Can you tell the difference between old jade, old type jade and old pit jade?

The more you understand jade, the more you realize how rich the knowledge about jade is. For example, many people cannot tell the difference between old jade, old type jade, and old pit jade. Let me explain it to you today.

1. Old Jade

Old jade refers to jade that is relatively old, as opposed to modern jade. The most typical ones are jade from the Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China. But unlike other antiques, the year has little impact on the value of jade. Jadeite that was mined and processed from the Qing Dynasty to the Republic of China is called Laogong jadeite. Compared with new jadeite, this old craft has more flavor and ancient charm, so many collectors are keen to collect it.

New jadeite refers to jadeite produced after the Republic of China. Most of them use more advanced technology to mine and carve jadeite, and the control over water quality and color is more stringent. As a symbol of status for dignitaries at that time, old jade is not only rare in number, but also has profound cultural connotations in its shape and meaning.

2. Old jadeite

There is a saying in the jade industry that "laymen look at the color, experts look at the type". In addition to the most common glass type, ice type, and glutinous type, there are also new types and old types. The structure of old jade is meticulous and delicate, the crystal grains are small, the color is pure and uniform, the water content is high, and the luster is strong. For example, glass jade and ice jade, the older the jade, the higher the price.

The new type of jade is different from the old type. Its mineral particles are coarser, its structure is looser, its density is smaller, its water head is shorter, its wear resistance is weaker, and its durability is poor. Some look like winter melon pulp or bran radish, with the base colors mostly milky white, grayish white, and light green.

3. Old pit jade

The pit we often refer to is the site where jade is mined. The world-famous high-quality jade deposits are located in the Wulou River (a tributary of the Chindwin River) in northern Myanmar and were not discovered until the 18th century. The jade produced here is of relatively good quality. Before its discovery, some of the ore was exposed for a long time. During the soaking and transportation by rain and river water, the texture became finer. After processing, it showed very good transparency, so it was called "old pit" material, also known as water stone or water-turned sand stone.

The so-called "new pit" refers to those jadeite veins that were mined later and are far away from the pit mouth of the above-mentioned vein. Since they have not been transported through rivers, most of them have a rough and loose texture and a short water head. Some people also include mountain jade ore, but in fact most of the "new pit" jade ore is dug out from pits several dozen meters deep.

Since old mines often produce high-quality jadeite, and the texture of the native ore from new mines is relatively average, over time, the market has become accustomed to calling high-quality jadeite old mine jadeite, and the price is generally higher, while jadeite of relatively ordinary quality is called new mine jadeite.

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