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Natural inorganic gem materials · Rock / mineral aggregate · Natural identity; treatment status unknown
Maw-sit-sit
A chromium-rich multi-mineral rock related to Jadeite, not pure Jadeite; CIBJO Gemmological Laboratories Book 2024 §7.2.1.145 lists it as its own entry, Maw-sit-sit. 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 Maw-sit-sit forms and what gives its colourFormation setting, process and timescale, each finding graded and sourced
- How to identify Maw-sit-sitIdentification points from the research literature
- Maw-sit-sit in English, Chinese and Japanese; national standard namesNames in four languages, the GB/T standard name and the suggested listing name; and: Which of GIA, FTC, CIBJO and Gem-A have a name for it on record, and do those agree?
- Listing and disclosing Maw-sit-sitThe listing name to use; what must be disclosed before sale
- Standard clauses that define Maw-sit-sitWhich 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
Maw-sit-sit is a rock, a polymineralic aggregate associated with jadeitite and similar in look to kosmochlor-jadeitite, occurring in the Myanmar Jade Belt. In a 2015 investigation the samples examined were made up chiefly of albite and chromium-omphacite, with a little amphibole (eckermannite and richterite), and showed neither jadeite nor relict chromite. Two stages are invoked for its origin. First, in a subduction zone at high pressure and low temperature (HP/LT), fluids rich in Na-Al-Si react by metasomatism with chromite-bearing serpentinite protoliths, yielding a first assemblage of jadeite, Cr-omphacite and amphiboles. Then, as the plate is exhumed and decompressed, jadeite is transformed by retrograde metamorphism at low pressure and low temperature (LP/LT), in the presence of leftover Na-Al-Si fluids, into albite.
Scope: Applies to an overview of the two-stage metamorphic genesis and composition of maw-sit-sit (Cr-omphacite albitite) from the Myanmar jadeite belt; conclusions on samples depend on the specific studies and do not represent all localities.
Sources Journal article (maw-sit-sit)
Where it forms
High-pressure/low-temperature (HP/LT) subduction-zone metamorphic setting where chromite-bearing serpentinite protoliths are metasomatized by Na-Al-Si-rich fluids.
Sources Journal article (maw-sit-sit)
Low-pressure/low-temperature (LP/LT) retrograde setting during plate exhumation and decompression.
Sources Journal article (maw-sit-sit)
How it forms, step by step
In a subduction setting at high pressure and low temperature (HP/LT), fluids rich in Na-Al-Si react with chromite-bearing serpentinite protoliths by metasomatism.
Sources Journal article (maw-sit-sit)
A first assemblage—jadeite, Cr-omphacite and amphiboles—takes shape; the earlier Cr-omphacite and eckermannite appear as enclosed grains with embayed boundaries.
Sources Journal article (maw-sit-sit)
During exhumation and decompression, jadeite retrogresses to albite under LP/LT conditions with residual Na-Al-Si fluids.
Sources Journal article (maw-sit-sit)
Euhedral albite fills interstices between earlier Cr-omphacite and eckermannite, indicating its late-stage origin.
Sources Journal article (maw-sit-sit)
Link to appearance
The high albite content gives maw-sit-sit a lower refractive index (1.55-1.56) and specific gravity (2.69-2.73) than kosmochlor-jadeitite and jadeite; it shows punctate or banded fluorescence under UV, distinguishing it from jadeite.
Sources Journal article (maw-sit-sit)
Timescale
No absolute age for the metamorphic event is given here, so no timescale is stated.
Sources Journal article (maw-sit-sit)
Related base materials
- Albite: Principal constituent mineral of the rock
- Chromium-omphacite: Principal constituent mineral of the rock
- Jadeite: Parent material of the related jadeitite
Supporting findings
Maw-sit-sit—described as Cr-omphacite-albitite—arises in two stages. The first begins in a subduction zone at high pressure and low temperature (HP/LT), where fluids rich in Na-Al-Si react with chromite-bearing serpentinite protoliths by metasomatism, yielding a first assemblage—jadeite, Cr-omphacite and amphiboles.
Evidence grade AScope: Concerns the metamorphic genesis of the rock; the two-stage model is that of the cited study.
Sources Journal article (maw-sit-sit)
In the second stage, during exhumation and decompression, jadeite retrogresses under LP/LT conditions with residual Na-Al-Si fluids to form albite, with euhedral albite filling interstices between early Cr-omphacite and eckermannite.
Evidence grade AScope: Concerns the retrograde stage; no artificial treatment involved.
Sources Journal article (maw-sit-sit)
Recorded localities
Authoritative sources list the localities below; the list is not exhaustive.
Asia
- Maw Sit vein, near Kansi, northeastern Hpakant–Tawmaw jade tract, Kachin State, MyanmarAs of 2000; the article does not call it the only source
Sources Gems & Gemology Spring 2000
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.
