Conceptual differences: In the jewelry discipline, jade includes jadeite, nephrite, foam jade, jade, dushan jade, Huang Longyu, Ma Laiyu, agate, etc., while jadeite refers to a kind of jade. The concepts of jadeite and jade are like "tea" and "Tieguanyin". "Tea" is a large scope, and "Tieguanyin" only refers to Tieguanyin. In other words, jade is really jade, it is a member of the big family of "jade", but jade is not necessarily jade.
Essential difference: Jadeite is jadeite, and other jadeites belong to nephrite. There are essential differences in grain shape between them. The mineral grain structure of nephrite is sugar-like, while jadeite is columnar or fibrous. Emerald has a unique "emerald", but nephrite does not have this characteristic, so it can be judged whether it is jadeite or nephrite from the reflection surface or light. Composition of jadeite: jadeite is the main component, followed by omphacite, sodalite, aegirine, amphibole and albite. Sodium aluminosilicate, mineral composition. Jade composition: calcium magnesium silicate, mineral composition is mainly tremolite, with a small amount of actinolite.
Gloss difference: Gloss is one of the biggest differences between jadeite and nephrite. The surface of nephrite presents a greasy luster with different strength, which is soft and moist, so people understand it as moist jade. The reflective luster of jadeite presents a hard glass luster, revealing a cold chill, so it is called cold water jade.
Different cultural background: Emerald entered China from Myanmar for one or two hundred years. Because of the love of Empress Dowager Cixi, it gradually penetrated into the people, and its cultural background was much worse than Hetian jade. Jade has a history of 8,000 years in China, with profound cultural background. Jade has five virtues: benevolence, righteousness, wisdom, courage and purity. The ancients often said that a modest gentleman is as gentle as jade. So the cultural background is much thicker than jade.
In addition, there is a big difference between jadeite and jade in market price.