Hpakant, Myanmar

Jadeite forms under high pressure and relatively low temperature — conditions rare enough that commercially significant deposits exist in very few places. The Hpakant area of Kachin State accounts for the overwhelming majority of gem-quality material.

What origin does and does not tell you

Origin is not a grade. A stone from the right valley can still be opaque, poorly coloured, or cracked. What origin tells you is the general character of the material — and, practically, it is what a certificate records when it lists the source.

Saying a stone is from Hpakant is a statement about geography, not about quality. The two get conflated constantly.