Jade Cove is located in the southern area of
Big Sur
Big Sur () is a rugged and mountainous section of the Central Coast (California), Central Coast of the U.S. state of California, between Carmel Highlands and San Simeon, where the Santa Lucia Range, Santa Lucia Mountains rise abruptly from th ...
on the
California
California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
central coast. It contains the only concentrated underwater deposit of quality nephrite jade in the world.
Individuals are permitted to collect as much jade as they can personally carry using hand tools up to deep offshore.
Shore access
There is a very steep trail from the
Plaskett Campground to Jade Cove that ends in a rope-assisted drop to the beach. The beach can be dangerous during high tides and storms. The cove is south of
Sand Dollar Beach and just over north of Gorda. Shore access is open daily from sunrise to sunset and is only available for day use. Swimming and wading are not recommended due to dangerous surf conditions and strong rip currents.
Jade collecting
The availability of high-quality nephrite jade spurred the start of the annual
Big Sur Jade Festival in 1989. Before regulations limited how much jade could be removed, divers floated large boulders of jade to the surface.
Two different
metamorphic
Metamorphic rocks arise from the transformation of existing rock to new types of rock in a process called metamorphism. The original rock (protolith) is subjected to temperatures greater than and, often, elevated pressure of or more, causi ...
rocks known as
Nephrite and
Jadeite
Jadeite is a pyroxene mineral with composition Na Al Si2 O6. It is hard (Mohs hardness of about 6.5 to 7.0), very tough, and dense, with a specific gravity of about 3.4. It is found in a wide range of colors, but is most often found in shades ...
, although composed of separate minerals, are collectively referred to as jade. They are extremely similar in appearance and were not differentiated from one another until 1863.
There are large deposits of light-green
serpentine that unwary collectors mistake for jade.
The
Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary has very strict regulations governing how jade may be collected.
The agency permits individuals to collect loose nephrite jade below mean
high tide
Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the Moon (and to a much lesser extent, the Sun) and are also caused by the Earth and Moon orbiting one another.
Tide tables ...
from an area south of Sand Dollar Beach to Cape San Martin and up to deep offshore. Individuals may remove only what they can individually carry. Only hand tools are permitted.
There is very little natural jade on the shore. Dangerous waves can inundate the rocky beach in certain weather.
The best quality jade is only accessible to divers. They are permitted to use lift bags with a combined capacity of not more than 200 pounds. On rare occasions, waves can deposit pieces on the shore.
Four kinds of jade can be found in Jade Cove: Green is the most common type. Rarer types include Vulcan, Blue, and Botryoidal (Bubble or Grape) Jade.
References
External links
Hiking in Big Sur: Jade Cove Trail
Beaches of Monterey County, California
Beaches of Northern California
Big Sur
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