There’s such rich meaning and symbolism behind the material. Its durability contributes to vast appreciation seen in Chinese and even Mexican culture. Jade is used in a wide array of jewelry, hair pins, carvings of religious ceremony and comes in multiple shades of color. 

For thousands of years, jade was the diamonds and gold of the Chinese culture. It was considered a royal gem. Jade was precious enough to be adorned as jewelry and tough enough to be applied to weaponry used for battle. It is considered such a powerful element that it can protect those living or past. Jade was adorned on jewelry to indicate social status. Parents even gifted jade jewelry to their children as protection from evil spirits. 

Even more powerful is its influence that jade has also been featured in Mayan culture and also discovered in New Zealand. Such tribes thought jade to be far more valuable than Western culture gold currency. 

When shopping for jade, it is important to know its value by the color and other characteristics. This is especially important to learn when so many online artisan shops have been extremely common. Consider transparency, texture or smoothness. Even color is important when it comes to making the right purchase. 

While jade comes in many colors that vary from green to pink, the color consistency determines the value. Jade that has a mix of color is not as valuable as jade that comes in solids. Depending on where you live, the color value varies. In the United States the green jade seems to be more valuable. However, in Asian culture, the whiter the jade the better the grade!