Green, not gold, in them thar hills

Twin brothers Patrick and Frank Montague of Carson City and David Tiffany of Sutter Creek, Calif., say they wandered over some of the most desolate areas of Nevada before making their find.

"We had to hike over too much sage, huge rocks and a lot of snakes," Frank said. "It's nearly 200 miles away from Carson."

The jade was found on public land. The site isn't being disclosed until a proper claim can be filed with the federal Bureau of Land Management.

Two minerals, jadeite and nephrite, have been classified as jade, a hard, tough, and highly colored stone used for fine carvings and jewelry. The stone usually is white and green, but Frank said the trio also found red- and banana-colored rocks.

Howard MaCarthy of the U.S. Geological Survey said the material appears to be average-grade jadeite.

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