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
History of the Philippines were made from nephrite. Nephrite excavated in the Philippines were of two types: white nephrite and green nephrite. The Sa Huỳnh culture centred on present-day Vietnam, showed evidence of an extensive trade network. Sa Huỳnh beads were made from glass, carnelian, agate, olivine, zircon, gold and garnet; most of these materials were not local to the region, and were most likely imported. Han dynasty-style bronze mirrors were also found in Sa Sa Huỳnh sites. Conversely, Sa Sa Huỳnh produced ear ornaments have been found in archaeological sites in Central Thailand, Taiwan (Orchid Island), and in the Philippines, in the Palawan,