Jade

Jade's colors range from shades of green to blue, yellow, red, lavender, gray and black, but experts call the ideal shade emerald green. 

Jadeite, the most prized form of jade, is one of the toughest known minerals. It is valued for both carving and for setting in jewelry. Although never completely transparent, the closer the gemstone comes to being transparent, the more value it has. Other quality considerations are color, uniformity, clarity and brightness.

A gift of jade is suggested as the anniversary gemstone for the twelfth year of marriage.

Found in Burma, jadeite may well be the world's only gemstone that is still used as much for an amulet as for adornment. Millions of Asians wear jadeite jewelry for good luck and health. For centuries its possession has been thought to give the owner power, knowledge, pure thoughts, long life and immortality.