Mineral Component of Jade from Taishan

Jade from Taishan is a fine grained quartzite，which is mined from Taishan，Guangdong Province.In this paper，the components and structures of 19typical jades from Taishan were tested and analyzed by polarizing microscope，infrared spectroscope，X-ray powder diffraction，and X-ray fluorescence spectrometer.The results show that the main components of jade from Taishan are quartz and kaolinite，with a small amount of sericite，dust-like iron minerals，epidote and other minerals.The crystallinity of quartz in jade from Taishan is better crystallized than that of chalcedony.The yellow and red series of jade from Taishan contain fine grained iron minerals.X-ray fluorescence spectra show that content of Fe is higher in the brown yellow-maroon areas of jade from Taishan，and the intensity of X-ray fluorescence is proportional to the intensity of the colour.Therefore，Fe is believed to be the main colour causing agent in jade from Taishan.