A 19.6 carat nephrite jade — 21.54 ratti — at Rs. 8,850, about Rs. 452 per carat.

What makes a stone worth collecting rather than wearing

This one is distinctive rather than flawless, and that is the point. The body reads mid-green — 54 out of 255 for brightness, between the darkest stone here at 42 and the lightest at 84 — with 92% green coverage and a scatter of darker mineral specks through the surface. Those specks are chromite or magnetite inclusions, common in nephrite and usually treated as a fault.

A collector looks at them differently. They are evidence the stone is natural nephrite rather than treated or reconstituted material, they make this piece identifiable among a thousand others, and they record something about the rock it came from. A perfectly even green tells you almost nothing.

Nephrite against jadeite, for anyone comparing

Nephrite is a calcium-magnesium-iron silicate built from interlocking fibres. Jadeite is a sodium-aluminium silicate with a granular texture. Jadeite commands higher prices — our jadeite-grade listings run around Rs. 600 per carat against roughly Rs. 450 here — but nephrite is the tougher of the two, and historically the more important: almost all archaic Chinese jade and every neolithic jade tool is nephrite, not jadeite.

Size

Just under twenty carats is large enough to show the speckling properly and heavy enough to sit as a pendant centre or a display piece rather than an everyday ring stone.

Rate and care

Rs. 452 per carat, within the Rs. 442 to Rs. 457 band this whole category occupies. Warm water, mild soap and a soft cloth; no ultrasonic cleaner, no steam. Treatment has not been tested on this stone, which we record rather than calling it untreated. No documented origin is held for it. Dimensions and clarity are not recorded yet — ask us and we will measure.

This particular stone

This listing is one natural nephrite with a weight of 19.6 Carat. Its price is Rs. 8,850 — roughly Rs. 452 for each carat. Treatment: treatment not tested. Quote reference GS-NE-0012 when you message us about it. The photographs show this exact stone, so what arrives at your door is the piece you chose on screen.

Above twelve carats you are into collector territory. Pieces this heavy are usually set as pendants or kept loose, and they are prized for the size of rough they came from. If you do set it, choose a bezel or a heavy claw to protect the edges.

On the Mohs scale nephrite rates 6 to 6.5. That is middle-of-the-road hardness: comfortable in pendants and earrings, and in rings worn with some care. Store it apart from harder stones so it does not pick up scratches, and wipe it with a damp cloth rather than scrubbing.

Whoever you buy nephrite from, make sure of three things: the stone is natural rather than lab-grown, glass or glass-filled; any treatment is stated in writing; and the weight quoted is the weight of the finished stone. We check every nephrite for those three points before it is listed, a certificate is available on request, and because you pay on delivery you can look at the stone — or have it tested — before any money changes hands.

We sell natural stones only and inspect each one before it is listed. Treatment for this stone: Treatment not tested. Certificate available on request. As general background (not a statement about this stone): Nephrite is usually untreated, though some is dyed or waxed. Ask us on WhatsApp and we will tell you what we know about this exact stone; independent lab testing is available on request.

A certificate of authenticity is available on request for this stone, and independent laboratory testing can be arranged. Because you pay on delivery, you can also take the stone to a lab of your choice within the 7-day return window. Read more on our authenticity page.