A jade necklace has tremendous allure and is eye catching. Jade is a translucent to opaque gem. Jade jewelry has been long revered by the Chinese. The gem is an important part of the Chinese wedding ceremony. According to Chinese, the stone is considered the concentrated essence of love. You can purchase an affordable or a very expensive necklace because there are two varieties of jade you can choose from. The two varieties of jade are jadeite and nephrite

The two gems are distinctly different from each other by weight, hardness, and color range. However, both varieties are called jade. Jadeite is the most expensive and the more desirable variety. Fine jadeite comes from Burma. Even though most people associate the color green with jade, but the gem occurs in a wide range of natural colors, including pink, brown, yellow, orange, mauve, mottled green with white, whitish gray and lilac.

The most desirable color of jade is a rich emerald green, sometimes referred to as imperial jade. Evenly colored jadeite gems are highly prized and are highly sought after by those who can afford them. A jade necklace consisting of a smooth, rich emerald green gem is very expensive. A jadeite necklace can cost thousands of dollars. Only the rich and the famous and connoisseurs of fine jade can afford to spend that much money for a necklace.

Mottled pieces of irregular shades of green jade are less valuable. The mottled variety is often seen carved. The mottled variety is rare and more valuable than nephrite jade. Nephrite is much more common, and therefore much less expensive than jadeite. Nevertheless, nephrite is popular and is used extensively in jade jewelry and carvings. Nephrite is more of a sober green than jadeite.

Nephrite is usually fashioned in cabochon cut, or round beads, or carvings. It is regularly seen in darker shades. Nephrite is an affordable type of jade jewelry, especially if you cannot afford fine jadeite. Thus, you can purchase you a beautiful jade necklace of the nephrite variety.

Many online jewelry boutiques usually feature affordable beautiful, eye-catching jade necklaces of the nephrite variety, imported directly from China. An affordable necklace makes for the perfect gift for any special occasion such as Birthdays, Graduations or Mother’s Day. Thus, you should not hesitate to browse the jade jewelry to find a necklace you like and that suits your budget.