nephrite

American  

[nef-rahyt] / ˈnɛf raɪt /

noun

1. Mineralogy. a compact or fibrous variety of actinolite, varying from whitish to dark green: a form of jade.

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nephrite British  

/ ˈnɛfraɪt /

noun

1. Also called: kidney stone.  a tough fibrous amphibole mineral: a variety of jade consisting of calcium magnesium silicate in monoclinic crystalline form. Formula: Ca 2 Mg 5 Si 8 O 22 (OH) 2

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nephrite Scientific  

/ nĕf′rīt′ /

1. A green to blue variety of jade. Nephrite is an amphibole and is the least precious form of jade. Chemical formula: Ca ₂ (Mg,Fe) ₅ Si ₈ O ₂₂ (OH) ₂ .

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Etymology

Origin of nephrite

From the German word Nephrit, dating back to 1785–95. See nephr-, -ite ¹

Compare meaning

How does nephrite compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• jadeite vs. nephrite

Example Sentences

The bad news for the Richmond museum: Most of Mrs. Pratt’s two dozen flowers made of semiprecious stones like nephrite and bowenite are Fauxbergé.

From New York Times • Jun. 30, 2011

And it may in fact be any one of three very hard minerals: nephrite, jadeite and chloromelanite.

From Time Magazine Archive

New Zealand nephrite has not yet come into popular favour with English ladies, and only the commoner dark green variety, which is frequently spurious, is seen here.

From The Hand in the Dark by Rees, Arthur J. (Arthur John)

True jade, whether jadeite or nephrite, deserves a larger use in inexpensive ornaments, as it may be had of very fine green color and it is inexpensive and durable.

From A Text-Book of Precious Stones for Jewelers and the Gem-Loving Public by Wade, Frank Bertram

The use of the word ought to be confined to the first two minerals mentioned, namely, jadeite and nephrite, for they only possess the extreme toughness together with considerable hardness that we expect of jade.

From A Text-Book of Precious Stones for Jewelers and the Gem-Loving Public by Wade, Frank Bertram