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Natural inorganic gem materials · Rock / mineral aggregate · Natural identity; treatment status unknown
Albite Jade
A mineral aggregate used as jade, composed mainly of albite; its natural-jade basic name in Table A.2 of GB/T 16552-2017 is “albite jade”. This page compares how the major standards and institutions name it, what must be disclosed when selling it, whether it can be worn every day, how it is treated and identified, and which source each conclusion comes from.
Price, rarity and origin are outside the scope of this wiki.
What this page can answer
This page covers
- How Albite Jade forms and what gives its colourFormation setting, process and timescale; where its colour and optical effects come from, each finding graded and sourced
- Hardness, density and refractive index of Albite JadeEach value with its source and check date
- Albite Jade in English, Chinese and Japanese; national standard namesNames in four languages, the GB/T standard name and the suggested listing name; and: Has any of GIA, FTC, CIBJO or Gem-A put a name for it on record here?
- Listing and disclosing Albite JadeThe listing name to use; what must be disclosed before sale
- Standard clauses that define Albite JadeWhich clause defines it, each cross-checked
What we cannot conclude
- Whether one particular bead is natural, treated or synthetic — only a laboratory report can settle that.
- Geographic origin, unless an origin report accompanies the item.
- Price, rarity or investment value: this wiki covers naming and disclosure only.
Material research: formation, causes and history
What authoritative sources say about how this material forms, what causes its colour and optical effects, where its name comes from and how people have used it. Each statement carries an evidence grade and its sources; it describes the material in general, not any specific piece.
How it forms
Albite jade is a polycrystalline aggregate/rock-type jade dominated by albite (NaAlSi3O8), not a single mineral or mineral species. Albite is the sodium end member of the feldspar group; the feldspar group is among the most important rock-forming minerals of the crust (with potassium feldspar KAlSi3O8, albite NaAlSi3O8 and anorthite CaAl2Si2O8 end members), and CIBJO lists Albite ('see Feldspar') as a natural gem material. The available authority sources give albite's composition and the general occurrence of feldspar, but no dedicated authoritative source on albite jade has been found, so its occurrence and genesis as a jade material (the conditions forming a dense, fine-grained aggregate) are inferences (C) and remain a source gap; same-named commercial material may also vary in composition.
Scope: Applies to defining albite jade as a polycrystalline aggregate/rock-type jade dominated by albite (NaAlSi3O8), and gives the feldspar-group affiliation and general occurrence of albite; does not constitute a conclusion on its specific ore-forming environment or locality.
Sources G&G Winter 2022 · G&G Summer 2024 · CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022
- Fluorescence Characteristics of Two Copper-Diffused Plagioclase Feldspars: Labradorite and Andesine (Gems & Gemology, Winter 2022, Vol. 58, No. 4)
- Gem-Quality Anorthoclase Feldspar from Southeast Vietnam (Gems & Gemology, Summer 2024, Vol. 60, No. 2)
- CIBJO Blue Book — Official Gemstone Book (Coloured Stone Commission 2022)
Where it forms
Albite occurrence: a major rock-forming mineral of the crust, found in igneous and metamorphic rocks (source-supported).
Sources G&G Winter 2022 · G&G Summer 2024
(Inferred) a metamorphic/alteration and recrystallisation setting forming a dense, fine-grained albite aggregate usable as jade — no dedicated source, graded C.
Sources G&G Winter 2022 · G&G Summer 2024
How it forms, step by step
Feldspar-group minerals (the albite end member) crystallise in an igneous or metamorphic setting.
(Inferred) albite undergoes metamorphism/alteration and recrystallisation to form a fine-grained, dense albite aggregate.
(Inferred) this aggregate can be worked as a jade material, commercially called albite jade.
Link to appearance
The appearance is a fine-grained, semi-translucent aggregate whose colour varies with impurities and texture; it is a rock-type jade name, and appearance cannot establish species, origin or treatment.
Sources G&G Winter 2022 · CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022
Timescale
The cited sources give no absolute timescale for albite jade's formation or recrystallisation.
Sources G&G Winter 2022 · G&G Summer 2024
Related base materials
- Albite (NaAlSi3O8): Main component mineral: the sodium end-member of the feldspar group, forming the bulk of albite jade
Supporting findings
The feldspar group is among the most important rock-forming minerals of the crust, with potassium feldspar (KAlSi3O8), albite (NaAlSi3O8) and anorthite (CaAl2Si2O8) end members; albite is its sodium end member.
Evidence grade AScope: A general fact on feldspar-group occurrence and end members; not specific to any albite-jade locality.
Recorded localities
Authoritative sources list the localities below; the list is not exhaustive.
Asia
- Myanmar (associated with primary jadeite deposits)country-level only; Ruili is a trading market, not a source
Sources Journal of Gems & Gemmology (Bao, 2013)
These are localities recorded by authoritative sources, not an origin finding for any individual piece. The CIBJO Gemstone Book (2022, §4.2.3) says a place of origin names where a gem was mined or harvested, is a matter of opinion, does not imply a level of quality, and that cutting, processing or exporting centres must not be used to imply origin. See the origin determination guide and the overview of recorded localities.
Causes of colour and optical effects
Labradorescence originates in alternating exsolution lamellae that form as plagioclase feldspar cools, the so-called Bøggild intergrowth: wider calcic lamellae alternate with thinner sodic ones, their thickness comparable to the wavelength of visible light, and light reflected at the many interfaces interferes to yield colours that change with angle. Lamellar thickness controls the interference colour—adjacent calcic and sodic layers totalling about 150 nm give blue.
Evidence grade AScope: The mechanism rests on general studies of exsolution textures in plagioclase feldspars and explains the optics of labradorescence only; it does not establish locality, natural origin, or treatment of any particular stone.
Albite jade is dominated by albite, a sodic plagioclase of the feldspar group; because its exsolution lamellae are finer than those of typical labradorite, any iridescence it shows tends to be faint and whitish (the more sodic peristerite case), whereas the saturated, sharply angle-dependent labradorescence is tied to more calcic labradorite. The iridescence of albite jade thus shares the exsolution-lamellae mechanism of its parent feldspar, though its strength differs from true labradorite, and no source dedicated to the trade name 'albite jade' has been found.
Evidence grade AScope: With no source specific to the trade name 'albite jade', the claim does not assert labradorescence in any particular albite-jade stone, nor does it establish locality, natural origin, or treatment.
Other research findings
Albite jade is dominated by albite (NaAlSi3O8, the sodium end member of the feldspar group) and is a polycrystalline aggregate/rock-type jade rather than a single mineral.
Evidence grade CScope: Albite's composition is a source fact, but 'albite-dominant jade material' is inferred (no dedicated source), so the claim is graded C.
Albite jade is a rock-type jade/commercial material name, not a mineral species; same-named commercial material may vary in composition.
Evidence grade CScope: A classification statement; no dedicated source, and 'jade' is a multi-material generic term.
Sources CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022
Overall, albite jade is an albite-dominant polycrystalline aggregate/rock-type jade whose genesis and locality lack a dedicated authority source; this record gives only the compositional definition and general feldspar facts.
Evidence grade CScope: A multi-source summary (with inference); genesis/locality are unsourced and must not be treated as quantitative.
Limits of this research
- Research status: Formation, occurrence or other material-specific findings found in authoritative sources
- The cited sources do not specifically address albite jade; its composition (albite-dominant) and its genesis as a jade material are supported only by albite's composition and general feldspar occurrence, and its formation/locality are grade-C inferences.
- Albite jade is a rock-type jade/commercial material name, not a mineral species; there is no dedicated authority source and same-named commercial material may vary.
- Deposit-specific locality, formation conditions, and absolute age/duration for albite jade are lacking.
Methodology
- Origin determination and its limits
- Quality grading and value factors
- How gemmology became a technical discipline
Evidence grades
- A
- Standards bodies, government geological surveys, peer-reviewed research and museum records
- B
- Institutional educational material
- C
- Specialist databases or cautious readings
A statement is never graded above its strongest source.
This section is LumaLark's own factual restatement of public authoritative sources, credited item by item; it contains no verbatim excerpts, images or third-party logos.
DecideListing name, disclosure, care and treatments
- Suggested listing name
- Albite jade
GB/T 16552—2017 Table A.2 “Albite Jade” · CIBJO Gemmological Laboratories Book 2024 7.1.4
Construction or treatment status
Natural identity; treatment status unknown
Related:Disclosure and cautions
This page cannot answer
Natural? · Origin · Price
A lab report settles these; this wiki covers naming and disclosure.
