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Amphibole interlocking into jade

Nature Geoscience volume 17, page 109 (2024)Cite this article

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Nephrite jade is a semi-precious gemstone composed of tiny crystals and needles of amphibole. Here, Matthew Tarling and Steven Smith describe how its origins lead to inner toughness and beauty.

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Fig. 1: Nephrite jade is an ultra-tough monomineralic rock composed of the tremolite-actinolite series of amphibole.

Adapted from ref. 7 under a Creative Commons licence CC BY 4.0

References

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  5. Coleman, R. G. New Zealand Serpentinites and Associated Metasomatic Rocks (Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, 1966).

  6. Leaming, S. F. Jade in Canada (Energy, Mines and Resources Canada, 1978).

  7. Tarling, M. S. et al. Sci. Rep. 12, 7823 (2022).

  8. Cox, S. C. & Nibourel, L. N. Z. J. Geol. and Geophys. 58, 154–175 (2015).

  9. Fu, Q., Beall, G. H. & Smith, C. M. MRS Bull. 42, 220–225 (2017).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada

    Matthew S. Tarling

  2. GeoSmith Editing, Casaccia, Switzerland

    Steven A. F. Smith

Authors
  1. Matthew S. Tarling
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  2. Steven A. F. Smith
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Correspondence to Matthew S. Tarling or Steven A. F. Smith.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Tarling, M.S., Smith, S.A.F. Amphibole interlocking into jade. Nat. Geosci. 17, 109 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-024-01373-w

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