What is the Difference Between Jade and Serpentine

The key difference between jade and serpentine is that jade is comparatively harder and less scratchy, whereas serpentine is softer and scratches more easily than jade.

Jade and serpentine are two types of noble and precious minerals that have applications in jewelry and ornamental industries. Both minerals usually appear in green color.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Jade 
3. What is Serpentine
4. Jade vs Serpentine in Tabular Form
5. Summary – Jade vs Serpentine 

What is Jade?

Jade can be described as a mineral useful as jewelry or ornaments. It is a mineral with a monoclinic crystal system. This material mostly has a green color, but it can appear in virtually all colors. It has a crystal habit of intergrown grainy or fine fibrous aggregate type. Its fracture is splintery, and it is a brittle material. The hardness can be given as 6 – 7 on the Mohs scale. Jade is a translucent material with a specific gravity of 2.9 – 3.38.

There are two forms of jade; they are nephrite jade and jadeite jade. Until 1863, it was difficult to determine whether jade was nephrite or jadeite. Nephrite contains a microcrystalline interlocking matrix with a fibrous appearance made of calcium, magnesium-iron rich amphibole minerals. It becomes more green in color when the iron content grows higher. On the other hand, jadeite is rich in sodium and aluminum pyroxene. It is the most precious type of jade and has a microcrystalline structure with an interlocking growth of crystals. This type of jade can be found only on metamorphic rocks.

There are many ornamental uses of jade in East Asia, South Asia, and Southeast Asia art. It is also a precious material in Latin America, including Mexico and Guatemala.

What is Serpentine?

Serpentine is a subgroup of kaolinite-serpentine, which has greenish, brownish, spotted minerals that exist in serpentinite rocks. This type of material is useful as a source of magnesium and asbestos. It is also useful as a decorative stone. The name serpentine comes from the green color it has, which resembles a serpent.

This subgroup of this mineral has rock-forming hydrous magnesium iron phyllosilicate minerals. These minerals are a result of the metamorphism of ultramafic rocks. Moreover, there can be some other elements, such as chromium, manganese, cobalt, and nickel. Moreover, this subgroup has polymorphous minerals, which means there is the same chemical formula with different atomic structures.

The precious or noble forms of serpentine are more attractive and durable forms, and these are useful extensively as gems and used in ornamental carvings. Furthermore, it can be easily carved, polished excellently, and has a pleasingly greasy feeling. There are, however, less valuable serpentine ores with various hardnesses and clarities that are sometimes dyed to imitate jade.

What is the Difference Between Jade and Serpentine?

Jade and serpentine are two important types of minerals that have applications in jewelry and ornamental industries. The key difference between jade and serpentine is that jade is comparatively harder and less scratchy, whereas serpentine is softer and scratches more easily than jade. Jade is considered to be more precious and valuable than serpentine.

The below infographic presents the differences between jade and serpentine in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.

Summary – Jade vs Serpentine

Jade is a hard, usually green stone that is used for ornaments and implements and consists of the minerals jadeite or nephrite. Serpentine is a subgroup of kaolinite-serpentine, which has greenish, brownish, spotted minerals that exist in serpentinite rocks. The key difference between jade and serpentine is that jade is comparatively harder and less scratchy, whereas serpentine is softer and scratches more easily than jade.

Reference:

1. “Serpentine.” Geology.
2.  “Jade.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Jadestein” (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Serpentyn, 2Polska” By Kluka assumed – No machine-readable source provided. Own work assumed (based on copyright claims) (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia