Jadeite has a Mohs hardness of 6.5 to 7, slightly less than that of common quartz. Fracture surfaces are sugary in texture, and sparkle from the exposed perfect cleavage on [110]. Jade is relatively dense, with a specific gravity of 3.3 to 3.5 in natural specimens.
Real jade should be cold to the touch and have a dense, solid feel. Fake jade is often made from materials such as glass or plastic which are not as dense as real jade. If the stone feels light or hollow, it is likely that it is fake.
They check its level of transparency. They look for even coloration or a pleasing mottling of colors. They also look for fine polish and undistorted surface reflections. Clarity is important, too, because any fractures can strongly affect value.
You can see light right through it. This piece of jade is translucent. This happens when its tight network of grains does not scatter light. Instead, light is able to pass through.
Jade is an opaque gemstone that once polished has a smooth and glossy surface with high luster.
If you find a so-called "synthetic jade" for sale, you're probably looking at a lookalike or simulant. These are gem materials that may resemble natural jadeite or nephrite but are neither. These can range from glass pieces to natural gemstones of other species, such as serpentine or prehnite, or even assembled stones.
It is typically green, although may be yellow or white. Jade can refer to either of two different silicate minerals: nephrite (a silicate of calcium and magnesium in the amphibole group of minerals), or jadeite (a silicate of sodium and aluminium in the pyroxene group of minerals).
Low-quality jadeite with poor transparency, such as moss-in-snow, flower green, and extreme pea green jade, is commonly used for bleaching. These poor varieties of jade all reveal their original distinctive characteristics even after bleaching, and some are more visible than others.
What is this? Lay your piece of jade on top of this and spotlight the material with your UV light. Then pay close attention, results are pretty much immediate. You're looking for a green glow, like that of a glowstick.
The term 'jade' is actually a catch-all term that encompasses two separate minerals: nephrite, which is more opaque and traditionally used for sculptural objects and ornaments; and jadeite, which is more translucent and can be polished to a high lustre, making it more suitable for jewellery.
Materials often mistaken for jade include chrysoprase, maw sit sit, serpentine, hydrogrossular garnet and aventurine. This is due to these gemstones boasting the same deep green colour that jade is most famous for, though each have subtle differences that allow you to identify their true nature.
The most valuable jade color is known as “imperial jade” and occurs only in jadeite. Imperial jade is a green balanced between blue and yellow hues.
Grade 1: Many inclusions, most of which are black. Grade 2: Many inclusions, most of which are white, with some black inclusions. Grade 3: Some inclusions, all are white or light coloured. Grade 4: Few inclusions, all white or light coloured.
For jadeite, the intensity of the green color, combined with a high degree of translucency are the key factors in judging value. Stones which are too dark in color or not so translucent are less highly valued.
WEARING YOUR JADE MORE WILL CHANGE ITS COLOUR – FACT OR MYTH? There are many who believe that the more you wear Jade close to the body, it will either turn a richer colour or its colour will start to fade, due to good energy or negative vibrations. However, this is truly only just a myth!
Real jade has a very high density, which means it will feel heavier than you might expect based on its size. Toss and catch the stone several times to get a feel for its weight. If you can, compare it to a different stone so you can get an idea of how heavy the jade feels.
Some highly translucent pieces may have a faint glow but a genuine piece of jadeite does not emit light in the dark or fluoresce under Ultraviolet (UV) light. A chemically bleached piece of jade can exude a pale blue-white glow under long-wave UV light.
B+C Jade or BC Jade is a combination of polymer/resin impregnation and dye. This jade imposter is almost certain to change color or fade over time.
Maintenance and Care. Caring for a Natural Jade Bangle requires very little. The material itself is very tough and will resist to chips and breaks.
Left: In natural light, the green band in the lower right section of the jadeite specimen is caused by natural chromium, while the other green spots are the result of a dye treatment. Right: Long-wave UV light shows a strong fluorescence from the dyed areas, with little to no fluorescence from the natural green area.
Currently, Cowell in South Australia is the only commercial jade mine in Australia. Mining is done using excavators in open pits. They extract large boulders from the ground that contain the jade.
Jadeite jade, the rarest and most valuable form of jade, is also known as 'Burmese Jade', (after it's traditional and still most important source - Burma). It has been in wide use only since the mid-18th century, and today is considered the 'precious' form of jade. Most 'fine jewelry' items of jade consist of jadeite.