Hidaka Jade <Hokkaido> [Famous Japanese Stone]

HIDAKA Jade

Hidaka Hisui

In 1966, there was a lot of talk about jade being discovered in Hidaka Town.
To be precise, it is not jade, but a type of chrome diopside, which contains about 1% chromium, giving it its pale green color.
Although it is neither jadeite nor nephrite, it has been recognized that it has the woven structure that is characteristic of jadeite, and that its color and transparency are comparable to those of jadeite.When Dr. Takeo Banba (then at the Geological Survey of Japan) published a paper on it in the Journal of Gemological Research, it was recognized worldwide as the "third jade" after jadeite and nephrite.
However, resources were soon depleted, and after reaching their peak in the 1970s, they are now on the verge of being forgotten.
It is certain that it will attract the attention of mineral enthusiasts as the "phantom jade" in the future.
Other components include the black spots being spinel.
You can see chromite garnet and amphibole such as pectolite.

was found in Hidaka-cho in 1966. To be precise, it is not a type of jade but a type of chrome diopside. It contains 1% of chrome so it produces a pale green color.
It is inevitable that HIDAKA Jade will attract mineral mania's attention as a “phantom jade” in the future because of the resources became rare after 1970s.