Jade in B.C.

What is Jade?

Jade is a commercial term encompassing green, white, black or yellow-brown jadeite and nephrite. Jadeitite is a rock that consists essentially of jadeite (sodium-rich, high-pressure pyroxene), whereas nephrite consists of prismatic to acicular amphiboles of the tremolite-actinolite series forming bundles that are randomly oriented and interlocked. All of the known jade deposits in B.C. are of the nephrite variety.
Jade has been used since Neolithic times for jewelry and tool making. Today, the best material is used as gemstones. Large quantities are used for carving and ornamental stone or for table tops. Industrial grade material is used for tile making.

Geology and Origin
Nephrite occurs at over fifty sites in B.C. in bedrock, boulder fields and talus. The bedrock occurrences are typically lens shaped and occur at or near contacts of mafic-ultramafic rocks (mainly serpentinite) with metasedimentary or igneous felsic rocks.
Nephrite formed by metasomatic exchange between ultramafic and silica-bearing rocks within the Mississippian to Jurassic age oceanic Cache Creek and Slide Mountain terranes of B.C.
High pressure blueschist or eclogite grade metamorphic rocks, favourable for jadeitite exploration, are found in the Bridge River, Pinchi Lake, Dease Lake and Jennings River areas of B.C.

Known jade mineral occurrences are documented in the B.C. Geological Survey's MINFILE database which is available on the Ministry's website at www.em.gov.bc.ca/mining/geolsurv/minfile
Click to view the Jade in B.C. Map