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Natural inorganic gem materials · Commercial / trade name · Natural identity; treatment status unknown
Taiwan Nephrite
Also known asTaiwan jade (annotation only, never as the product name)
A place-of-origin trade name for nephrite from Taiwan; under GB/T 16552 §5.1.1 c) it should not be used on its own and may only appear as a note in quality documents. 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 Taiwan Nephrite forms and what gives its colourFormation setting, process and timescale, each finding graded and sourced
- How to identify Taiwan NephriteHow far lab testing can go
- Treatments and enhancements of Taiwan NephriteThe enhancements and treatments the GB/T and JJA/AGL tables list
- Caring for and wearing Taiwan NephriteCleaning, heat, chemicals and light, as the cited sources give them; durability indicators and wearing advice
- Hardness, density and refractive index of Taiwan NephriteEach value with its source and check date
- Taiwan Nephrite 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?
- Name origin and history of Taiwan NephriteWhere the name comes from
- Listing and disclosing Taiwan NephriteThe listing name to use; what must be disclosed before sale
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
Taiyu is a nephrite trade name based on origin; its parent material is a fine-grained fibrous (interlocking/felted) aggregate of tremolite-actinolite series amphibole of metamorphic origin, formed chiefly by metasomatism (hydrothermal metamorphism): silica-rich fluids replacing dolomite-rich rocks or calcium-rich fluids reacting with serpentinites, with tremolite and ferro-actinolite as end members. Materially it inherits nephrite (an amphibole) and differs from jadeite (a pyroxene) and serpentine Xiuyan jade (a phyllosilicate). The name carries an origin sense and is not an origin determination.
Scope: Applies to a material-level description of the origin of 'Taiwan nephrite' as an origin trade name; its locality must be determined by provenance evidence, and the name does not constitute an identification conclusion.
Sources G&G Summer 2023 · GIA Jade Description · Handbook of Mineralogy
Where it forms
Contact-metamorphic setting: Ca-Mg siliceous sediments heated by an igneous body.
Sources G&G Summer 2023 · Handbook of Mineralogy
Regional metamorphism / greenschist facies: low-grade metamorphism of ultramafic or magnesium-carbonate rocks.
Sources G&G Summer 2023 · Handbook of Mineralogy
Hydrothermal metasomatic (hydrothermal-metamorphic) setting: silica-rich fluids replacing dolomite-rich rocks, or calcium-rich fluids reacting with serpentinites.
Sources G&G Summer 2023 · Handbook of Mineralogy
How it forms, step by step
Protolith in place: dolomite-rich / magnesium-carbonate rock or ultramafic rock exists in contact with an igneous body or fluid system.
Fluid metasomatism: silica-rich fluid enters dolomitic rock, or calcium-rich fluid reacts with serpentinite (metasomatism).
Tremolite-actinolite crystallises: amphibole forms via the reaction 5 dolomite + 8 aqueous silica + water → tremolite + 3 calcite + 7 aqueous carbon dioxide.
Fibrous interlocking (felted) aggregate develops: fine fibrous crystals interlock into a dense, tough jade.
Link to appearance
The fine interlocking fibrous texture makes nephrite exceptionally tough and carvable and gives its translucent-to-opaque, waxy look; colour varies with composition and iron content, generally more muted than jadeite.
Sources G&G Summer 2023 · GIA Jade Description
Timescale
The available sources give no absolute geological age or date for nephrite formation.
Sources G&G Summer 2023 · GIA Jade Description · Handbook of Mineralogy
Related base materials
- Nephrite: Parent material of Taiwan nephrite; Taiwan nephrite is an origin-based commercial name, and the parent material is tremolite–actinolite nephrite
Supporting findings
Nephrite forms by hydrothermal metamorphism (metasomatism): silica-rich fluids infiltrate dolomite-rich rocks, or calcium-rich fluids react with serpentinites; the dolomite route can be written 5 dolomite + 8 aqueous silica + water → tremolite + 3 calcite + 7 aqueous carbon dioxide.
Evidence grade AScope: Describes the natural genesis of the underlying material (tremolite-actinolite nephrite) only; it does not establish a specimen's origin, treatment, or colour subcategory.
Tremolite/actinolite occur in metamorphic settings: contact metamorphism of Ca-Mg siliceous sediments, and greenschist-facies rocks derived from ultramafic or magnesium-carbonate rocks; actinolite also occurs in glaucophane-bearing blueschists.
