gems, jade, nephrite, Hetian jade, Khotan, Hotan, surface characteristics of nephrite pebbles

Hetian Jade Pebbles is the name given to Hetian jade, nephrite jade, from Hetian, Xinjian Region, PRC; material with a well rounded pebble- like form, often with a coloured skin. This material is formed after separation from the primary source, being transported by water for long distances - the geological process of “deposition- transport-deposition”. The distinguishing features of Hetian jade pebbles include: good roundness, a natural appearance without manual cutting, grinding and rounding; a smooth surface, “sweat pores”, “sand holes” and pits; “sand holes”, deep pits, “nail marks”, cracks and grooves filled with secondary minerals; natural skin colour and weathered skin of varying thickness; dry, white, variegated, coarse, cracked, or grooved jade sections. Secondary minerals include clinochlore or penninite, colloidal apatite, goethite/ lepidocrocite, hematite, barium psilomelane and calcite in various weaker sections of the epidermis with crustiform, filmy, colloidal banded, fine-grained, flaky and fibrous aggregates.