What does pickling mean? How to identify acid-washed jadeite?

Natural jade is graded into different quality levels, so not all natural jade can be sold at a good price. Some people will hear a word when they first come into contact with jade - pickling, which is one of the processing methods of jade. So what does pickling mean? How to identify acid-washed jadeite? Today I will tell you.

Acid pickling is actually a processing method, commonly known in the industry as: B goods, which means bleaching and filling. After strong acid washing, it is necessary to carry out glue injection treatment, otherwise the structure will be destroyed and become fragile. This processing method first appeared in Hong Kong in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Experts called it "shower goods": it dealt a serious blow to the jade trading market. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the comprehensive identification technology of jadeite was improved, and now the instrument identification technology for B-grade jadeite has become quite mature.

Pickling is to soak jade in a strong acid solution, which can remove some oxide scales, rust or dark defects, but it can also change the structure of jade and remove some impurities inside the jade. Usually, people will take some lower quality jadeite raw stones or semi-finished products for acid washing. The water content of jadeite will become very good after acid washing, but it has a strong gum texture. If you are pursuing collection or appreciation, it is not recommended to buy it. And the way to identify it is actually not difficult.

First of all, you can identify acid-washed jadeite by its weight . Jade gives people a comfortable feeling and makes people feel it is very heavy. However, the density of jade that has been acid-washed will change, and the overall structure will not be as tight as it was at the beginning, so the weight will be reduced. In addition, it will be filled with glue after acid washing, so its weight will definitely not be heavier than before acid washing. Jade of the same size will be lighter than A-grade jade after acid washing , and its density will also change.

Secondly, it can be identified by defects. Because the purpose of pickling is to remove impurities in jade, it will give people a perfect feeling and be flawless. This can be observed carefully using a magnifying glass. Natural jadeite will have some flaws when observed carefully , many of which are invisible to the naked eye. If the jade is dyed after acid washing, you can see that the color of the jade is abnormally bright and it does not seem real .

Then you can also observe the surface of the jade. Acid etching patterns appear on the surface of acid-washed jade, and obvious grooves will appear in the cracks. Many cracks form criss-crossing "ditches" or "tree branches" like patterns, which we call "acid etching patterns." The surface of crack-free jade will have relatively uniform irregular pits with a large distribution area. The pits are irregular in shape, rough inside and non-reflective. However, in order to avoid this phenomenon, some counterfeiters now polish the surface several times after pickling until the "acid etching marks" are no longer visible.

Finally, you can use the sound method to distinguish the authenticity of jadeite. As long as the sound is crisp and pleasant, it means it is real jade. If the sound is turbid and dull, it means the jade is fake . This is also one of the most widely used methods. The reason for the difference in sound is that the acid-washed jade has too many chemical components, which causes changes in the jade structure.

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