Related:What this page can answer
Answer at a glance
Albite Jade is Albite-dominant aggregate used as jade material; use "Albite jade" for listings, and disclose any known treatments.
Evidence
- GB/T · Table A.2, row 钠长石玉 (Albite Jade)
What this means for you
Before buying, check the recommended listing name "Albite jade" and any disclosed treatments on this page, and ask the seller for a grading report if in doubt.
Known uncertainty
- Last reviewed
- 2026-09-01
Care and wear
No care facts are recorded for this entry itself. Its parent material has care records: see Albite.
VerifyNames, standards, technical facts, clauses and sources
Names
Standard and listing namesThe Chinese formal name for Albite Jade comes from GB/T 16552—2017 Table A.2, and the suggested listing name is Albite Jade. Trade and mineralogical namesThe mineralogical name refers to a mineral aggregate composed mainly of albite and used as a jade material. Names in four languagesNames are given in Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, English (Albite Jade) and Japanese. Institution usageOn authority wording, the FTC and CIBJO texts contain no wording for Albite Jade (checked), while GIA and Gem-A are unchecked; bodies without a recorded wording show the entry's own English name for Albite Jade, which does not represent their position. Japanese namesThe entry has its own Japanese name, and the wording used by GSJ (Japan) for this name has not yet been verified.
- GSJ (Japan) formal name
- アルバイト・ジェード／曹長石質玉 (not yet checked for this body — the entry's own Japanese name is shown)
- Chinese formal name
- 钠长石玉 (GB/T 16552—2017 Table A.2)
- Mineralogical name
- Albite-dominant aggregate used as jade material
Four-language names
- 简体中文
- 钠长石玉
- 繁體中文
- 鈉長石玉
- English
- Albite Jade
- 日本語
- アルバイト・ジェード／曹長石質玉
See also: Misleading and prohibited trade names · Supplementary name index
Classification
- Origin
- Natural materials
- Material domain
- Natural inorganic gem materials
- Browsing family
- Jade materials
- Identity tier
- Rock / mineral aggregate
- Mineral chemical class
- Silicates
- Construction or treatment status
- Natural identity; treatment status unknown
What it is and how it's identified
Material facts for Albite Jade are registered under GB/T 16553—2017. Chemical composition is albite (NaAlSi3O8) and the structure is a crystalline aggregate; Mohs hardness is 6, and this site notes that hardness alone is not enough to judge durability; density is 2.6–2.63 g/cm³. Optical character is an anisotropic aggregate and refractive index 1.527–1.542; this site notes that the cited clause has finer sub-ranges and the overall value is registered. Birefringence is not measurable for an aggregate. For untreated Albite Jade, pleochroism is likewise not measurable for an aggregate, fluorescence is none, magnification shows a fibrous or granular structure and mineral inclusions, body colour is greyish white, greenish greyish white, greyish green, white, colourless and similar, and lustre is greasy to vitreous. The UV-visible spectrum is not diagnostic, and the infrared spectrum shows the characteristic albite absorption bands in the mid-infrared. This site also notes that in GB/T 16553—2017 the colour item for varieties such as chlorite, hauyne and talc also mentions white or whitish colours.
Registered material facts
Each row carries its own source and check date and can be cited on its own; “—” means the cited source gives no value, not “none”.
Definition
Albite Jade — composition (chemistry): albite:NaAlSi3O8.
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
Source & check 2026-09-21
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.2.10 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Structure
Albite Jade — structure (overall): crystalline aggregate
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
Source & check 2026-09-21
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.2.10 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Durability
Albite Jade — Mohs hardness: 6
GB/T 16553—2017
Reference points on this site: Talc 1–3, Fluorite 4, Apatite 5–5.5, Orthoclase 6–6.5, Topaz 8, Diamond 10 (Source: GB/T 16553—2017); Gypsum 1.5–2, Calcite 3, Quartz 7 (Source: Handbook of Mineralogy); Corundum 9 (Source: GIA Gem Encyclopedia (care guide))
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- General note
- hardness only, not durability
Source & check 2026-09-21
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.2.10 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Physical properties
Albite Jade — density: 2.6–2.63 g/cm³
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
Source & check 2026-09-21
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.2.10 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Optical
Albite Jade — optic character: anisotropic aggregate
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
Source & check 2026-09-21
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.2.10 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Albite Jade — refractive index: 1.527–1.542
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- General note
- the clause has finer ranges
Source & check 2026-09-21
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.2.10 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Albite Jade — birefringence: not measurable on an aggregate
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
Source & check 2026-09-21
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.2.10 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Albite Jade — pleochroism: not measurable on an aggregate
GB/T 16553—2017
- Treatment state
- untreated
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
Source & check 2026-09-21
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.2.10 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Albite Jade — fluorescence (overall): none
GB/T 16553—2017
- Treatment state
- untreated
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
Source & check 2026-09-21
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.2.10 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Albite Jade — spectrum (UV-visible): non-characteristic
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
Source & check 2026-09-21
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.2.10 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Albite Jade — spectrum (infrared): The mid-IR spectrum shows the absorption bands typical of albite
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
Source & check 2026-09-21
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.2.10 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Albite Jade — magnification: fibrous or granular structure, mineral inclusions
GB/T 16553—2017
- Treatment state
- untreated
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
Source & check 2026-09-21
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.2.10 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Albite Jade — body colour: grey-white, grey-green-white, grey-green, white, colorless, etc.