Evidence grade BScope: Describes the general metamorphic occurrence of tremolite/actinolite, not any specific locality or deposit.
Sources Handbook of Mineralogy
Recorded localities
Authoritative sources name a single or principal locality.
Asia
- Fengtian area, Hualien, Taiwan, ChinaListed in Mindat's nephrite locality table
Sources Mindat: Nephrite
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 how far testing can go on this page, the origin determination guide and the overview of recorded localities.
Where the name comes from
The origin of the locality trade name "Taiwan nephrite" itself is not given in the cited sources. The etymologies below belong to the parent minerals (nephrite-forming amphiboles): tremolite is named for a locality — the Tremola Valley, in the southern St. Gotthard Mountains of Switzerland; actinolite takes its name from a Greek word for 'ray', reflecting its radiating fibrous growth. These etymologies belong to the parent minerals, not to the name "Taiwan nephrite" itself.
Evidence grade BScope: The etymology explains only the origin of the name; it does not establish the material's composition, locality, naturalness, or treatment.
Sources Handbook of Mineralogy
Other research findings
Nephrite is not one single crystal but a fibrous aggregate — an interlocking, felted mass — composed dominantly of amphibole of the tremolite–actinolite series, its composition running from the Mg-rich tremolite end member [Ca2Mg5Si8O22(OH)2] to the Fe-rich ferro-actinolite one [Ca2Fe5Si8O22(OH)2].
Evidence grade AScope: Describes nephrite's mineral composition range only; it does not establish a specimen's origin, treatment, or colour.
Taiyu is treated here as an origin trade name whose parent material is nephrite (a tremolite-actinolite series amphibole fibrous aggregate); the name alone cannot prove composition, treatment or origin, and a Taiwanese origin must be established by provenance evidence.
Evidence grade BScope: 'Tai' here is a name/origin trade name only and is not an origin determination; origin must be established by provenance evidence, not by the name.
Sources GIA Jade Description
Limits of this research
- Research status: Formation, occurrence or other material-specific findings found in authoritative sources
- 'Tai' is an origin-laden name; the name alone cannot prove origin or a specimen's naturalness/treatment.
- The cited sources give no material-specific authoritative definition of the trade name 'Taiyu'; this entry only anchors its parent material as nephrite.
- The colouring mechanisms of nephrite subcategories are not given in the available sources and require testing.
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
- Taiwan nephrite (nephrite jade; geographic origin requires separate evidence)
GB/T 16552—2017 Table A.2 “Nephrite”, 5.1.1 c) · CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022 4.2.3.2, 4.2.3.3
Construction or treatment status
Natural identity; treatment status unknown
Treatments recorded for this material: Filled / Fracture-filled (via parent material), Dyed (via parent material)
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
"Taiwan Nephrite" is a market name rather than a mineral species name; before using it, verify: Laboratory identification required before the name is used.
Evidence
- GB/T · Table A.2, row 软玉 (Nephrite)
What this means for you
Before buying, check the recommended listing name "Taiwan nephrite (nephrite jade; geographic origin requires separate evidence)" and any disclosed treatments on this page, and ask the seller for a grading report if in doubt.
Known uncertainty
- This entry's exact material identity is not fully settled.
- See “Disclosure and cautions” above
- Last reviewed
- 2026-09-01
Trade-name ruling
- Laboratory identification required before the name is used.
- Suggested listing name
- Taiwan nephrite (nephrite jade; geographic origin requires separate evidence)
Care and wear
The item-by-item care advice that the GIA Care and Cleaning Guide gives for the whole class, and so for Taiwan Nephrite, is set out in full under care on the Nephrite entry.
Care
Each row's “Source & check” expands to the full source; the date beside it is the fact check date.
Durability and wearing
Daily wear
Hardness 5–6 gives moderate scratch resistance but it is scratched by harder materials such as quartz; the source records it as brittle with a perfect cleavage, so it may split along the cleavage on impact—avoid knocks, pressure and rubbing against hard objects in daily wear.
Care
No cleaning guidance is given in the source; wipe with warm water, mild soap and a soft cloth, rinse and dry; avoid ultrasonic/steam cleaning and acidic cleaners, and keep away from harder items such as diamond or corundum.
General guidance: LumaLark's general guidance inferred from the material's properties (hardness, toughness, cleavage); not text from the cited source, and not a guarantee for any specific piece.
Scope: This field describes the material's general properties and is not a finished-product durability promise; it gives no warranty of any specific piece's durability or safety, and the durability of treated (filled, dyed, coated) or composite/assembled material must be assessed separately.
