Jade - 玉
There are many different 'Jades' sold today and it can be very confusing and frustrating to find real, natural, untreated Jade. The Chinese proverb goes "Gold is valuable, but Jade is priceless". As Jade appreciated in value over the past few decades, the market proliferated with fakes, modified stones, and alternatives to catch the demand. I created this page to highlight some of the issues in buying Jade and to help you understand a bit better this amazing gemstone and what you are buying. I do not claim to be a Jade expert. However, I do have over 15 years of experience in sourcing gemstones and am sharing some of it here with you. All Jade I use is sourced as ethically as possible. If you have any concerns about any Jade you are buying from me, feel free to reach out.
Jade comes in many colours. Green is the best known but it is not the rarest. White, black, red, blue and lavender are some of the rarest colours.
Black Jadeite from Burma/Myanmar
With Black Jadeite, the darker the colour, the closer it is to pure black in tone the more rare and valuable it is. Untreated, real Jadeite will have some mottling on the surface and visible grey or green colours under a strong light. The Jadeite I use is exceptionally black and will show some green and grey on the surface under a strong light.
Red Jadeite from Burma/Myanmar
Khotan Mutton Fat Jade - white Nephrite Jade
Khotan Mutton Fat Jade is one of the most prized and valuable of Jades. Real Mutton Fat Jade 'glows' under light, it has an 'oily' appearance and its texture is smooth with little clouds dancing inside.
With the change in legislation in China some years ago, Heitian (Hetian) Jade is now a generic term for Nephrite Jade from China, it does not have to be from the locality of Khotan (Hetian). In terms of provenance then, Jade certified as Khotan - traceable to a specific locality is very rare.
There are several cheaper substitutions and fakes in the market that try to imitate Mutton Fat Jade. For example, Quartzite, or Snow Quartz. The easy way to find if it is Quartzite is to look at a crystal structure under the light. The structure of Quartzite is more 'stringy' and is quite distinct from Nephrite Jade, which looks more 'smooth'. See also below under Alternative Jades.
Green Jadeite and Nephrite
Green is the best-recognised colour of Jade. The 'imperial green' Jadeite is the most famous and expensive - it is vivid green, very translucent, looks like glass and is out of most people's price range. It is the Jade most often faked. When buying this Jade, the saying that 'if it looks too good to be true, then it is' holds very true. It is the Jade that is best bought from a reputable Jade dealer who can offer a genuine certificate to come with it. The reputable suppliers in the UK who have dealt with tons of Jadeite and Nephrite over the past few years - the Gemporia Group - have stated that they do not bring this type of Jade to the market because it is out of their price range. If you see this type of Jade being sold 'cheaply' then the likelihood is that it is either treated (bleached, dyed, polymer impregnated - Type B+C), or it is not Jadeite Jade.
You might find some of 'imperial green' Jadeite in vintage pieces. These are likely to be less expensive because of a belief that Jade carries something of a previous owner with it.
Natural Nephrite Jade comes close to 'imperian green' in colour. Nephrite Jade from Russia and Pakistan (this one has recently been sold under the name 'Sannan Skarn' by the Gemporia Group) is of the best quality in terms of colour brightness, saturation and minimal black inclusions. At present, this Nephrite does not command the same prices as 'imperial green' Jadeite.
The 'new kid on the block' is the Jadeite from Guatemala. This is the 'older' Jadeite Jade that was prized by the Mesoamerican civilizations and was rediscovered in the 1970s. The Jadeite that was used for the past few centuries came from Burma/Myanmar. However, the mines in Myanmar are now closed. The major interest is now in Guatemala and some translucent Jadeite has been found there that has now entered the market but has not reached the same prices as that of the Burmese Jadeite of the same quality. Because of the different geological factors, the colours and textures differ a bit, but I believe the appreciation for this Jadeite is growing and soon it won't be as affordable as it is today.
Apart from the 'imperial green' Jade, green Jade comes in many variations within both Nephrite and Jadeite. Some Nephrite exhibits chatoyancy. Some Jadeite has amazing 'floating flower' patterns. The range of colours and the natural variations within each stone make this gemstone great for one-of-a-kind designs. Everyone has their preference in terms of what they like. In terms of market value, two things you might want to keep in mind when buying Jade:
1. The Jade is more valuable when the light can penetrate the stone (specialist jade torches are very powerful, but you can test the stone with the torch on your mobile phone).
2. Type A (untreated) is way more valuable than Type B, Type C or Type B+C (bleached and polymer impregnated; dyed; bleached+dyed+polymer impregnated).
Alternative Jades
The symbol for Jade is 玉 - in certification this is added at the end of the type of 'jade'
1. Quartzite - 石英岩
There are a number of Quartzite jades on the market:
- Dongling Jade. This is a form of Aventurine from China with a good saturation of green colour. Dongling Jade is mined close to Myanmar and because of the similar geological location, its colour sometimes comes close to 'imperial green'.
- Golden Silk Jade. This is a form of Quartzite from China that comes in many colours and in stones of higher quality has a beautiful uniform, translucent and sometimes transparent texture.
- White Quartzite, 'Snow Quartz', White Jade. This is an opaque to translucent form of Quartzite.
- Malay Jade (dyed Quartzite).
2. Chalcedony - 玉髓 or Agate - 玛瑙
Chalcedony is often sold as Jade. Chalcedony has a beautiful translucency that is much desired in Jade and comes in different natural and dyed colours. The dye in Chalcedony can be very difficult to detect without specialist equipment. The price point is usually a good indication - real jade of translucent quality usually commands very high prices.
3. Serpentine - 蛇纹石
Serpentine or 'new jade' is also sold as Jade and has a very good resemblance to 'Hetian Jade' with light green colourways.
- Afghan Jade ('new jade')
- Chinese Xiuy Jade (Xiuyan, Liaoning)
- Taiwan Black Jade
4. Glass - 玻璃
Glass is often used to simulate different gemstones and Jade is no exception. I've come across some very high-quality glass that is created to imitate high-end Jades. To spot glass jade look out for very even or uniform colour, visible air bubbles and conchoidal fractures. Glass usually has a density lower than jade, however, it can be modified with additives.
5. Compressed Jade
As far as I know, this is a new one for Jade. Compression treatment has been used on Turquoise and Amber for a while now and most of Turquoise and Amber on the market have undergone this treatment. It seems that it is now being on Jade. This method involves using natural Jade stone, breaking it down into pieces or powder and mixing it with a binder (resin) under heat and pressure. The outcome is presented as 'natural' because it contains natural stone, but it is not natural in the sense that the stone is completely created by nature.
5. Resin
The vast majority of cheap 'Jade' is made of resin. Resin can be modified to imitate the weight of the jade stone, so it feels more 'solid' but there is still the feel of 'plastic' about resin 'jades'. I have seen resin 'jades' being sold as 'natural jade' at the same price as genuine, natural stones by the same sellers.