How it is identified
Maw-sit-sit has a distinctive look, but its colour and mottling are not an identification: similarly coloured material may be treated, assembled or imitated. Trade rules define how names may be used and require disclosure but offer no diagnostic method; determining a specimen's true material and treatment state calls for laboratory testing. The conclusion should be issued by a qualified gem laboratory.
Evidence grade BScope: A conservative call: the listed source provides naming and disclosure rules only, with no material-specific tests.
Sources CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022
Other research findings
Maw-sit-sit is a rock—a polymineralic aggregate—occurring in the Myanmar Jade Belt; in appearance it recalls kosmochlor-jadeitite and the two are found together in space, yet maw-sit-sit is a distinct material.
Evidence grade AScope: Defines maw-sit-sit as a rock aggregate, not a single mineral; its appearance is not equated with jadeite.
Sources Journal article (maw-sit-sit)
Within the samples examined, maw-sit-sit is made up chiefly of albite plus chromium-omphacite, together with small amounts of amphibole (eckermannite and richterite); neither jadeite nor relict chromite was detected.
Evidence grade AScope: Composition is for the studied samples and may not represent all localities or batches.
Sources Journal article (maw-sit-sit)
Limits of this research
- Research status: Formation, occurrence or other material-specific findings found in authoritative sources
- Based only on the OpenAlex-recorded abstract; full text unavailable, and the sample composition may not represent all localities.
- Maw-sit-sit is a rock aggregate whose composition and genesis vary by sample.
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
- Maw-sit-sit
CIBJO Gemmological Laboratories Book 2024 §7.2.1.145 “Maw-sit-sit”
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
Maw-sit-sit is Chromium-rich polymineral rock related to jadeite; use "Maw-sit-sit" for listings, and disclose any known treatments.
Evidence
- CIBJO · 7.2.1.145
What this means for you
Before buying, check the recommended listing name "Maw-sit-sit" 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
VerifyNames, standards, technical facts, clauses and sources
Names
Institution usageMaw-sit-sit is listed item by item as Maw-sit-sit in CIBJO Gemmological Laboratories Book 2024, while GB/T 16552—2017 does not include this name; for the Chinese standard naming counterpart, the name is not listed in the original, and the basic name must be determined by testing. Recommended listing nameThe suggested listing name is Maw-sit-sit. Institution usageOn authority wording, CIBJO records Maw-sit-sit, the FTC text on file has no wording for this name (checked), and GIA and Gem-A are unchecked; bodies without a recorded wording show the entry's own English name, which does not represent their position. Japanese namesFor Japan's GSJ, the entry has its own Japanese name, and the wording of Japan's GSJ for this name is not yet verified by this site. Names in four languagesThe name is written in Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, English (Maw-sit-sit) and Japanese. Trade and mineralogical namesThe mineralogical name is a chromium-rich polymineral rock related to jadeite.
- GSJ (Japan) formal name
- モーシッシッ (not yet checked for this body — the entry's own Japanese name is shown)
- GB/T naming counterpart (this name is not in the standard)
- basic name to be determined by testing (GB/T 16552—2017 §5.1.1 c))
- Mineralogical name
- Chromium-rich polymineral rock related to jadeite
Four-language names
- 简体中文
- 莫西西翡翠
- 繁體中文
- 莫西西翡翠
- English
- Maw-sit-sit
- 日本語
- モーシッシッ
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
The registered material facts for Maw-sit-sit include that no synthetic Maw-sit-sit is available on the market, sourced from the CIBJO Blue Book, Gemstone Book 2022; a note to the laboratory protocol in the CIBJO Blue Book, Gemmological Laboratories Book 2024, states that Raman spectroscopy targets some of the constituent minerals of Maw-sit-sit.
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”.
How far testing can go
The tests the CIBJO laboratory protocol requires for this material, and what each method means, are in the protocol table on the laboratory testing page: §6.1.52.
Maw-sit-sit — synthetic counterpart on the market: No synthetic counterpart of this material is commercially available
CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022
- Treatment state
- any treatment state
Source & check 2026-09-22
- Source
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-22
Maw-sit-sit — notes on test methods in the CIBJO laboratory protocol:
| Test method | What the protocol notes for it |
|---|---|
| Raman spectroscopy: | Selective components |
CIBJO Gemmological Laboratories Book 2024
- Treatment state
- any treatment state
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Each row's “Source & check” expands to the full source; the date beside it is the fact check date.
Clause-level definitions
Maw-sit-sit has a direct definition in the CIBJO Gemmological Laboratories Book 2024 under the term Maw-sit-sit, classified as a rock; the CIBJO wording is quoted in full under Clause-level definitions on this page. The cross-check result is that it is defined directly by CIBJO; no identically named English entry was found in this edition of the GB/T annex.
This table scrolls sideways on narrow screens.
| Term | Clause | Definition | Cross-check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maw-sit-sit | 7.2.1.145 | Rock composed primarily of kosmochlor and amphibole group, chlorite group minerals and feldspar | Defined directly by CIBJO; no identically named English entry was found in this edition of the GB/T annex. |
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.
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 Maw-sit-sit 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.