Is there jade the rock in Washington state?

Answer 1

Yes, there is both nephrite and jadeite in Washington state. Washington is one of approximately half a dozen states where jade is found--in fact Washington has commercial jade mines and much of it is exported to Asia (esp. China) to be carved. The jade found commercially in Washington can fetch prices well over $1000 a pound or as little as being worthless, except as land fill or to throw at mean dogs. Washington jade is perhaps the most varied in color and types. Colors vary from orange to yellow to green to black to white, grays, olives, etc. Some varieties, such as botroidal (sp?) has a knobby, toadskinlike appearance, black, white, apple green, and clear (no color) varieties are very rare and are very much sought after. Much of the jade found reacts to magnets (has high iron content). Much of the jade, especially that found in river banks and glacial tills, has developed an oxidized rind from exposure to the elements. This rind, sometimes thick, sometimes thin, makes finding jade very elusive to the untrained eye. In other cases, especially jade found in and around fast moving cascade mountain streams, have no rind, and are very easily identified by its green color when wetted. This is the method I use most of the time. Over the last 40 years I have probably found over a ton of Washington jade and find that gem quality material can be found in the most gungy looking pieces.

Locations: 1. The shores of Whidby Island, especially the area around Oak Harbor, Ebey's Landing and Keystone Ferry. 2. Tributaries of the Skagit River a. Grandy Creek b. Finney Creek c. Presintine Creek 3. Cultus Mountain and Lake Cavanaugh and Deer Creek areas 4. Darrington and Oso and the Sauk River 5. The Wenatchee Valley and the river banks around Wenatchee and East Wenatchee 6. Tronson Creek, Peshastin Creek, Ingalls Creek (Blewett Pass) 7. North fork Teanaway River

And many other sites in Washington state...

(by DESERT FROG - 2008)

(P.S. NEVER FIELD TEST A GEM STONE WITH YOUR ROCK HAMMER!!! ...wait till you get home and can cut them properly with a rock saw, otherwise you may ruin a stone worth literally $1000's of dollars and turn it into worthless landfill material.)

There is no gem grade jadeite that has ever been verified by testing in Washington State nor is there any commercial jade mines listed in official documents from state government mining departments.Any claims that gem grade jadeite exists in Washington state or that their are commercial jade mines are bogus.

JadeJunkie-2010