African Jade
(a - fruh - kn jayd)What is African Jade?
African Jade, also called Transvaal Jade, is actually Green Grossular Garnet. It is found in a few locations around the world. The quantity and highest quality specimens are predominantly from different regions in South Africa, mainly from the Bushveld complex in the Transvaal.
As it is not a real Jade, the reason it is called African Jade is due to its jade-like appearance. It does share some similarities to Jade on a metaphysical level. However, African Jade is even more powerful and offers a range of energetic benefits, which we will explore in depth within this article.
African Jade is technically classified as Massive – masses of crystals that display no apparent crystal habit or geometry – and hydrogrossular – having a granular structure and forming in various light to medium-toned colorations due to included trace elements.
This slightly hydrous calcium aluminum silicate mineral is commonly formed in shades of green, black, or pink but can also include gray, yellow, brown, white, and red. African Jade is translucent or transparent and vitreous in luster.
Did you know around the 1920s, this Grossular Garnets marketing began by South African Jades Limited as South African “Jade?” It is a popular stone among collectors for jewelry use and energy healing, and even though it forms in large masses, lately, it has become scarce on the market.
African Jade Healing Properties & Benefits
Vitality
- African Jade activates the Root Chakra, helping us to stay connected with the natural abundance and nourishment that Earth offers us on all levels. This increases stamina, strength, and overall vitality.
- Sit on a natural surface and place an African Jade near the base of your spine on the earth’s surface. Take 9 deep breaths and draw up Earth’s energy through your crystal and Root Chakra.
Creativity
- Activating the Sacral Chakra inspired by African Jade will ignite creative energy within you. It helps you discover what you truly want to create, aids in creative thoughts and actions, as well as energetic manifestation.
- Keep your African Jade nearby and connect with this crystal while actively practicing manifestation when you need a boost of inspiration or assistance to get into a creative flow state.
Confidence
- African Jade moves energy up to activate the Solar Plexus Chakra, which allows us to act confidently with increased vitality and newfound inspiration. It improves self-identity, increasing strength and willpower.
- Hold your African Jade near your Solar Plexus and repeat affirmations for increased confidence and positive identification, such as, ”I am connected, calm, and confident,“ and “I love and accept my true power.”
Calm and Peace
- African Jade brings a sense of calm and peace to our emotions. It helps us to move through emotional healing and release trauma so that a state of deep peace can be truly felt.
- Meditate with your African Jade daily to attune to its heart-healing and calming properties.
Business and Career
- The combined energetic traits of African Jade help us to engage with our work in a connected, creative, and confident manner which ensures growth. African Jade is a stone of material prosperity, also known as the “skillful negation” stone, which makes it useful in business.
- Wear a piece of African Jade jewelry daily at work, or keep it in your workspace to naturally attune to and benefit from this vibration over time.
African Jade Spiritual Properties & Benefits
Good Fortune and Luck
- Attuning to African Jade energy will bring you good luck. It is a well-known stone for increasing prosperity on physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual levels. Working with this crystal will help bring you good fortune.
- Connect with your African Jade and affirm or write a gratitude list for at least 9 minutes. Vibrate with the energy of gratitude and allow your crystal to amplify and attract more of this.
Emotional Power
- African Jade can reveal and deepen our connection with the power of our emotions. It guides us to use emotions to manifest intentionally and to fully feel and tap into the naturally abundant and loving energy of the Earth and our higher self.
- Hold this stone at the level of your Heart Chakra and repeat the seed mantra YAM at least 9 times.
Dreamwork
- African Jade can be used to aid in dream recall. It can also be used to stimulate lucid dreaming.
- Sleep with a piece of African Jade next to you or under your pillow. As a daily practice, acknowledge and connect with your crystal immediately upon waking. Take a few moments to write what you remember of your dreams.
Ancestral Connection
- The Transvaal region is where this stone is close to another important area known as the “Cradle of Humankind,” where some of our most ancient ancestors roamed and resided. This stone energetically connects us to our ancestors. It can help us heal lineages, connect to, channel, or activate ancestral knowledge held within us.
