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Posts: 135

Governor

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Q: Tricks of the trade for spotting real jade?

I dont want to pay a lot for something worthless. Anyone know any easy ways to spot a piece of fake jewelry?

12 years 28 weeks ago in  Shopping - China

 
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Posts: 332

Shifu

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that real hard for ordinary people to distinguish jewelry whether fake or not. i recommend you should go to some big jewelry store, ask clerk provide formal receipts when you buy some jades, if anything wrong, you can sue the seller and ask for serverl times compensation than jewelry price.

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12 years 28 weeks ago
 
Posts: 371

Shifu

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Jade is a beautiful stone that can be green, orange, or white.
Only jadeite jade and nephrite jade are authentic jade.

Real jade is very hard to spot. There is no real sure way to tell the difference from other coloured stones like quartz. Also some jade is manipulated and not pure.

Something to be weary of is that sellers will demonstrate how the jade cuts glass when they try to sell it. Don't fall for it as many stones that pass for jade also cut glass, or at least scratch it.

I would highly recommend buying jade in a different country other than China, but if you do buy here, real jade should come with a certificate of quality.

If you really love jade and want high quality pieces, the piece you purchase should be accompanied by a lab certificate verifying that the piece is "A" quality. Most established, high end retail jewelers only sell A quality.
If there are air bubbles in the jade, it is not real.

Ancient jade pieces are usually unique. If you see a dealer selling many designs that look similar, this is a red flag. Ask plenty of questions, and request a certificate of authenticity.
With a scratch test, you can destroy a perfectly good piece of nephrite jade.
Hold it up to a bright light. If possible, examine the internal structure with a 10X loupe. Can you see little fibrous or granular, felt-like, asbestos-like intertwinings? If so, it's probably genuine nephrite or jadeite. Chrysoprase, on the other hand, is microcrystalline, so it'll look homogeneous.

If you see anything resembling layers with the 10X loupe, you're probably looking at jadeite that's been "doubled" or even "tripled" (thin layer of gem-quality jadeite sometimes glued over a different base)

Observe the density. Both jadeite and nephrite have a very high density (jadeite - 3.3; nephrite - 2.95). Density is measured by dividing the weight (in grams) by the volume (c.c.).
A specific density gravity test can be performed, or you can judge the density less accurately by tossing the stone in the air and catching it in your palm. If it feels heavier than most stone pieces of the same size, it is more likely to be authentic jade.
Another way to judge density is to observe the sound of plastic beads gently tapping each other. If you have a piece of real jade, clink it against the stone in question. If it sounds like plastic beads, then the stone in question is probably fake.

Hold the piece of jade in your hand. It should feel "cold, smooth and soap like to the touch". It should take a while to get warm if it is real. However, this is very subjective, and most helpful when you can compare it to real jade of a similar shape and size.
Perform a scratch test. Jadeite is very hard; it will scratch glass or even metal. Nephrite, however, can be much softer, so performing a scratch test improperly may damage a genuine piece.
Use the blunt end of a pair of scissors and gently press down and draw a line on an area on the jade piece that is not visible (bottom or end of the piece).
Avoid any weathering surfaces because these are much softer and can be easily damaged. If the scratch makes a white line, gently wipe it off (it might be metal residue from the scissors). Is there still a scratch? If so, it's probably not authentic jade.
If it scratches glass or steel, it could still be many of the alternatives to jade as well, including the various forms of green quartz and prehnite.
Perform this test at your own risk. The piece may be very valuable, even if it's not made from jade, and can lose significant value if scratched.
Look for other deceptive practices. Even if you have real jade in your hands, it can still be treated by dyeing, bleaching, use of stabilizing polymers, or creating jade doublets and triplets. Jade is divided into three categories based on these possibilities:

Type A - Natural, untreated, undergoes a traditional process (plum juice washing and polishing with beeswax), no "artificial treatments" (e.g. high temperature or high-pressure treatments). This has a "true" color.

Type B - Chemically bleached to remove impurities; injected with polymer with the use of a centrifuge to enhance translucency; covered with hard and clear plastic like coating. Subject to instability and discoloration over time because polymer gets broken down by heat or household detergent; nevertheless, still 100% real jade with 100% natural color.

Type C - Chemically bleached; dyed to enhance color; subject to discoloration over time due to reaction with strong light, body heat or household detergent.

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GoldenBoy:

I'm also a jade lover so I'm over informed on the subject. Unfortunately I'm too scared to buy extremely expensive pieces here in China. I bought a very cheap piece for like 35rmb obviously fake because of the price. I met someone who had bought one that appeared exactly the same. Even the design (of Buddha) was common. She bought it for 3000 rmb. Be weary.

12 years 28 weeks ago
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laura.gage99:

Thank you! This was really helpful! I would really love to own a really beautiful authentic piece. I keep holding off. I feel trapped between the super cheep fakes and the super inflated prices that come with the real thing in stores that can authenticate their jade. Is there anywhere you make a habit of buying your jade?

12 years 28 weeks ago
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GoldenBoy:

I am always compelled to buy jade and I have lots of pieces but I am sure they are all fake. I haven't had the courage to gamble my money on an authentic piece, but if I did I would go to biggest and most expensive place I could find.

12 years 28 weeks ago
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12 years 28 weeks ago

Tired of dirt and lies.

 
Posts: 415

Shifu

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Take a hair from your head and a cigarette lighter, drape the hair over the jade tightly, then pass the flame over the hair, if it is jade the hair won't burn at all. It doen't seem true, but, I have done this and it satisfies the Chinese that it is jade!

GoldenBoy:

Careful. It doesn't work for all kinds of jade and certain pieces may break.

12 years 28 weeks ago
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12 years 28 weeks ago
 
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