GB/T 16553—2017
- Treatment state
- untreated
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- Qualification
In chapter 5 of GB/T 16553—2017, the colour entries of Chlorite, Haüyne, Talc and other variety clauses also name white or a whitish colour.
- General note
- colour alone is not identity
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.2.10 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Quality factors
Albite Jade — quality factor (lustre): greasy to vitreous
GB/T 16553—2017
- Treatment state
- untreated
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
Source & check 2026-09-21
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.2.10 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Each row's “Source & check” expands to the full source; the date beside it is the fact check date.
This material (RI / SG midpoints): 1.534 / 2.62; Closest values: 1Amethyst 1.548 / 2.67, 2Charoite 1.554 / 2.66, 3Changhua Stone 1.56 / 2.6, 4Balin Stone 1.56 / 2.55, 5Shoushan Stone 1.56 / 2.7
Show the full chart (330 registered materials)
Outside the full chart's range, drawn as triangles at the edge (RI / SG midpoints): Hematite 3.045/5.12, Synthetic Rutile 2.76/4.26, Rutile 2.753/4.23, Synthetic Moissanite 2.67/3.22
Clause-level definitions
The clause-level definition of Albite Jade comes from GB/T 16552-2017 Annex A, where the term is listed as Albite Jade and summarised as an albite-dominant aggregate used as jade material; the cross-check shows that GB/T lists the name directly, while no standalone CIBJO entry under the same name was found. As registered under GB/T 16552-2017 Annex A, Albite Jade is a mineral aggregate made up mainly of albite and used as jade material; CIBJO gives no clause-level definition under a standalone entry of the same name.
This table scrolls sideways on narrow screens.
| Term | Clause | Definition | Cross-check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albite Jade | GB/T 16552-2017 Annex A | Albite-dominant aggregate used as jade material | Listed directly by GB/T; CIBJO carries no standalone entry under the same name. |
Evidence and sources
Authority basis and clause sources
Sources
- CIBJO – The World Jewellery Confederation. Gemmological Laboratories Book (Blue Book), Gemmological Commission 2024-1.
- CIBJO – The World Jewellery Confederation. The Gemstone Book (Blue Book), 2022.
- SAMR / SAC (China). GB/T 16552—2017 Gems — Nomenclature.
- RRUFF Project, in partnership with the IMA – International Mineralogical Association. IMA Mineral List.
- Geological Survey of Japan, AIST (Japan). Museum mineral specimens, browse by classification.
Further reading
Related entries and topic cluster
Parent entry and related pages on this site. Rows marked “Planned” are suggested new content and have no link yet.
Related-entry tree for Albite on this site: 2 entries listed by this site's parent-entry links; synthetic, treated and similar entries carry their recorded state after the name; this page (Albite Jade) is marked.
- Albite
Sub-entries (1)
- Albite Jade
This table scrolls sideways on narrow screens.
| Page | Content | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Browsing family | Jade materials | Live |
| Related articles | To be added (placeholder) | Planned |
Who maintains this page
The material facts in the Albite Jade entry are maintained by the LumaLark wiki and matched one by one to the standard clauses or institutional sources they cite: every fact carries its source (with a clause or page locator) and a check date, so it can be traced back to the original; clause-level definitions also carry a cross-check result. The entry exists so that buyers and sellers can check naming, disclosure and material facts item by item.