In the rugged wilderness of northern British Columbia, Canada, rivers run green — not from algae or minerals in the water, but from the extraordinary deposits of nephrite jade that line their banks and fill their riverbeds. British Columbia is home to the largest known deposits of gem-quality nephrite jade on Earth, producing more jade by volume than any other region in the world. Yet for all its geological abundance, BC jade carries a human story that is just as rich as the stone itself.
The Geology of BC Jade
British Columbia's nephrite jade was formed hundreds of millions of years ago through the metamorphism of ancient oceanic crust. As tectonic plates collided and oceanic rock was pushed deep into the Earth, intense pressure and heat transformed minerals into the dense, interlocking crystal structure that gives nephrite its legendary toughness. Over geological time, erosion exposed these deposits along river valleys and mountain slopes across a vast swath of northern BC.
The primary jade-bearing regions include the Cassiar and Dease Lake areas in the far north, the Ogden Mountain region near Jade City, and river systems throughout the province. BC nephrite ranges in color from deep forest green to pale celadon, with the most prized specimens showing a rich, even color and high translucency.
First Nations and the Sacred Green Stone
Long before European contact, the Indigenous peoples of British Columbia — including the Tahltan, Tlingit, Haida, and other First Nations — knew and used jade. Called greenstone in many traditions, nephrite was prized for its extraordinary hardness and toughness, making it ideal for tools: adzes, chisels, and knives that held an edge better than any other available stone.
But jade was more than a utilitarian material. Among many First Nations, green stones carried spiritual significance, associated with healing, protection, and connection to the natural world. Jade objects were traded along the extensive Indigenous trade networks of the Pacific Northwest, moving from BC's interior to coastal communities and beyond.
Today, First Nations artists in British Columbia incorporate jade into contemporary work that honors traditional forms while expressing modern Indigenous identity. Haida and Tlingit carvers create jade jewelry and sculptural pieces that blend ancient iconography — ravens, eagles, killer whales, and transformation figures — with the luminous green of BC nephrite.
The Modern Jade Industry
British Columbia's commercial jade industry began in earnest in the 1960s and 1970s, when prospectors and miners began systematically extracting nephrite from the province's remote northern regions. Today, BC jade mining is a significant industry, with operations ranging from small family claims to larger commercial enterprises.
The small community of Jade City in northern BC — population just a few dozen — has become famous as the center of Canada's jade trade, thanks in part to the reality television series Jade Fever, which brought the drama and difficulty of jade mining to a global audience. The Bunce family, who operate Jade City's trading post and mining claims, have become ambassadors for BC jade worldwide.
BC jade is exported primarily to China, where nephrite has been prized for thousands of years and demand for high-quality material remains strong. But a growing domestic and international market appreciates BC jade on its own terms — as a uniquely North American stone with its own beauty, character, and story.
BC Jade in Art and Jewelry
Contemporary BC jade appears in a remarkable range of forms. Fine jewelry — cabochons, beads, and carved pendants — showcases the stone's natural color and translucency. Sculptors work large boulders into monumental pieces for public spaces and private collections. And lapidaries around the world prize BC nephrite for its workability and the depth of its green color.
The province's jade is also celebrated in its raw form: boulders and slabs of BC nephrite, with their characteristic dark green color and waxy luster, are prized by mineral collectors and displayed in museums and galleries worldwide.
The World's Jade Capital
British Columbia's combination of extraordinary geological abundance, rich Indigenous heritage, and thriving modern industry makes it unlike any other jade region on Earth. It is a place where ancient stone meets contemporary craft, where First Nations tradition meets global commerce, and where the wilderness itself seems to be made of jade. At Jades of America, we are proud to celebrate BC nephrite as one of the great jade stories of North America — a green treasure hiding in plain sight in Canada's wild north.