Jade from Qinghai Province in western China is to be used to make medals for the upcoming Beijing Olympics.

Various different kinds of Kunlun Jade, which comes from the Kunlun mountain area in Qinghai, will be used in the manufacture of the gold, silver and bronze medals.

Liu Shengchun, an expert in jade, says the type of jade selected for use in the medals is really the creme de la creme.

''The jade has beautiful color and good quality. Pieces used for the Olympics are the best of best, which meets the standards set by the organizing committee.''

The province of Qinghai has donated 3,000 pieces of jade to the organizing committee for the Beijing Olympics, which will use non-metal materials to make Olympic medals for the first time in history. The manufacture of all the medals will be completed by March, five months before the Games begin.