ForMatter/Materials/gemstone/Nephrite Jade
mat_gem_jade_nephrite

Nephrite Jade

tremolite-actinolite (Ca₂(Mg,Fe)₅Si₈O₂₂(OH)₂), fibrous aggregate, opaque · nephrite, Chinese jade (historical), Hetian jade, tremolite-actinolite jade
highlast updated 2026-04-27
metallic 0.00
hue shift +0°

The other "jade" — chemically distinct from jadeite, structurally even tougher (a felted mat of microscopic amphibole fibers, almost impossible to cleave), and the jade of Chinese antiquity. Hetian nephrite from the Tarim Basin has been mined and worked for over 3000 years and is the cultural jade of the Confucian classics. Less vivid in color than jadeite — typically olive green, white ("mutton fat"), or yellow — but more carving-tolerant.

Tremolite-actinolite series amphibole (Ca₂(Mg,Fe)₅Si₈O₂₂(OH)₂), monoclinic crystal system, fibrous-felted microstructure. Mohs 6–6.5 (slightly softer than jadeite). Specific gravity 2.95–3.10 (less dense than jadeite — diagnostic test). The fibrous matrix gives nephrite extraordinary toughness — it resists chipping and impact better than nearly any other gem material despite the moderate hardness.

mechanical

  • mohs_hardness6.25
  • specific_gravity3.0
source: GIA

Sustainability

  • embodied carbon kg co2e per kg1.2
  • 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
  • biodegradableFalse
  • localityprimary mining: China (Hetian, Xinjiang), Russia, Canada (British Columbia), New Zealand (pounamu)
visual
olive green, mutton-fat white, yellow, gray; lower color saturation than jadeite
tactile
cool, dense, with characteristic "oily" / soapy surface feel under polishing

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        #5a7050
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": "#5a7050",
  "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
# Nephrite Jade · finish: matte
import bpy
mat = bpy.data.materials.new(name="mat_gem_jade_nephrite")
mat.use_nodes = True
bsdf = mat.node_tree.nodes["Principled BSDF"]
bsdf.inputs["Base Color"].default_value         = (0.1022, 0.162, 0.0802, 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
# Nephrite Jade · finish: matte
# Run from Window → Scripting Console
import lux
mat = lux.createMaterial(name="mat_gem_jade_nephrite", materialType="Generic")
mat.setProperty("diffuse",      (90, 112, 80))   # 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": "Nephrite Jade \u00b7 finish: matte",
  "baseColor": {
    "r": 0.1022,
    "g": 0.162,
    "b": 0.0802
  },
  "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_nephrite",
      "pbrMetallicRoughness": {
        "baseColorFactor": [
          0.1022,
          0.162,
          0.0802,
          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
# Nephrite Jade · finish: matte
def Material "mat_gem_jade_nephrite" {
    token outputs:surface.connect = </mat_gem_jade_nephrite/PreviewSurface.outputs:surface>

    def Shader "PreviewSurface" {
        uniform token info:id = "UsdPreviewSurface"
        color3f inputs:diffuseColor = (0.1022, 0.162, 0.0802)
        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
Jadeite (Imperial Jade)

Citations