A jade pendant 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 pendant 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. The jadeite is the most expensive and more the 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 sought after by those who can afford them. A jade pendant consisting of a smooth, rich emerald green gem is very expensive. A jadeite pendant 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 pendant.

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 the true Chinese 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. Unlike the rich emerald green of jadeite, nephrite is more of a sober green.

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 pendant of the nephrite variety.

Many online jewelry boutiques feature beautiful, eye-catching jade pendants of the nephrite variety, imported directly from China. Online jewelry boutiques and jewelers usually feature a variety of jade pendants you can choose from at affordable prices. An affordable pendant 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 pendant you like and suits your budget.