Kajade

Kajade is a fictional mineral described in speculative geology, science fiction, and related media. It is portrayed as a translucent to transparent emerald-green gemstone with distinctive optical properties, valued for its color and apparent stability. Because it is not a real mineral, kajade is used primarily as a plot device or world-building element in fictional contexts.

The name kajade combines a jade-like aesthetic with a science-fictional sensibility, and in many works it is said to have been first identified in the Kajade Belt, a fictional metamorphic-hydrothermal zone. The term is intentionally evocative of real gemstones, helping readers imagine a material with jade-like beauty and unusual chemistry.

Physically, kajade is described as a green to teal silicate mineral with a vitreous luster. In available fictional descriptions, it has a Mohs hardness around 6.5–7 and a density near 3.3 g/cm3. It is commonly said to lack simple cleavage and to fracture conchoidally. Some narratives attribute strong pleochroism and a subtle ultraviolet glow to kajade, contributing to its mystique.

Occurrence and formation in fiction place kajade in high-temperature, high-pressure settings within ultramafic and metamorphic rocks, where hydrothermal activity concentrates trace elements that impart its color. It is frequently associated with minerals such as serpentine and chromite.

Uses and trade are centered on jewelry, where kajade is cut into cabochons or beads for its color and perceived clarity. Some stories grant kajade additional value for imagined electronic or sensor properties, such as pyroelectric or piezoelectric responses. Synthetic variants are occasionally depicted to meet demand, with regulated trade in fictional economies.