdom and sincerity, etc. Yu means jade and Di means king in Chinese, then Yu-Di means the King of Heaven.