Chinese Jade refers to the
jade mined or
carved in
China from the
Neolithic onward. It is the primary
hardstone of
Chinese sculpture. Although deep and bright green
jadeite is better known in Europe, for most of China's history, jade has come in a variety of colors and white "mutton-fat"
nephrite was the most highly praised and prized. Native sources in
Henan and along the
Yangtze were exploited since prehistoric times and have largely been exhausted; most Chinese jade today is extracted from the northwestern
province of
Xinjiang.