Treatments and identification leads
One row per treatment, with three standards side by side: how often it occurs and how stable it is (CIBJO), its category in GB/T 16552—2017 Table B.1 (this site's paraphrase) and how the JJA/AGL 2025 table lists it. Each CIBJO value links to its entry under “Testing and market”, where the wording and source are given in full.
This table scrolls sideways on narrow screens.
| Treatment | Market frequency (CIBJO) | Stability (CIBJO) | GB/T 16552 category | JJA/AGL listing | Identification leads |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Filling | — | — | Graded — see §5.4.1, Table 1 | — | — |
| Dyeing | — | — | Treatment | — | — |
“—” means the cited source gives no value for that item, not “none”. Source: GB/T 16552—2017 Table B.1 (row for Nephrite)
Whether a treatment has to show in the name differs between the two rule sets (this site’s paraphrase):
- GB/T 16552—2017: a method classed as treatment has to be stated in the name itself — the method put before the name, or added in brackets after it; a method classed as optimization does not need to appear in the name, though one marked “Optimization (annotation required)” still has to be noted in the quality documents. Source: §5.4.2.1 a), b); §5.4.2.2 a)
- CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022: no longer splits treatments into ones that need specific disclosure and ones that need only general disclosure: every treatment is to be disclosed, and the seller tells the buyer which treatment was used and what special care it calls for. Source: §4.2.5 Note 2, §4.2.5.1, pp.14–15
What this table covers
What this page can give
- Registered treatments, their stability and how often they occur (see the table above)
- Identification leads for each treatment, for use when sending a stone for testing
VerifyNames, standards, technical facts, clauses and sources
Names
For Taiwan Nephrite, "Taiwan jade" may appear only as an annotation, never as the product name (16 CFR Part 23 §23.25(a); GB/T 16552—2017 §5.1.2.2 a); GB/T 16552—2017 §5.1.1 c); GB/T 16552—2017 §5.1.2.2 c)); one further name in a non-Latin script is listed in the name register below (1 with no restriction recorded on use as a name).
Standard and listing namesThe GB/T 16552—2017 naming counterpart for Taiwan Nephrite is nephrite (Table A.2), and the name Taiwan Nephrite is not listed in the standard. The suggested listing name is Taiwan Nephrite (nephrite; origin to be evidenced separately). Sub-names and unacceptable namesCommon market names include a Chinese name meaning Taiwan jade and the English Taiwan jade; Taiwan jade may only be used as a note and not as the main product name, and jade on its own does not indicate whether the material is nephrite or jadeite, so it is used only as a search term. Institution usageOn authority wording, the FTC and CIBJO texts on file have no wording for this name (checked), and GIA and Gem-A are unchecked; bodies without a recorded wording show the English name of Taiwan Nephrite itself, which does not represent their position. Japanese namesThe wording of the GSJ (Japan) is not yet verified by this site, and the Japanese name shown is the entry's own. Names in four languagesNames are registered in four languages: Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, English (Taiwan Nephrite) and Japanese.
Name register
Every name recorded for this entry, with how it is classified, whether it may be matched to this entry automatically, whether it may be used as a product name, and the clause it rests on.
This table scrolls sideways on narrow screens.
| Name | Type | Matching | Use as a name | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| no restriction recorded (1) | ||||
| 台湾玉Simplified Chinese | market name | matched automatically | no restriction recorded | editorial ruling (no clause cited) |
| annotation only, never as the product name (1) | ||||
| Taiwan jadeEnglish | market name | matched automatically | annotation only, never as the product name | 16 CFR Part 23 §23.25(a); GB/T 16552—2017 5.1.2.2 a); GB/T 16552—2017 5.1.1 c); GB/T 16552—2017 5.1.2.2 c); Note: English product name; kept for search only. |
How each authority words this name: see Names › Authority wording.
- GSJ (Japan) formal name
- 台湾ネフライト（台玉） (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)
- 软玉 (GB/T 16552—2017 §5.1.1 c))
- Mineralogical name
- Nephrite; fibrous aggregate of actinolite–tremolite series amphibole, of Taiwanese origin
- Trade names and synonyms
- Taiwan jade (market name; annotation only, never as the product name)
Four-language names
- 简体中文
- 台玉
- 繁體中文
- 台玉
- English
- Taiwan Nephrite
- 日本語
- 台湾ネフライト（台玉）
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
- Commercial / trade name
- Mineral chemical class
- Silicates
- Construction or treatment status
- Natural identity; treatment status unknown
Treatments listed by standards
For Taiwan Nephrite, this site applies the optimizations and treatments listed in the “Nephrite” row of GB/T 16552—2017, Annex B, Table B.1: filling is listed and is graded; dyeing is categorised as a treatment. What Table B.1 is and how the filling grades are defined are on the Gem treatments page; the full content for filling and dyeing is on the Nephrite page.
