Cascade Jade

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Cascade Jade

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10/31/2026

This Washington nephrite jade had one of the most incredible rinds we've ever come across!

The outside was covered in a stunning purple rind, but the real surprise was waiting inside. After putting this massive piece through our 2 foot diameter jade saw, we revealed beautiful swirling patterns of deep teal and ocean-green jade. The patterning swirls into infinity like galaxies of stars and planets!

You just never know what nature is hiding beneath the surface. That's the magic of jade hunting!

10/30/2026

Getting this 150-pound jade boulder out of the river was a challenge all on its own. Hiking miles through rugged river terrain with a boulder this size is no easy task, but the real adventure was waiting back in the shop.

We put it on the 2-foot-diameter jade saw, but even that wasn't enough to get all the way through. We had to break out the chisels and finish opening it by hand.
And then came the payoff... a stunning interior of glowing blue-green jade! Sometimes the hardest stones to bring home hold the biggest surprises.

Worth every step.

10/29/2026

This is a beautiful Washington jade stone I found in the river and polished & engraved with a meaningful Chinese proverb:

百炼成钢 (Bǎiliànchénggāng) -
"A hundred smeltings make steel"

The piece was commissioned for a career metallurgist who is very accomplished in his field.

Just as iron must be heated and hammered hundreds of times to become strong steel, a person's character, resolve, or strength is forged through enduring hardship, trials, and perseverance 💪

I was very honored to work on this project and be given creative license to create something with jade to fit my client's need. DM us with any requests for a gift and we would be thrilled to come up with something unique for you! 🔥🙏

10/28/2026

Hidden beneath the rushing waters of a Washington river was this incredible piece of blue jade! 💎

Follow its journey from the riverbed to my 2-foot-diameter jade saw, where the stone is opened up to reveal its beauty. The finished piece? A hand-carved toki pendant wrapped in traditional-style lashing cord, turning a rare piece of Washington jade into something truly special.

Every stone has a story. This one went from the river to the saw to a wearable piece of art! 🌊🪨

10/27/2026

Hunting rare jade in the Washington rivers is hard enough… but fall takes it to another level! 🍁

Fallen leaves pile up in the river, covering the rocks and catching the light in ways that make them look almost exactly like jade. That flash of green catches your eye, your heart skips a beat, and then… it’s just another leaf! 😂

Finding real jade takes patience, a trained eye, and a whole lot of luck. But that’s part of the adventure. You never know what’s hiding beneath the surface! 💎

Would you have fallen for these leafy jade imposters? 👀

10/26/2026

We pulled this incredible high-grade grossular garnet from a Washington river, but the real magic happened when we cut it open in the shop! 🤯

Look at that translucency, with vibrant emerald-green and snowy-white sections glowing from within. Nature did the hard work over millions of years — we just had to find it and reveal what was hiding inside!
Would you keep this as a collector’s specimen or turn it into a piece of jewelry? 👇

Check out our shop at CASCADEJADE.COM for jewelry handcarved from gems like this one! ✨️

10/25/2026

Emerald fire hiding in a Washington river! 💚🌊

We found gem-quality listwanite with its signature red webbing and brilliant emerald-green sections. Listwanite forms when fluids chemically alter ultramafic rocks, creating a mix of carbonate minerals and silica-rich material.

Its vivid green color comes primarily from chromium-bearing minerals, especially fuchsite (chromium-rich mica), though the exact minerals can vary. Chromium is the same mineral that gives emerald its characteristic green hue!

Nature’s wildest artwork, hidden in plain sight. 💎⛏️

10/23/2026

Did you know that jade can come in EVERY COLOR IN THE RAINBOW!? 🌈 Not just green!

Rainbow nephrite jade is a multi-color variety of natural nephrite jade composed of varied earthy tones like blue, cream, white, yellow, orange, red, green, and brown.

Nephrite jade colors are primarily caused by variations in iron content and the surrounding geological environment where the stone forms.

💙 Blue Jade: titanium or specific iron-actinolite balances) yield a blue, blue-grey, or blue-green tint.

💚 Green Shades: Iron acts as the main coloring agent in nephrite. Higher iron content produces deeper green, dark green, or even black shades. Chromium (the same mineral that colors emeralds also can lend bright green pops to jade).

🤍 White and "Mutton Fat" Jade: Low iron content and very low mineral impurities result in pale, creamy, or pure white tones. This includes famous varieties like "mutton fat jade," which features a soft, oily luster.

🧡 Yellow, Orange, Red, and Brown: Surface weathering and the oxidation of iron over time or exposure to the elements create warm hues like yellow, orange, earthy red, and brown. Hematite inclusions cause red jade referred to as "dragons blood jade"

10/22/2026

Red nephrite is a rare, natural variety of nephrite jade colored by iron oxides or thermal alteration in outer rinds or specific deposits. While nephrite is typically green, white, yellow, or black, genuine red pieces are prized for jewelry, carvings, and metaphysical uses.

Check out our shop at CascadeJade.com for unique handmade jewelry crafted from gems like this red jade!

10/20/2026

Passing through a jade cave felt like a portal into another reality! One rich with jade! You won't believe what we found! Stay tuned! 😆😍

Nephrite jade prospecting involves locating tough, microcrystalline amphibole deposits in primary rock formations by following secondary river alluvial gravel beds.

We search contact zones between serpentinites, ultramafic rocks, and magnesium-rich carbonate rocks.

Address

Tucson, AZ
85714

Website

http://CascadeJade.com/

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