Myanmar produces upward of 70 percent of the world's supply of high-quality jadeite. Most of the Myanmar's jadeite is exported to other nations, primarily Asian, for use in jewellery, art, and ornaments.
The finest source of Jadeite Jade in the world comes from Kachin state, Myanmar (Burma). It's also the only commercial source for Jadeite in the world. Other small deposits are found in Kazakhstan, Russia, Japan, Guatemala, and USA.
The principal producers of gem-quality jadeite are Myanmar and Guatemala.
Where is the most expensive Jade sourced from? Jadeite from Burma is the most expensive Jade you can find. This level of quality jadeite is almost transparent but with a vibrant, emerald green color. It is this gemstone that is colloquially referred to as Imperial Jade.
Jade in South Australia
Jade deposits near Cowell on Eyre Peninsula are among the largest known nephrite jade deposits in the world.
Nephrite is one of two gem materials, nephrite and jadeite, that are known as jade. They have a somewhat similar colour range and a tough, microcrystalline structure. Both have been used as carving materials throughout history. Of these two minerals, only nephrite is found in Australia.
Australia's precious opals include black opal, white opal, crystal opal, fire opal and boulder opal.
Generally, blue is the color of jade that is the rarest because it comes from only a few deposits found in Guatemala, Japan and Myanmar. Green and lavender jade are more common.
The most valuable jade color is known as “imperial jade” and occurs only in jadeite. Imperial jade is a green balanced between blue and yellow hues. The ideal tone is medium-dark, about 75%, where green hues are optimally saturated.
Jadeite jade, the rarest and most valuable form of jade, is also known as 'Burmese Jade', (after it's traditional and still most important source - Burma). It has been in wide use only since the mid-18th century, and today is considered the 'precious' form of jade. Most 'fine jewelry' items of jade consist of jadeite.
Jade is most highly valued in Chinese culture today. The philosopher Confucius reportedly expressed this fascination by making jade a metaphor for virtue, kindness, wisdom, justice, civility, music, sincerity, truth, Heaven and Earth.
Stretched across the northern mountains of Myanmar, Kachin State is the jade mining capital of the world.
Myanmar produces upward of 70 percent of the world's supply of high-quality jadeite. Most of the Myanmar's jadeite is exported to other nations, primarily Asian, for use in jewellery, art, and ornaments.
Nephrite jade was the very first of these materials discovered in China, and was the traditional jade used and carved since ancient times. Nephrite was so important that the traditional deposits in China are now all but depleted.
At the top end, it can be worth more than gold. In fact, it's so valuable, that criminals half a world away are taking notice. A gang in the UK was recently sentenced to prison for plundering jade artefacts from museums and an auction house.
For jadeite, the intensity of the green color, combined with a high degree of translucency are the key factors in judging value. Stones which are too dark in color or not so translucent are less highly valued.
Color is one of the most important factors in determining the value of jade. The most valuable colors are green, white, and lavender. The more intense the color, the more valuable the stone. Jade that has been dyed or treated is usually a uniform color with little variation.
Green jade has been treasured in the Far East and Central America for thousands of years and was even given the status of royal gemstone by these ancient civilizations. The sacred stone is considered a sign of luck and good fortune. It is also associated with abundance, wealth, and prosperity.
The finest-quality jadeite—almost transparent with a vibrant emerald-green color—is known as “Imperial jade.” The royal court of China once had a standing order for all available material of this kind, and it's one of the world's most expensive gems.
Green Jade
Many of us think of the rich bottle green color when we think of jade, and this is not a coincidence. The more green jade is, the higher its value. The most expensive examples of jade are in so called Imperial Jade color, which is a rich and vibrant emerald green.
Opal is found around the world (Brazil, Mexico, Honduras and the western US) however Australia produces 95% of the world's precious opal and it is our official national gemstone.
Musgravite is one of the newest and most rare gemstones in the world. Musgravite is a silicate mineral whose main ingredients are beryllium (Be), magnesium (Mg) and aluminum (Al). It was named 'musgravite' after the area Musgrave in Australia from where the material was first found.
Australia is the world's biggest producer of diamonds and opals and major supplier of sapphire, ruby, emerald, garnet, topaz and jade has also been mined in Australia. Information on some of Australia's gemstones can be found at Google Arts and Culture - Gems from the Safe.