jadeite

[ jey-dahyt ]

noun

1. a mineral, essentially sodium aluminum silicate, NaAlSi 2 O 6 , usually fibrous, occurring in compact masses, whitish to dark green: a form of jade.

jadeite

/ ˈdʒeɪdaɪt /

noun

1. a usually green or white mineral of the clinopyroxene group, found in igneous and metamorphic rocks. It is used as a gemstone (jade). Composition: sodium aluminium silicate. Formula: NaAlSi 2 O 6 . Crystal structure: monoclinic

jadeite

/ jād′īt′ /

1. A rare, usually green mineral of the pyroxene group. Jadeite can also occur in white, auburn, buff, or violet varieties. The most highly valued form of jade consists of jadeite. Chemical formula: NaAlSi 2 O 6 .

Word History and Origins

Origin of jadeite¹

First recorded in 1860–65; jade ¹ + -ite ¹

Example Sentences

They’d load up on squirming live shrimp, jadeite bundles of water spinach and fat, oblong lotus roots.

From Los Angeles Times

Other sculptures involve playful manipulation of existing objects, like the melting cake plates held aloft by the bent fingers of jadeite ring holders in “Hands and Handkerchief.”

From New York Times

Made from the mineral jadeite, the chisel-style implement was found at the site of Ek Way Nal, a Maya salt works in southern Belize that is now submerged in a saltwater lagoon.

From Fox News

“This jadeite tool is the first of its kind that has been recovered with its wooden handle intact,” said anthropologist Heather McKillop of Louisiana State University, who led the research project, in a statement.

From Fox News

Last month, during a series of sales in Hong Kong, Sotheby’s said participation from mainland Chinese bidders fell 14% compared with the year before, hurting its sales of jadeite and traditional Chinese paintings.

From Wall Street Journal