? What do you consider not expensive? Are you looking for slabs or rough material. I have purchased and worked the better part of 1,000 pounds of mostly BC Jade and a little bit of Alaskan Jade. There is so much variety in BC Jade. Some is hard as nails and other foliates just looking at it. But some pieces which shred apart at the sound of a metal grinding wheel have had the most exquisite chatoyance.
Many people are disappointed with bad jade they purchased cheaply. Jade that cuts well is often $30 a pound and $100 a pound is not uncommon. But you get a lot of cabochons out of a pound of jade. A lot of less expensive jade also has a directional layering. You can cut it one direction and get great cabs that polish. Cut it against the layers and it just blows up in the saw and you get a pile of little tiny jade crumbles. Believe me, I am still learning and enjoying most of it.
If you give some specifics such as slabs, rough, price per pound you want, color and translucency, many of us here will gladly help. Everyone wants to help the others here to succeed and have a good time.
PS: Top quality Cassiar is among my favorites as it cuts and polishes easily. Very hard and by easy I mean it takes a long time but most people can get great results without the problems jade is known for. Cut, polish and enjoy.
The picture I included is of some Jade that will explode if cut one direction and makes beautiful cabs when cut 90 degrees off.