GB/T 16552-2017, Annex B, Table B.1
Under the “Nephrite” row of Table B.1: Filling Graded — see §5.4.1, Table 1; Dyeing Treatment. The full row, with the effect column, is on the Nephrite page.
What Table B.1 is, and how the “see 5.4.1” grades are defined: see the GB/T 16552: optimization vs treatment page.
What it is and how it's identified
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”.
Chemical composition, luminescence, UV-visible spectrum, infrared spectrum, magnification: these whole-class features are given in the cited clause for nephrite as a whole (not one source), so they are not repeated on the Taiwan Nephrite page; see the material facts on the Nephrite entry.
Items below that name the class they cover give the cited clause’s value for that whole class, not a measurement of Taiwan Nephrite (how to read class-level values).
Structure
Taiwan Nephrite — structure (overall): a crystalline aggregate that is often fibrous
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- nephrite as a whole (not one source)
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.2.2 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Durability
Taiwan Nephrite — Mohs hardness: 6–6.5
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
- What this covers
- nephrite as a whole (not one source)
Source & check 2026-09-21
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.2.2 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Taiwan Nephrite — cleavage: Tremolite crystals cleave perfectly in two directions; aggregates usually have no cleavage.
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- nephrite as a whole (not one source)
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.2.2 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Physical properties
Taiwan Nephrite — density: 2.9–3.1 g/cm³
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- nephrite as a whole (not one source)
- Qualification
The clause we cite gives 2.95, with a stated tolerance of +0.15 / -0.05. The range shown here is worked out from that.
Source & check 2026-09-21
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.2.2 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Optical
Taiwan Nephrite — optic character: anisotropic aggregate
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- nephrite as a whole (not one source)
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.2.2 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Taiwan Nephrite — refractive index: 1.6–1.641
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- nephrite as a whole (not one source)
- Qualification
The clause we cite gives 1.606–1.632, with a stated tolerance of +0.009 / -0.006. The range shown here is worked out from that.
- General note
- the clause has finer ranges
Source & check 2026-09-21
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.2.2 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-21
Taiwan Nephrite — pleochroism: not measurable on an aggregate
GB/T 16553—2017
- Treatment state
- untreated
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- nephrite as a whole (not one source)
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.2.2 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Taiwan Nephrite — optical effect (chatoyancy): seen
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- nephrite as a whole (not one source)
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.2.2 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
- CIBJO definitions
- chatoyancy
Quality factors
Taiwan Nephrite — quality factor (lustre): vitreous to greasy
GB/T 16553—2017
- Treatment state
- untreated
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- nephrite as a whole (not one source)
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.2.2 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- 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.
This material (RI / SG midpoints): 1.621 / 3; Closest values: 1Danburite 1.633 / 3, 2Amblygonite 1.607 / 3.02, 3Dushan Yu / Dushan Jade 1.63 / 2.9, 4Prehnite 1.625 / 2.88, 5Lazulite 1.627 / 3.12
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
Testing and market
The CIBJO laboratory protocol covers Taiwan Nephrite under “Nephrite” (§6.1.54): see identification on the Nephrite entry; the required tests are listed on the CIBJO laboratory protocol table for Nephrite.
How far testing can go
Each row's “Source & check” expands to the full source; the date beside it is the fact check date.
Evidence and sources
Authority basis and clause sources
Sources
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 Tremolite on this site: 6 entries listed by this site's parent-entry links; synthetic, treated and similar entries carry their recorded state after the name; this page (Taiwan Nephrite) is marked.
- Tremolite
Sub-entries (2)
- Hetian Yu / Nephrite
- Nephrite
Sub-entries (1)
- Taiwan Nephrite
This table scrolls sideways on narrow screens.
| Page | Content | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Browsing family | Jade materials | Live |
| Treatments recorded for this material | Filled / Fracture-filled (via parent material), Dyed (via parent material) | Live |
| Related articles | To be added (placeholder) | Planned |
Who maintains this page
The material facts in the Taiwan Nephrite 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. The entry exists so that buyers and sellers can check naming, disclosure and material facts item by item.