The Stone of Heaven

Long before gold was treasured or diamonds desired, jade was revered as a stone of divine power, often called the heart of the gods. To possess jade was to hold something sacred, feared, and deeply respected, and in some cultures, worthy of sacrifice. In temples and tombs, from common people to emperors, the dead were buried with carvings fashioned from found or quarried green jade. Across continents and throughout history, jade has been worn and shaped into powerful ornaments. Whether pierced, carved into sacred forms such as the Buddha, or worn close to the heart, jade was understood not simply as a gemstone, but as a bridge between heaven and earth, believed to bring protection, good fortune, and harmony to the energetic body.

Nephrite jade, the older of the two true jades, was the first to be discovered and used extensively, shaping human history, art, and ritual for more than 7,300 years. Each piece and sculpture carries that legacy within its crystalline structure, holding the memory of centuries of craftsmanship. Revered as a stone of grace, endurance, and quiet power, nephrite jade was valued as much for its symbolic depth as for its soft, silken luster. Throughout history, it has been fashioned into objects of virtue and mortality, from medical and industrial tools to weapons and, ultimately, some of the finest jewelry of its time.

At Lost Ancients Jewelry, our collection of old-stock nephrite jade represents something increasingly rare: material sourced decades ago, carefully preserved, and untouched by modern overextraction. To work with it is to touch time itself. Many of these specimens were found through rare and unexpected moments, from estate collections to invitations to private gem hunts. Each discovery carries a distinct energy and presence, adding a depth and feeling that resonates deeply with the soul and informs every piece we create.

1. The Difference Between Nephrite and Jadeite

The word jade is a catch-all for two distinct minerals — nephrite and jadeite — both admired for their toughness and beauty, but formed from different geological roots.

• Nephrite: A calcium-magnesium silicate found in shades of green, grey, cream, purple, and black. Silky and fibrous, it’s often softer but more resilient — it bends rather than breaks.

• Jadeite: A sodium aluminum silicate, typically brighter in hue, most famously seen in the vivid Imperial Jade of Myanmar. It is denser, rarer, and often more valuable than nephrite.

Jadeite was formally identified in the 19th century when French mineralogist Alexis Damour analyzed samples of the harder material sourced from what was then Burma. His research revealed that jade exists in two distinct mineral forms: nephrite, a calcium magnesium iron silicate, and jadeite, a sodium aluminum silicate.

Unlike nephrite, jadeite lacks hydroxyl groups in its crystal structure and forms with shorter, more compact interlocking crystals, a key distinction from nephrite’s elongated, fibrous structure shaped in hydrous geological environments.

Where jadeite dazzles with unflinching brilliance, nephrite whispers like the waters that shaped it, carrying an organic softness and a depth reminiscent of still water beneath forest shade.

2. The Heritage of Old Stock Jade

Old-stock nephrite is not defined by age alone. It is defined by provenance.

These stones were mined decades ago, during a time when deposits were more accessible and lapidary was practiced as a personal craft rather than an industrial process. Over time, extensive earth moving and commercial extraction led to the closure of many historic sources. Much of what remains available today is either lower grade or newly mined with limited traceability or accountability.

Our old-stock nephrite jade comes from earlier collections, as well as material naturally gathered from Pacific Northwest rivers, streams, and ocean sands. These stones were shaped by long geological journeys, carried downstream and polished by water before ever reaching the hand of a cutter.

This results in material with distinct qualities.

• The color is often deeper, more even, and naturally waxy. When polished into cabochons, the surface reveals a luxurious play of reflective flecks, reminiscent of freshly fallen snow.

• The material has also had decades to stabilize naturally, with time spent moving through river systems and into the ocean, reducing internal stress before cutting.

• Each piece carries a lineage, shaped by landscape, movement, and human care.

Owning or working with old-stock nephrite is not simply owning a gemstone. It is holding an artifact of both human and geological history.

3. Jade Across Cultures: Symbolism and Spirit

Few stones have been woven so deeply into human culture as jade. Across continents and stretching back into prehistory, it has consistently symbolized purity, harmony, and immortality. Often regarded as a stone of the gods, jade has also been linked to serpentine imagery, renewal, and the eternal cycles of life and earth.

• In Chinese tradition, jade, known as yù, was revered as the essence of heaven and earth. It adorned emperors, symbolized moral virtue, and was believed to protect the soul in the afterlife. Confucius praised jade for embodying benevolence, wisdom, and courage. One of the most famous examples is the He Shi Bi jade, which was carved in 221 BC and became the Imperial Seal of Qin Shi Huang. This seal was regarded as a physical expression of the emperor’s will and his mandate from heaven.

• In Māori culture, nephrite jade, known as pounamu, was sacred. Passed down through generations as heirlooms and carved into tools, weapons, and pendants, pounamu was believed to carry the mana, or spiritual power, of its ancestors. Its value was not only material, but deeply spiritual and ancestral.

• Among ancient Mesoamerican civilizations such as the Maya and Aztec, as well as Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest, jade was used both as ornament and as tool. Carefully shaped, polished, and sharpened, jade served ceremonial, artistic, and practical purposes, including elite tools and ritual objects associated with authority, protection, and conflict.

