1. The toughest gem material there is. Nephrite's structure is a dense mat of interlocking fibres rather than granular crystals, which gives it the highest toughness of any gemstone — higher even than jadeite. Ancient workshops made axe heads from it. In jewellery worn every day, that is not a technical footnote; it is the reason nephrite heirlooms survive generations.
2. Hetian nephrite from Xinjiang, named by source. Our material comes from the northern slopes of the Kunlun Mountains in southern Xinjiang — the classical source, prized by Chinese courts for millennia. Two kinds reach us: river-tumbled pebble material (籽料) from the Yurungkash and Karakash rivers, which the water has already graded by destroying everything fractured or porous, and mountain material (山料) worked higher in the range. A great deal of nephrite jewellery sold internationally is called "Hetian" regardless of where it was mined. We name the source.
3. Graded correctly — there is no "Type A" in nephrite. Type A, B and C classify jadeite treatments only, and any seller applying them to nephrite is guessing. Our material is described the way nephrite is actually graded: on texture (细腻度), lustre (油润度), colour evenness and purity. The treatments that do occur in nephrite are dyeing and wax coating, and we stock neither.
4. We judge texture and lustre before colour. In nephrite, the fineness of the grain and the warmth of the surface matter more than a bright shade. Top material shows no visible structure and looks as though it would feel soft to the touch. That judgement is not obvious from a photograph — so ask us, and we will tell you honestly where a piece sits.
5. A certificate with every piece — and money behind it. Every piece ships with a gemological certificate whose serial number you can check on the issuing laboratory's own website, before you order or years afterwards.