Jade, greenstone, or pounamu?
At Mountain Jade we often get asked online and in store about the many various names for what is perhaps most commonly referred to as jade. Each name can be loosely understood as fitting into cultural and scientific categories, although the two often blend together, creating a rich history. All over the world, jade’s many names can cause some confusion, but this abundance of history is one of the reasons we love jade so much. Jade can be categorised and identified by the mineral makeup of the stone, its geographical origin, its appearance and its design and cultural significance. Greenstone and pounamu are both primarily terms that originated from New Zealand, with pounamu being the te reo Māori word for jade.
