gems, jade, nephrite, Germany

Uhlig describes and investigates a newly recognized occurrence of nephrite in the Harz Mountains of Germany. The material is examined mineralogically and petrographically, with attention to its physical properties, microscopic structure, mineral composition, and geological occurrence. The study discusses the fibrous intergrowth characteristic of nephrite and compares the Harz material with nephrite from other known localities, considering its formation and relationship to the surrounding rocks. The paper is significant as a detailed description of a European occurrence of natural nephrite and contributes to the contemporary discussion of the geological origin and distribution of nephrite.