Gemstone Glossary

Mawsitsit

A stone with a weird name, Mawsitsit is a high-Chromium content cousin of Jadeite. It is found in only one deposit on earth, in the village of the same name in northern Burma (Myanmar) where Imperial Jadeite is mined. It is famous for its vivid green tone with areas of black in the same specimen.



Mawsitsit was first identified by Swiss Gemologist, Eduard Gubelin in 1963. The famous gemologist was traveling in Burma and noticed a bright green rock with black inclusions being mined. It has taken over 30 years for this beautiful material to become available to the world at large.

Mawsitsit is not considered Jade, but is similar in its toughness and the uses made of it. It is composed of Chrome Jadeite, Ureyite, and Natrolite. It receives its lovely green color from Chromium and its black swirls from Ureyite. This combination creates specimens with flowing veins of green and black. The dramatic contrast of bright green and black is unique in the gem world.

The crystal structure of Mawsitsit is an aggregate very similar to Jade in its fibrous texture. Mawsitsit ranks 6 to 8 on the Moh’s Scale of Hardness with a Specific Gravity of 2.50 to 3.10. It occurs in opaque to translucent form and is waxy to vitreous in luster.

Mawsitsit is used for carvings and cut into cabochons for jewelry. Mawsitsit is an attractive and very durable stone. It is suitable for everyday wear jewelry. However, care should also be taken to avoid contact with chemicals and heat and the use of ultrasonics.