Why can’t jade be sold by gram? After reading it, I finally know the answer!

Many friends who have just started to get in touch with jade will ask this question: "How much does jade cost per gram?

Jade is not sold by gram. Faced with this problem, Teacher Wang feels it necessary to introduce this knowledge to all friends.

Jade is not priced by gram

Almost all gemstones (diamonds, gold, amber, etc.) can be priced by grams, but jadeite cannot be priced by grams. This is because the quality of jadeite varies too much. The type, water content, color, and workmanship of each piece of jadeite are different, and the value of jadeite is also different. Even if there is a slight difference, the price will differ many times, so it is impossible to price it by grams.

Let's take a look at a group of jadeite transaction prices at auctions. You can also do the calculation yourself. If these jadeite are sold by gram, the results will still be different.

Full green glass Guanyin (95.19 grams), transaction price: RMB 41.4 million

Price per gram≈435,000 yuan/gram

Imperial Green Large Square (92.9 grams), transaction price: RMB 135 million

Price per gram≈1,450,000 yuan/gram

Violet necklace (79.63 grams), transaction price: RMB 1.955 million

Price per gram≈24551 yuan/gram

You see, even if they are both natural A-grade jadeite, if they are priced by gram, the difference between them is very large. For example, a good old mine glass-grown full-green jadeite can only be made into a small ring face per gram, but this ring face can be sold for millions. However, a basket of low-end brick-material jadeite may only cost a few thousand dollars. Not all A-grade jadeite is valuable!

So this is why people often say "gold has a price but jade is priceless". Just imagine, even if each quality and color of jade could be clearly marked with a price, what about jade jewelry of different styles, shapes, and carvings? So no matter what, jadeite cannot be sold by gram.

The price of jade is a very complicated issue, and there are too many factors that affect it. The green color alone has infinite variations, not to mention its origin, water quality, color, workmanship, style, etc. There is no standard evaluation rule. It's not that no one wants to set this title, but that setting standards is a very unrealistic thing. Unlike gold, there are international standards that stipulate how much it costs per gram.

Some jade lovers may ask: "Since jade cannot be calculated by gram like gold, can't it be sufficient to use the 4Cs of diamonds as the standard?"

Teacher Wang said that this standard is impossible to make. Everyone knows that the 4Cs of diamonds have corresponding specimen cards. If jadeite is used as a specimen card, there are 108 or even more colors of jadeite alone, not to mention the quality of the jade, carving, etc. It will cost tens of millions or even more to collect a set of specimens. In addition, there is the celebrity effect and craftsmanship value, which cannot be quantified at all. Therefore, there is no way to set the standard for jadeite according to the 4C level like diamonds.

It cannot be counted by gram like gold, nor can it be graded like diamonds. So how do we calculate the value of jadeite? Why are we asking for such a sky-high price?

Standard grading of jadeite

Based on this, the state and local governments have respectively formulated the National Standard for Jade Grading (GB) and the Yunnan Jade Grading (DB). The prices can be evaluated according to the grading standards, such as the most common ones: type, water, color, texture, and workmanship.

The quality of jadeite

The water head of jade refers to its transparency or wateriness, and is also one of the important factors affecting the value of jade. As the saying goes, "experts look at the quality, while laymen look at the color." The quality of jade is an issue that laymen tend to overlook when choosing jade.

It can be roughly divided into transparent, translucent, slightly transparent and opaque. Structure, impurities and color all have an impact on transparency, and these factors should be taken into account when making an estimate of transparency.

The better the transparency, the higher the value. Especially when evaluating mid- to high-end jadeite, the impact of transparency on value may be greater than color. Jadeite with color but no quality is definitely not a high-end product; jadeite with a certain color and good quality can be considered a high-end product. It can also be said that high-end jade must be of good quality, but jade with good color is not necessarily high-end. For low-grade jadeite, colored jadeite without quality is much more expensive than colorless jadeite with quality.

Color of Emerald

Jade's colors are rich and varied, including fresh green, fiery red, abundant yellow, mysterious purple, pure white, and heavy black. These colors drive people crazy.

Tielongsheng

Color is also an important factor in distinguishing the price of jadeite. Green is also represented in the jadeite grading. The same green colors such as Tielongsheng, Ganqing and Huaqing are full green, but their value is not high because of the poor quality. They look dry and have a dry feeling.

For jadeite priced above 10,000 yuan, the green color is much brighter, with higher color brightness and saturation, which makes the color of the jadeite look lively and full of vitality, not to mention jadeite that is full green and of good quality.

Teacher Wang once shared this sentence in an article: "The layman looks at the color, the expert looks at the quality, and a one-point difference in color will result in a ten-fold difference in price." In other words, if the color or the quality of the water is slightly different, the price will differ a lot. Spend the least money to buy the best things, don’t pick up this kind of “leak” easily.

Jade craftsmanship

As the saying goes, jade cannot be made into a useful object without being carved. The level of craftsmanship also has a critical impact on the value of jadeite products. For example, for a ring face, one should consider the coordination of its shape and proportions, and whether it is full and generous; for carvings, one should consider whether the materials are selected according to the material, whether the composition is coordinated and novel, whether the overall look is harmonious and beautiful, and whether the carving is exquisite. That is to say, its artistic value must be fully considered. If it is a work carved by a famous artist, the value of the carving may be higher than the value of the material. There is a saying in the jade carving industry: "30% material, 70% work", which illustrates the prominent position of carving.

In addition, there is another category of jade products - works from the Qing Dynasty. When evaluating such products, their cultural value must be considered.

Jadeite Clarity and Flaws

The clarity of jade can be understood as whether there are black spots, stone flowers, variegated colors, stone patterns, cracks and other defects on its surface when observed with the naked eye. "Clarity" is an important concept in gemology for evaluating gem quality, because most defects that damage clarity will have a negative impact on the beauty of the gemstone. The impact of black spots, stone flowers and colors on jadeite depends on their size. Cracks have the greatest impact on jade quality. Severe cracks can even cause a sense of obstruction when scratched by fingernails.

In addition to the factors of "species, water, color, and craftsmanship", the following aspects are also included:

The uniqueness of jade

Jade is not like gold and diamond, which can be mass-produced in identical quantities. Jade is a peculiar mineral that has undergone tens of millions of years of crustal movement and transformation. Jade is non-renewable and cannot be obtained using physical and chemical properties. The texture, color, and light perception of each piece of jade are different, and each piece carries the unique spirituality given to it by nature. Even if you see two identical pendants, there will be differences in subtle details.

Although jade is not sold by gram, for jade of the same quality, heavier weight means more substantial material, fuller and thicker, so the price will naturally be more expensive.

Cultural value cannot be measured

Jade contains profound cultural connotations. Throughout the long course of history, humans like to pin their ideals, sentiments and some emotions on jade. For example, "a gentleman compares his virtue to jade." Jade has been endowed with various beautiful meanings since ancient times. People like it not only for its appearance, but more as a spiritual sustenance. Therefore, when appreciating jade, we must appreciate its connotation based on traditional culture. Its value cannot be calculated simply by weight.

In short, there are many factors that affect the price of jade. In addition to its quality, there are also many external factors that affect it, such as changes in costs from mining to transportation and then to sales, changes in the jade market, changes in jade mining resources, etc. Now everyone knows why jade cannot be calculated by gram price and 4C grade.

Therefore, when friends buy jade in the future, don’t ask “How much does this jade cost per gram?” The value of jade cannot be measured by a unified standard from the beginning to the end. We say that gold has a price but jade is priceless. What suits you is the best, and what you like is worth it. Because it's worth it, the price is high! The true love from the bottom of your heart is the best!

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