- Enter into a deep meditation connecting with your Transvaal Jade and open your mind, heart, and psychic senses to communicate with your ancestors. You can place this crystal on an altar to honor your ancestors.
Earthly and Spiritual Connection
- African Jade strengthens and balances our earthly concerns with our higher spirituality. This balance resides within our heart space, which is positively affected by the energy of this crystal.
- Breathe while holding your African Jade to attune this energy. Practice breathwork, which you can combine with visualization. Hold your crystal near your heart space, and as you breathe, imagine the power of the Earth and the energy from your Crown Chakra meeting within your heart.
Side Effects of African Jade
- Extreme Empathy: As this stone has a significant impact on the Heart Chakra, it can increase your depth of feeling empathy and compassion.
- Ancestral Healing: African Jade helps you connect with your ancestors, and it can also make you aware of and facilitate deep healing related to your ancestry.
African Jade Meaning: What does African Jade symbolize?
The meaning of African Jade is Natural Abundance
The name African Jade is mainly used for South Africa. It is the main and highest quality location where this type of Grossular Garnet is found. It is also called Transvaal Jade after the region in South Africa where it is predominantly mined, which used to be called the Transvaal.
Due to its South African roots, this crystal symbolizes the strong connection to the land, which is deeply understood and embodied by the indigenous people of this region.
The meaning of African Jade naturally includes the knowing and experience of abundance, sustenance, medicine, knowledge, and peace that living in harmony and love with the Earth offers us.
African Jade is said to have been valued by African tribes for carving. It is still a pride of modern South Africa and a sought-after stone worldwide. Its beauty is enjoyed in several ways, from intricate sculptures to slices, cabochons, tumbled stones, spheres, and beads.
Types of African Jade
- Common African Jade: A variety of Grossular Garnet that is light to bright green or pink with black Chromium inclusions. It is translucent to opaque and has a massive crystal habit. African Jade benefits include prosperity and success.
- Olive-Green African Jade: Light to medium toned olive-green Grossular Garnet is translucent to opaque and displays high shine when cut or tumbled and polished. Olive-green African Jade energizes your heart center, helping you magnetize prosperity and abundance on all levels.
- Mint Green African Jade: Bright to light minty green African Jade is opaque to translucent. Some specimens have sections of black Chromium inclusions. Mint Green African Jade is an ally for success in business and career
- Pale Green African Jade: Grossular Garnet that is light green in various tones can also appear whitish green or almost colorless in sections. Pale Green African Jade is an uplifting and lucky stone.
- Dark Green African Jade: A dark green variety of Grossular that can appear green-black. Dark Green African Jade is an excellent stone to keep with you when engaging in negotiations.
- Blackish African Jade: Chromium-rich Grossular Garnet can form as black-green or predominant sections of a blackish color. Blackish African Jade increases stamina and confidence.
- Hydrogrossular Garnet: A specific type of grossular Garnet, African Jade is considered hydrogrossular as it contains a small amount of water, has a granular structure, is rarely wholly transparent, and forms in tones of green, red, gray, and white, which are typical characteristics of this type of Garnet. Hydrogrossular Garnet’s energy promotes growth and flow.
- Pink African Jade: A pink-green, pure light pink, or mid-pink translucent to opaque Grossular Garnet. Pink African Jade helps release trauma and ease disharmony.
- Reddish African Jade: Dark pink to red or red-orange Grossular Garnet that is translucent to opaque. Attuning to the energy of Reddish African Jade is great for boosting immunity.
- Yellow African Jade: A rarer coloration of African Jade is pale yellow-green. It is a stone of increased confidence and good luck.
- Blue-Green African Jade: Light blue-green hydrogrossular Garnet that often displays black inclusions. Blue-Green African Jade encourages eloquent and clear communication.
- Orange African Jade: Reddish or pinkish-orange translucent to opaque grossular Garnet. Orange African Jade helps manifest creative desires.
- White-Cream African Jade: An opaque to translucent white-yellow, green-tinged cream or whitish-colored grossular crystal. Cream African Jade can include green, yellow, or black inclusions and is a lucky stone.
