Nephrite Nephrite can be found in a translucent white to very light yellow form which is known in China as "mutton fat" jade, in an opaque white to very light brown or gray which is known as "chicken bone" jade, as well as in a variety of green colors. Western Canada is the principal source of modern lapidary nephrite. Nephrite jade was used mostly in pre-1800 China as well as in New Zealand, the Pacific Coast and Atlantic Coasts of North America, Neolithic Europe, and southeast Asia. The name "nephrite" is derived from "lapis nephriticus", which in turn is derived from
The First Series of Standardized Forms of Words with Non-standardized Variant Forms only three times in the "People's Daily" between 1995 and 2000. The Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China has called on teachers throughout China to use and teach the forms recommended in "The First Series of Standardized Forms of Words with Non-standardized Variant Forms". Before March 31, 2005, a student's use of one of the variant written forms not recommended in the "First Series" on a test like Gaokao would not influence points earned on a given question. Implementation of the Ministry's policy is not to influence the usage of variant written forms in research on ancient