Why is old pit jadeite of better quality than new pit jadeite?

When we buy jadeite in jewelry stores, we often hear some old experts say that this piece of jade is older, has a higher color, and has more moisture, while that piece of jade is not old enough, is relatively tender, has a lighter color, and is drier.

In their opinion, the older the jade is, the better. When talking about the age of jade, we must first clarify the concept of new and old time. Does new and old refer to the order in which jade was formed underground, which is the age referred to by geologists, or to the order in which people discovered jade? Or how long do people keep the finished products they buy?

The old mines and the new mines are actually divided according to the years when people discovered and mined jade. From a geological point of view, the geological era in which they were formed underground is the same. Secondary mineral deposits of river sediments were transported to the riverbed and deposited by rivers during the Quaternary period. It can be said that they are the later formed mineral deposits in time.

Some experts have discovered from long-term practice that the jadeite from "old mines" is of better quality and contains more moisture, which is a fact. Is it because of long-term immersion in the river that water enters the crystals and forms them? In fact, this is not true. The jadeite found in river sedimentary deposits is of better quality, with high color, fine texture and good transparency. This situation can be reasonably explained from a geological perspective.

In fact, these phenomena that exist in jadeite deposits also exist in other gem deposits. For example, diamonds in placer deposits are of better quality than those in primary deposits. This is because the primary deposits actually contain various ores of varying quality, which are transported by water and deposited into secondary deposits. Some poor quality jadeites, such as those with cracks, coarse grains, loose structures, and impurities, will be naturally sorted and eliminated. What is finally retained in the riverbed are mainly jades with denser texture and finer structure. This kind of jade is often more transparent, but it is not caused by water entering the jade. Water cannot enter the jade crystal. The quality of jade from old mines is better because of this reason.

The skin on the surface of jade is because when jade is exposed to the surface, it is oxidized and hydrolyzed by nature, causing some of the iron and manganese it contains to precipitate as iron oxide or manganese oxide attached to its surface, forming a shell, just like a knife that is not often used, which will have oxide and rust on its surface.

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