jadeitebearing

Jadeitebearing is a geological descriptor applied to rocks or mineral assemblages in which jadeite (NaAlSi2O6) occurs as a constituent mineral. The term is descriptive rather than a formal mineral species, and is used in petrographic descriptions and provenance studies where jadeite is present in detectable quantities, often as small crystals, prisms, or intergrowths with surrounding minerals.

Geological contexts: Jadeite-bearing rocks are typical of high-pressure metamorphic environments associated with subduction zones, such as blueschist and eclogite facies, and they are frequently found in serpentinite belts where ultramafic rocks have undergone metasomatic alteration. Jadeite forms under these conditions and can be mobilized and concentrated by fluids, producing nodules or veins that are sometimes gem-quality.

Significance: Jadeite-bearing rocks are of interest in geology for understanding metamorphic history and subduction processes. They can be sources of jadeite gemstones, particularly when the material forms fine-grained, evenly colored, and translucent fabric. Myanmar's Kachin State is the most important historical source of gem-quality jadeite, with additional occurrences reported in several other countries. In practice, gem quality jadeite is distinguished by color, translucency, texture, and absence of flaws; commercial evaluation relies on gemmological testing and petrographic analysis.