ForMatter/Materials/gemstone/Jadeite (Imperial Jade)
mat_gem_jade_jadeite

Jadeite (Imperial Jade)

jadeite (NaAlSi₂O₆), interlocking microcrystalline aggregate, opaque · imperial jade, Burmese jade, Type A jade
highlast updated 2026-04-27
metallic 0.00
hue shift +0°

One of two minerals the word "jade" covers — the other is nephrite. Jadeite is rarer, harder, more vivid, and culturally the more valuable. "Imperial jade" — the saturated emerald-green Burmese variety — is the most expensive jade in the world, and the Chinese jadeite market sets prices that look more like fine-art auctions than gemstone trade. Type A jadeite is unenhanced; B and C are bleached / dyed and disclosed.

NaAlSi₂O₆ pyroxene-group, monoclinic crystal system, occurs as interlocking microcrystalline aggregate (jadeite-rock). Mohs 6.5–7. Specific gravity 3.30–3.36 (denser than nephrite — the diagnostic test). Color from Cr³⁺ (imperial green) or Fe (lavender, gray). Type B (polymer-impregnated) and C (dyed) treatments disclosed in the trade.

mechanical

  • mohs_hardness6.75
  • specific_gravity3.33
source: GIA Jadeite Quality Factors

Sustainability

  • embodied carbon kg co2e per kg1.5
  • sourceEditorial estimate from ICE / Granta CES EduPack class databases — industry mean, with cradle-to-gate boundary unless otherwise noted. Embodied carbon for any specific product depends on supplier mix, recycled content, and energy grid; verify against a primary source before using these numbers in a sustainability claim.
  • recyclabilityhigh — secondhand market mature in Asia
  • biodegradableFalse
  • certificationsGIA jade-quality report
  • localityprimary mining: Myanmar (Hpakant, Kachin State); secondary: Guatemala, Russia
visual
translucent saturated green at imperial grade; lavender, white, black, and red also occur
tactile
cool, smooth, dense

PBR starter values

Principled BSDF defaults derived from the sphere matte finish. Reasonable seed for Blender, Substance, Keyshot, Rhino — tune per material.

# finish:      matte
albedo        #3aa07a
metallic      0.00
roughness     0.75
ior           1.45
transmission  0.00
clearcoat     0.00
sheen         0.00
anisotropic   0.00
copy as JSON 
{
  "albedo": "#3aa07a",
  "metallic": 0.0,
  "roughness": 0.75,
  "ior": 1.45,
  "transmission": 0.0,
  "clearcoat": 0.0,
  "sheen": 0.0,
  "anisotropic": 0.0
}
Blender 4.x Python 
# Blender 4.x — Principled BSDF
# Jadeite (Imperial Jade) · finish: matte
import bpy
mat = bpy.data.materials.new(name="mat_gem_jade_jadeite")
mat.use_nodes = True
bsdf = mat.node_tree.nodes["Principled BSDF"]
bsdf.inputs["Base Color"].default_value         = (0.0423, 0.3515, 0.1946, 1.0)
bsdf.inputs["Metallic"].default_value           = 0.000
bsdf.inputs["Roughness"].default_value          = 0.750
bsdf.inputs["IOR"].default_value                = 1.450
bsdf.inputs["Transmission Weight"].default_value = 0.000
bsdf.inputs["Coat Weight"].default_value        = 0.000
bsdf.inputs["Sheen Weight"].default_value       = 0.000
bsdf.inputs["Anisotropic"].default_value        = 0.000
KeyShot Python (lux) 
# KeyShot 11+ — lux Python API, Generic material
# Jadeite (Imperial Jade) · finish: matte
# Run from Window → Scripting Console
import lux
mat = lux.createMaterial(name="mat_gem_jade_jadeite", materialType="Generic")
mat.setProperty("diffuse",      (58, 160, 122))   # 8-bit sRGB
mat.setProperty("metallic",     0.000)
mat.setProperty("roughness",    0.750)
mat.setProperty("indexOfRefraction", 1.450)
mat.setProperty("transparency", 0.000)
mat.setProperty("coatingWeight", 0.000)
Substance pbrMetalRough 
{
  "_format": "Substance Designer / Painter \u2014 pbrMetalRough constants",
  "_about": "Jadeite (Imperial Jade) \u00b7 finish: matte",
  "baseColor": {
    "r": 0.0423,
    "g": 0.3515,
    "b": 0.1946
  },
  "metallic": 0.0,
  "roughness": 0.75,
  "ior": 1.45,
  "opacity": 1.0,
  "anisotropyLevel": 0.0,
  "_notes": "Channels listed are the standard Substance pbrMetalRough output. Drop into a Uniform Color node per channel, or as the constant input on a layered stack."
}
glTF 2.0 Metallic-Roughness 
{
  "asset": {
    "version": "2.0",
    "generator": "ForMatter"
  },
  "materials": [
    {
      "name": "mat_gem_jade_jadeite",
      "pbrMetallicRoughness": {
        "baseColorFactor": [
          0.0423,
          0.3515,
          0.1946,
          1.0
        ],
        "metallicFactor": 0.0,
        "roughnessFactor": 0.75
      },
      "extensions": {
        "KHR_materials_ior": {
          "ior": 1.45
        }
      }
    }
  ]
}
USD Preview Surface 
# USD Preview Surface — UsdShade.MaterialLook prim attributes
# Jadeite (Imperial Jade) · finish: matte
def Material "mat_gem_jade_jadeite" {
    token outputs:surface.connect = </mat_gem_jade_jadeite/PreviewSurface.outputs:surface>

    def Shader "PreviewSurface" {
        uniform token info:id = "UsdPreviewSurface"
        color3f inputs:diffuseColor = (0.0423, 0.3515, 0.1946)
        float   inputs:metallic     = 0.000
        float   inputs:roughness    = 0.750
        float   inputs:ior          = 1.450
        float   inputs:opacity      = 1.000
        float   inputs:clearcoat    = 0.000
        token   outputs:surface
    }
}
↓ download glTF material
Substitutes
Nephrite Jade

Citations