This interlocking structure gives jade its toughness and outstanding workable properties. Even under extreme stress, it doesn't break or deform easily.
Disclosure: Jadeite is tough, but it will break if hit really hard against something.
A crack means damage. Cracks can occur from handling the jade rough, the carving process, or after you receive it and it gets damaged. Clarifications lines mean the jade stone is natural.
Does Jade Scratch Or Break Easily? Jade, like other crystals, is delicate and, if not handled carefully, can shatter and break. The Mohs hardness value of the stone is 6 to 7, indicating that it is more durable than many other crystals. It is less prone to scratching than many other stones.
Heat from a jeweler's torch can harm jade. Jade is stable to light, and it can be affected by warm acids. Ultrasonic cleaners and steam cleaners are safe for untreated jade. But jade might be treated by dyeing, bleaching and impregnation, coatings, or heat treatment, so warm, soapy water is always a safe choice.
Next to certain rare colors of diamond (such as blue, pink and red), jade is the world's most expensive gem, with prices far above even ruby and sapphire.
You can repair your broken jade jewelry by using strong adhesive glue such as epoxy cement. There are other types of household cements that bond precious stones but a two-part epoxy made for gemstones and metal is better because it dries or cures clear and takes 24 hours to set.
The most common reasons for a jade plant falling over are overwatering or underwatering, having a type of soil that doesn't drain well, and overfertilizing it.
Depending on the level of treatment, the value of the Jadeite drops dramatically. Treated Jadeite will not gain value over time like untreated Jadeite. Beware of shops that pitch their products as “Genuine Fine Quality Burmese Jade” and fail to disclose any treatments.
We recommend you remove your jade jewelry before swimming, showering, etc. (see additional 'Don'ts for Jade' below). The care of your jade is quite simple. Most common jewelry cleaners and techniques can cause problems due to the standard wax applied to all jade after polishing.
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.
Jadeite has a smooth, even texture that makes people want to touch and hold it. Jadeite's texture can be fine, medium, or coarse, depending on variations in crystal size and hardness. These texture categories are sometimes called, respectively, old mine, relatively old mine, and new mine.
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.
Maw sit sit is a green and black gem material that has been confused with jade for hundreds of years. It was once thought to be a variety of jade because of its similar appearance and physical properties. It was often referred to as "chrome jade" because of its bright chrome-green color. Maw sit sit is not a jade.
- Courtesy Mason-Kay Fine Jade Jewelry Two different gem materials can correctly be called jade. Jadeite is one of them, and the other is nephrite. Both are actually metamorphic rocks made up of tiny interlocking mineral crystals. These interlocking crystals make both gems exceptionally tough.
Jade, genuine jade, is very tough but if overly strained it can crack or break. It would depend on what kind of surface it was dropped on, if it were really hard,.
The Scratch Test
Jadeite is a hard stone; it will scratch glass and most metals. If you use any of these substances to scratch the surface of pure jadeite, there should not be any scratches. There may be a white line, but it should be easy to wipe off.
Jade has a value of 6.0 to 7.0 on the Mohs Hardness Scale meaning that it can survive underwater. However, even then, it should not be immersed for too long as water can be damaging.
Between 1977 and 1996, small mining ventures around Tamworth in New South Wales, produced about 600 kg of nephrite. Currently, Cowell in South Australia is the only commercial jade mine in Australia. Mining is done using excavators in open pits.
Generally, blue is the color of jade that is the rarest because it comes from only a few deposits found in Guatemala, Japan and Myanmar. Green and lavender jade are more common.
Rich green jadeite, known as “imperial jade,” is also the most highly valued.