- Gray African Jade: A grossular Garnet displaying pink, green, black, or a combination of all three combined with shades of gray. Gray African Jade is a life-enhancing stone.
- Bicolor African Jade: Grossular Garnet specimens with two colors within a single stone can be green and black and green and pink, green and white, or red and pink. Bicolor African Jade will bring a sense of peace to your daily life.
- Veined African Jade: It is typically green with thin or thick black veins of Chlorite. Veined African Jade can be used to strengthen the connection to our ancestors.
- Speckled African Jade: Pieces of mid- to light-green African Jade are seen with speckles or flecks of black Chromium. Speckled Africa Jade increases empathy and compassion.
How to Cleanse African Jade?
- Earth: Place your African Jade on a natural earth surface for up to 9 hours to cleanse and charge your crystal with deeply resonant Earth energy.
- Smudge: Burn an energetically cleansing wood, such as palo santo, cedar, sandalwood, or cinnamon. Circle the smoke around your African Jade stone 9 times clockwise.
- Selenite: Place a piece of Selenite touching your African Jade and leave them together for 9 hours with the intention of energetic cleansing.
FAQ
Yes, African Jade is rare as it is a popular stone found only in a few select locations.
It is called African Jade as the most notable quality and quantity of this crystal has been mined from South Africa, particularly in the Transvaal region.
Yes. African Jade can be in water as it is fair in hardness, but it should not be submerged for extended periods.
African Jade can go in the sunlight as it is part of the Garnet family, which is light stable.
To tell if an African Jade (Green Grossular) is real, verify the location it was mined from. Check the stone with a flashlight for partital translucency, and look for the typical African Jade color pallet and combinations, such as soft greens and bright greens, pinks and black inclusions.
African Jade is a variety of Green Grossular Garnet, predominantly from South Africa, while Burmese Jade is a Pyroxene Jade from Myanmar.
African Jade falls just over midway on the MOHs scale, so it is pretty durable, but care should still be taken not to drop or scratch your crystal with harder objects or surfaces. Clean African Jade with pure water and a cloth (there is no need for extended soaking).
African Jade varies widely in price depending on its grading and color. Raw chunks are cheaper, while cut and polished stones fetch higher prices.
No. African Jade (Green Grossular Garnet) is sometimes inaccurately referred to as Buddstone by crystal vendors. Buddstone is a form of Chert, while African Jade, or Transvaal Jade, is a Garnet variety.
Interactions with African Jade
African Jade vs. Verdite
The ruling planets, elements, and chakras of these stones are compatible, which means they can be paired together. They lead to increased empathy, awareness, and joy. Verdite is significantly softer than African Jade, so store and wear them accordingly to prevent physical damage.
| Crystal | African Jade | Verdite |
| Chakras | Root, Sacral, Solar Plexus, Heart, and Crown. | Solar Plexus, Heart, Sacral, and Root. |
| Ruling Planet | Venus | Mercury and Earth. |
| Ruling Element | Earth and Wood, | Earth |
| MOHS | 6.5 to 7.5. | 3 |
African Jade vs. Emerald
All the ruling elements of these crystals are compatible, which means they are a powerful combination. African Jade paired with Emerald will elevate your experience of love and wisdom.
| Crystal | African Jade | Emerald |
| Chakras | Root, Sacral, Solar Plexus, Heart, and Crown. | Root, Sacral, Solar Plexus, Heart, Throat, Third Eye, and Crown. |
| Ruling Planet | Venus | Mercury and Venus. |
| Ruling Element | Earth and Wood. | Earth |
| MOHS | 6.5 to 7.5. | 7.5 to 8. |
African Jade vs. Chrysoprase
African Jade and Chrysoprase are energetically complementary as they share the same ruling planet and resonance with the Heart Chakra. This combination is useful for heart healing, earth healing, and peace.
| Crystal | African Jade | Chrysoprase |
| Chakras | Root, Sacral, Solar Plexus, Heart, and Crown. | Heart |
| Ruling Planet | Venus | Venus |
| Ruling Element | Earth and Wood. | Water |
| MOHS | 6.5 to 7.5. | 6 to 7. |
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