Nephrite

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Nephrite from Jordanów (Jordansmühl), Lower Silesia, Poland
Kidney-shaped nephrite from the Santa Lucia Mountains , Monterey County , California, USA
Māori fish hook made of nephrite

As nephrite is called a solid solution of the seamless mixed batch of minerals tremolite and actinolite . It is not recognized as a standalone mineral by the International Mineralogical Association (IMA).

If nephrite is present as a mass of interlaced microcrystalline fibers, it is called jade . This material, also known as nephrite jade, is processed into coveted gemstones and craft items, but chemically differs significantly from jade , which is mainly made of jadeite . The colors of nephrite are caused by chromium and iron and range from gray-green to dark green to almost black, but the color can also turn red-brown.

Etymology and history

The name nephrite comes from the Greek νεφρός nephros and translated means kidney . An old popular belief says the stone has healing and strengthening effects, especially on the kidneys, urinary tract and bladder. Some esotericists also believe in its effectiveness as a healing stone for eyesight, creativity and the like. a. as well as a protective stone , which however has not been scientifically proven.

Stone axes made of nephrite were coveted in Neolithic Europe and, because of their rare occurrence, valuable tools.

Based on travel reports by Georg Forster , it became known at the end of the 18th century that the natives of New Zealand used nephrite to make chisels, hatchets and battle axes ( pattu-pattuhs ) from it. On the assumption that this nephrite must be a variety, it was therefore given various proper names in the mineralogical records, such as Beilstein after Werner , Punammustein after Blumenbach or Punamu nephrite after Reuss . The latter are a modification of the Māori name pounamu as a collective term for different types of jade ( Waitaiki ), bowenite ( Tangiwai ) and serpentine . The name of the South Island of New Zealand ( Te-Wai pounamu , "land [of] Pounamu") refers to the location of the stones on the west coast of the same.

Varieties

Nephrite with inclusions of magnetite is called magnetite jade .

Russian jade is the trade name for rich green nephrite from the Russian Federation .

literature

  • Walter Schumann: Precious stones and gemstones. All kinds and varieties. 1900 unique pieces . 16th revised edition. BLV Verlag, Munich 2014, ISBN 978-3-8354-1171-5 , pp. 172 .
  • Jaroslav Bauer, Vladimír Bouška: Gemstone Guide . Verlag Werner Dausien, Hanau / Main 1993, ISBN 3-7684-2206-2 , p. 144 .
  • Hans Lüschen: The names of the stones. The mineral kingdom in the mirror of language . 2nd Edition. Ott Verlag, Thun 1979, ISBN 3-7225-6265-1 , p. 243 .

Web links

Commons : Nephrit  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ A valuable jade ax from the Neolithic Age discovered in the Mühlviertel. derStandard.at, December 29, 2015, accessed April 30, 2017 .