A hard, durable, usually green-colored ornamental stone used for jewelry and carvings; in Hebrew, ya·shephehʹ. It occurs as two distinct minerals, “nephrite” and “jadeite.” Nephrite is the most common variety. It varies from translucent to opaque and is found in colors such as dark green, black, gray, yellow, and white. Jadeite is more valuable than nephrite because of its more attractive coloring and rarity. Jade is particularly suitable for engraving because of its composition.

A beautiful jade stone with the name of one of Israel’s 12 tribes engraved upon it adorned “the breastpiece of judgment” worn by High Priest Aaron, occupying the third position in the fourth row of stones. (Ex 28:2, 15, 20, 21; 39:9, 13, 14) Jade was also included among the precious stones that decorated the “covering” of the king of Tyre.​—Eze 28:12, 13.