Poetically described two thousand years ago in China as the "fairest of stones," jade actually refers to two different minerals, nephrite and jadeite. All of the true jades found at ancient Chinese sites are made of fine-grained nephrite. In its purest state nephrite lacks color; impurities create the variations of yellow, green, brown, and black. Most of the jades recovered from Liangzhu tombs are dark green to brown, while the finest jewelry is lighter green, suggesting this rarer material was reserved for more ornamental use. Later Neolithic cultures farther north favored almost pure black nephrite, likely because it was available locally. Smaller works, especially jewelry, created during the later Bronze Age feature beige jade possibly imported from Central Asia.

From the Neolithic period and early Bronze Age, ceremonial tools and weapons were created as symbols of power, yet their forms are based on efficient bronze objects, such as the hafted axe, dagger-axe, and chisel. Resembling a small spade, this ceremonial tool has a jade blade that is fitted into a shallow slot at the base of the bronze handle. Corrosion extending from the bronze onto the jade surface proves these two parts have been together since antiquity. The turquoise inlay is almost completely intact, another indication this ornate chisel has changed very little over several millennia.