A LITTLE JADE COVE HISTORY

BIG SUR JADE

Is the only concentrated underwater deposit of quality nephrite jade found in the world! Since the 1960″s, rock hounds and divers have been exploring the cobble beaches and underwater landscape offered by Big Sur’s amazing coastline. Starting with Don Wobber; Kenneth Silva, Lee Brazil, Ernie Porter and many other spearheaded the jade diving movement giving birth to giant jade boulders being floated from the sea floor and later polished and even carved into some of the most unique and rare jade specimens. Once a year, the Big Sur Jade community gathers for a 3 day festival focused on local carvers and some of the greatest works of jade are on display and for sale and view. The festival is the Big Sur Jade Fest! For more information go to www.bigsurjadefest.com.

  Vulcan Jade

Big Sur Vulcan or Vulcanized jade are my favorite types of jade. This jade naturally erodes out of the ancient seabed that is located about 200ft above sea level. This ancient seabed is loaded with serpentine and jade materials that have been sitting in the iron rich soil for millennia. Nephrite jade is very porous and iron rich soil essentially “stains” the jade with vibrant orange, reds, yellows and browns. Vulcan jades are some of the rarest forms of jade found as seen represented in the photo above.

Big Sur Green Jade

Typically, green jade is the most common color found in Big Sur; ranging from dark spinach to bright emerald. Some jades are incredibly translucent while others are dull and opaque. The variety of colors in Big Sur jade is astounding; each piece of jade is unique, individual, and ocean shaped or found from the bluffs above.

Big Sur Bubble or “Botryoidal

Big Sur Botryoidal Jade, also known as Bubble or Grape Jade (botrus means grape in Greek), is a high quality nephrite jade and is one of the rarest types of jade to find in the Big Sur area. It is often covered in a serpentine or talc matrix which can be removed to reveal the bubble like structure underneath. It can come in all the variety of colors that Big Sur jade exhibits; from shades of green from pale translucent to dark forest, whites, the reds yellows and oranges of vulcan and more. 

Botryoidal jade was first discovered in the Jade cove area in the late 1950’s. Since this initial discovery botryodial jade has been discovered in Mendocino County, California, on the Cultus Mountain, Washington and then in large quantities and sizes in the Trinity Mountain”s of California.          

This piece of blue jade was found by Kenneth Silva diving in about 15 feet of water.

This piece is around 80 pounds found free diving by Kenneth Silva in 30 feet of water.