There is something about picking up a piece of nephrite that changes the way you think about carving. Most stones yield to the chisel in predictable ways. Nephrite does not. It is tough, interlocking, fibrous, and it demands a completely different approach from anything you might have learned on marble or sandstone.

I have been working with nephrite on and off for about twelve years, mostly pieces sourced from New Zealand and British Columbia. The material has taught me patience in ways that no instructor ever could. Here is what I have picked up along the way.

Understanding the Stone

Nephrite is one of two minerals classified as jade, the other being jadeite. Where jadeite is a pyroxene mineral prized for its vivid greens, nephrite is an amphibole. Its toughness comes from a microstructure of interlocking fibrous crystals. This makes it extraordinarily resistant to fracturing. You can hit a piece of nephrite with a hammer and it will not shatter the way granite or marble would. It absorbs the energy.

This toughness is both the appeal and the challenge. You cannot carve nephrite with a chisel and mallet in the traditional sense. The stone simply will not cooperate. Instead, nephrite carving is primarily an abrasive process. You grind it, you saw it, you polish it. The old Chinese masters used sand, bamboo drills, and an almost inconceivable amount of time. Today we use diamond saws and grinding wheels, but the fundamental principle has not changed.

Reading the Material

Before you cut anything, spend time with the stone. Nephrite comes in a wide colour range: deep spinach greens, pale celadons, creamy whites, blacks, and everything between. The colour distribution within a single piece can be complex, with veins and patches that only reveal themselves as you work deeper.

Wetting the surface helps. A spray bottle is your friend. Water temporarily shows you what the polished stone will look like, and it can reveal fracture lines, inclusions, and colour transitions that are invisible on a dry surface. I mark up my pieces with a china marker after wetting, sketching out where the colours sit and how they might work with the form I have in mind.

Cutting and Shaping

A diamond blade tile saw is where most nephrite work begins. For roughing out forms, a 250mm blade with continuous rim works well. Keep the water flowing constantly. Nephrite generates serious heat under a dry blade, and you will burn through expensive diamond tooling fast.

For shaping, I move to diamond grinding wheels and burrs on a flex shaft or die grinder. Coarse diamond removes material faster than you might expect, but you need to keep the pressure moderate and consistent. Pushing too hard heats the stone and glazes the diamond surface, reducing its cutting ability.

Curved forms are where nephrite really shines. Because it does not fracture along cleavage planes the way crystalline stones do, you can achieve thin walls and delicate curves that would be impossible in most other carving stones. Some of the finest nephrite bowls have walls only three or four millimetres thick, translucent when held to light.

Finishing and Polish

The polishing sequence for nephrite is where the magic happens. I work through grits methodically: 120, 220, 400, 600, 1200, then 3000. Each stage needs to fully remove the scratches from the previous one before you move on. Skipping or rushing a grit shows up as dull patches or visible scratches in the final polish.

After 3000 grit, I switch to diamond paste on a leather buff for the final mirror finish. Some carvers use cerium oxide or tin oxide. Both work. The critical thing is that the surface needs to be genuinely free of deeper scratches before you attempt the final polish.

A well-polished nephrite surface has a depth to it that no other stone quite matches. The light enters, scatters through the fibrous microstructure, and returns with that characteristic waxy, almost oily lustre. It is alive in a way that a polished marble surface, beautiful as it is, simply is not.

Working Safely

Nephrite dust is a real concern. Silicosis is no joke, and while nephrite’s silica content is lower than granite, prolonged exposure to any stone dust is dangerous. Always work wet when grinding, and wear a properly fitted P2 respirator when doing any dry work. A good dust extraction system in the studio is not optional; it is essential.

Eye protection matters too. Diamond burrs throw fine chips, and nephrite splinters are sharp.

Finding Your Stone

In Australia, sourcing good nephrite can take some effort. New Zealand pounamu is the closest high-quality source, though it carries significant cultural weight in Maori tradition, and ethical sourcing matters. BC jade from Canada is widely available through specialist suppliers. Some Australian nephrite exists in the Tamworth region and parts of Western Australia, though quality varies considerably.

Whatever your source, take the time to learn the stone before you commit to a major piece. Buy some offcuts, experiment with cuts and finishes, and let the material teach you what it wants to become. Nephrite rewards patience like few other materials in the sculptor’s workshop.