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All of the Shittenou, along with Queen Beryl, are named after minerals. I thought it would make an interesting addition to the shrine to say something about the mineral Nephrite is named for.
Examples of the mineral nephrite shamelessly grabbed via Google.
Nephrite is one of the two stones commonly known as jade; the other is jadeite. Nephrite is a form of the inosilicate mineral actinolite (another form of actinolite is asbestos). It is a fine-grained aluminous amphibole, rich in calcium, magnesium and iron. The color ranges from green to creamy white, generally with a silky texture, with rare examples being reddish or yellowish in color. Nephrite is a product of metamorphism and fluid infiltration and is always found in association with serpentine, nearly always in weathered boulders and cobbles in stream deposits or glacial sediment. Nephrite jade is much more widespread than jadeite, and is the classic, traditional jade of ancient China, jadeite having been discovered much later. Nephrite is a very tough stone, much more durable than its hardness would indicate, because of the matting of the crystalline structure.
Nephrite deposits have been found in China, New Zealand, Russia, Guatemala, and the Swiss Alps. The name nephrite comes from the belief that the stone has a beneficial effect for the kidneys - it has been known as lapis nephriticus. In gemstone therapy, jade is said to stimulate creativity and mental agility, while having a balancing and harmonizing effect.
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