Jade is an umbrella term for two different types of ornamental rocks used as jewelry, in jewelry or for ornaments. Jade is often referred to by either of two different silicate mineral names: nephrite, or jadeite. Nephrite is typically green, although may be yellow, white or black. Jadeite varies from white or near-colorless, through various shades of green, to lavender, yellow, orange, brown and black. Rarely it may be blue. However these names are mineralogically incorrect. Both the amphibole jade (nephrite) and pyroxene jade are actually mineral aggregates (rocks) rather than mineral species and thus should not be described by mineral species names. Nephrite was deprecated by the International Mineralogical Association as a mineral species name in 1978. This makes the name "nephrite" mineralogically correct for referring to the rock. As for jadeite, since this is a legitimate mineral species, its name should not be used for the pyroxene jade rock. In China, the name jadeite has been replaced with fei cui, the traditional Chinese name for this gem that was in use long before Damour created the name in 1863.

जेड या हरिताश्म एक शोभाप्रद पत्थर है। यह दो भिन्न तरह के सिलिकेट खनिजों से बना पत्थर होता है। नेफ्राइट जेड में कैल्शियम एवं मैग्नेशियम बहुल एम्फीबोल खनिज, एक्टीनोलाइट होता है। दूसरा जेडिटाइट में पूर्णतया जेडियाइट, एक अल्यूमिनियम बहुल पायरॉक्सीन होता है। देखेने में यह एक पारदर्शी या पाराभासी हरा पत्थर होता है।