Nephrite is jade of the variety found in china and new zealand, while jadite is the rarer type currently only found in Myanmar. I collect my stones from the banks of the fraser river in british columbia. I have only been as far norrh as boston bar, pictured below.
The jade famous for its beauty and value is found in british columbia, but further north of where i searched for the stone last year. The stones i have are darker and have more variations in colour and are not considered of jewelry quality. I love them, however, and intend to go as much as i can this year. I hope to sell some as aquarium stone and art material.
Never knew there is jade in BC, do you know where they originate?
In the north of the province they have 'polar jade', very beautiful. These pieces are from the southern fraser canyon.
Edit:http://www.empr.gov.bc.ca/mining/geoscience/minfile/jade/pages/default.aspx
Neat! Thank you very much for the link :)