NEPHRITE— JADEITE—CHLOROMELANITE 465 



occurrence here is probably in serpentine. The third locaHty is on Lake Punamu, in the 

 province of Otago. New Zealand nephrite is exported to Europe and there fashioned into 

 objects of all kinds. In these islands there are found two other green stones similar in 

 appearance to nephrite but differing in chemical composition. These stones are known to 

 the natives by the names " kawakawa " and " tangiwai " ; they are often mistaken for 

 nephrite and used instead of this stone. 



Nephrite, both in the worked and in the rough condition, is found at many other 

 localities in this part of the world. It occurs, for example, in situ in New Caledonia, New 

 Guinea, the Marquesas Islands, the New Hebrides, the Society Islands, and Tasmania ; but 

 the occurrence in New Zealand is by far the most important. 



An extraordinary number of minerals exhibited in collections are incorrectly labelled 

 as nephrite. Almost every mineral which is compact, slightly translucent, and of a colour 

 more or less resembling some shade of nephrite, has at one time or another been set down 

 as nephrite, among other minerals so misnamed being different varieties of quartz, agate, 

 serpentine, and zoisite. The hardness and specific gravity of true nephrite afford a means 

 whereby it may be distinguished from other minerals with little difficulty. Nephrite is, or 

 was, imitated in China by a glass paste called " pate de riz," which is very similar to true 

 nephrite, but appreciably harder. For a long time jadeite, chloromelanite, and nephrite 

 were included under the common term jade ; the differences between these minerals will be 

 explained later. 



It will be gathered from what has been said above that in remote bygone ages nephrite 

 had a vei-y extensive application, both for ornamental and utilitarian purposes. This is 

 still the case in the Orient generally, and in China particularly, also among semi-civilised 

 peoples ; but in Europe the stone is but little used for any purpose. The fine green 

 varieties, especially those from New Zealand, are occasionally cut en cabochon for ring-stones 

 and pins, and whole rings are sometimes carved out of nephrite ; but more frequently it is 

 fashioned into small articles such as paper-knives and letter-weights. Nephrite ornaments 

 are, generally, of little value, but very high prices are often paid in Europe for beautiful 

 examples of Chinese art, the value of such articles lying not in the nephrite of which they 

 are made, but in the marvellous workmanship they display. 



In China the reverse is the case, and nephrite has an intrinsic value apart from the 

 work expended upon it. " Yu" is an article of considerable commercial importance, and 

 each colour and shade has a particular name and price. The most highly esteemed variety 

 is of a pure milk-white colour and has the greasy lustre of hog's-lard. According to 

 Bogdanovitch pebbles of this quality fetch as much as 200 roubles. The task of working 

 such tough material is arduous indeed ; for rough cutting double the weight of material 

 removed is paid in silver; for finishing the expense depends upon the fineness of the work. 

 It is not surprising, therefore, that articles carved out of nephrite are not cheap, even in 

 China, and that they are still less so in Europe. 



JADEITE. CHLOROMELANITE. 



Jadeite and chloromelanite are very similar to nephrite in external appearance and in 

 hardness, toughness, &c. By French mineralogists all three are included under the name 

 jade, and this significance for the term has been often accepted elsewhere. Since the 

 differences between the three minerals are now recognised the term jade has been given to 

 nephrite, and is accepted as a synonym for nephrite. The word is derived from the Spanish 