In the modern world, jade continues to represent balance, renewal, and grounded abundance, offering a steady presence in an increasingly restless age. To wear jade is to carry centuries of reverence, symbolism, and human connection.

4. The Maker’s Stone: Working with Nephrite Jade

For artisans, nephrite is both a dream and a challenge. It is resilient, fibrous, and deeply responsive to the hand that works it.

Key tips for working with jade:

• Use diamond tools and generous water to prevent heat buildup. This can include a bench grinder with a water feed at the moving wheel, or a dental-style rotary tool or Dremel fitted with diamond-impregnated steel bits. Constant cooling is essential.

• Grind slowly and deliberately. Nephrite’s fibrous structure resists quick shaping, and even slight changes in pressure, speed, or rhythm can alter the cut. A foamy slurry often appears, sometimes obscuring visibility and signalling either a softer area or a momentary loss of focus. Faceting can occur with minimal deviation, making nephrite an unforgiving material. Lower grits can remove material quickly and deeply, while higher grits carry the risk of orange peel texture if rushed.

• For polishing, diamond paste or chrome oxide produces the soft, waxy glow jade is known for, rather than a mirrored or glassy finish. This subdued luster is not a flaw, but the hallmark of well-finished nephrite.

Nephrite is not meant to reflect light, but to hold it quietly. With each refinement, the surface gains depth, and the stone begins to feel alive beneath the fingers.

5. Jade in Modern Jewelry Design

While jade has ancient roots, it thrives beautifully in modern forms. Contemporary jewelry designers are rediscovering its quiet sophistication and spiritual allure, pairing smooth green cabochons with gold, palladium, or platinum, and setting raw cuts into textured silver.

At Lost Ancients Jewelry, we blend traditional reverence with refined, channeled design. Each original piece tells a story that reaches back to a time when fashion was born from artful expression, shaped by both masters and novices across cultures. Our work is created to stand apart, offering patrons pieces that feel personal, powerful, and unmistakably distinctive.

• We fabricate using silver, copper, gold, palladium, and platinum, working artistically through both traditional and contemporary techniques. Carved pendants honor ancestral motifs, cast in gold and silver through the lost-wax process and transformed by the intense heat of the kiln. In this ritual of fire and form, still metal is brought into motion.

• Polished jade cabochons are set into organic, molten metalwork, hand-sculpted and forged through soldering, filing, cutting, and forming with hammers, torches, and saws. Each piece of jade demands its own unique presentation, guiding the design until the stone becomes the clear focal point.

• Some works feature raw jade fragments left partially unshaped, allowing cleavage planes, crystalline formations, host rock, and inclusions to remain visible. These pieces celebrate the meeting of nature and art, inviting the wearer to witness the individuality revealed in every angle and surface. Designed to be worn, displayed, or used ceremonially, jade commands attention through its presence alone.

Each piece serves as both adornment and amulet, bridging ancient worlds into new hands.

6. Metaphysical Properties of Nephrite Jade

Spiritually, jade has long been associated with balance, protection, and wisdom. It is believed to harmonize energy, bringing a sense of calm and steadiness to the emotional body. Closely connected to the heart chakra, jade is often linked with forgiveness, both toward others and toward oneself, encouraging emotional healing that unfolds gently over time.

Jade is also said to attract abundance, not through sudden gain, but through patience, consistency, and right effort. Its energy is thought to support long-term growth rather than quick reward.

It encourages integrity, helping the wearer act in alignment with truth, purpose, and inner values. Rather than amplifying extremes, jade is associated with grounded clarity and ethical strength.

In meditation or ritual work, jade is commonly used to deepen connection with the heart chakra and to embody compassion through action, not just intention.

For makers, working with jade becomes an act of quiet mindfulness. Each grind and polish requires presence and restraint, turning the process itself into a practice of patience, focus, and devotion.

7. How to Care for Nephrite Jade

Jade may be anciently tough, but it appreciates gentle care.

• Clean with a soft cloth and mild soap; avoid harsh chemicals.

• Store separately from harder stones to prevent surface scratches.

• Avoid ultrasonic or steam cleaners — they can damage its internal structure.

• Polish occasionally with a touch of mineral oil to restore its natural sheen.

And above all, wear it often. Jade loves human touch — the warmth of skin deepens its luster over time.

8. The Timeless Allure of Jade

Unlike many gemstones that rise and fall with fashion, jade’s beauty remains timeless. It is humble yet majestic, elegant yet grounded.

Our old-stock nephrite jade pieces are more than jewelry. They are relics reborn, stones mined decades ago, shaped by hand, and thoughtfully reimagined for the present moment.

From mountain stream to river and sea, each piece carries a journey etched into its surface. When you wear jade, you carry the weight of ages, softened by care, shaped by movement, and held with quiet grace.

The Heart of the Earth

Nephrite jade is not a stone you choose. It chooses you.

It hums softly beneath the surface — patient, wise, eternal.

In a world of fleeting trends, jade remains constant. The same cool strength that once graced emperors and ancestors now rests against your skin, whispering of all that endures.

Explore our Old Stock Nephrite Jade Collectio