Jadeite: Simple Beauty

As the saying goes, "To identify jade, one must first identify the stone; to discuss poetry, one must first discuss the style." Jade, as an exquisite and precious ornament, has long been integrated into our culture. However, for this household name, do you really understand jade?

1. Where can I find jade?

Many people think that my country has a vast territory and abundant resources. Since jade is so popular in my country, it should produce a lot of jade. But in fact this view is wrong. There are many places that produce jade ore. China, Russia, Guatemala, Japan and the United States all produce jade, but the quality of jade produced in these places does not reach gem grade. 95% of the world's gem-grade jadeite is produced in Myanmar. However, although my country does not produce gem-grade jadeite, 98% of gem-grade jadeite is processed in China.

2. “A gentleman never leaves his jade without a reason”, so should we wear jade?

Jadeite was introduced to my country during the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, and it only has a history of about 400 years, but my country's jade culture has a history of 7,000 years. Therefore, the "jade" referred to by the ancients was not jadeite, but nephrite, which is what we call "Hetian jade". In ancient times, Hetian jade had a high status. Many jade seals used by emperors were carved from the best Hetian jade - mutton-fat white jade.

3. Are all jadeites green?

"Jade" is said to be the name of a bird. The male bird's feathers are bright red like fire, and the female bird's feathers are lush green, so jade is taken from their names. Jade has a variety of colors, including purple, white, red, green, colorless, black, etc. Among them, green is considered the best color in jade. The full green color of the same color grade can be said to be unique among jades.

4. Jade is crystal clear, so it is very smooth?

Jade is a mineral that grows in an aggregate state, so the anisotropy of the crystal hardness of the mineral particles will cause an uneven polished surface. When observed under a 10x magnifying glass or microscope, you can find that the surface of jade is uneven like orange peel, and not as smooth as what you see with the naked eye. You can feel the orange peel effect of jadeite by gently scratching it with your fingernail. This feature can also be used to identify AB goods. B goods are filled with glue, which will affect the orange peel effect of jadeite, resulting in a smooth and flat surface. Please pay attention to this when purchasing.

5. Does jade become more moist the more you wear it?

Many people find that after wearing jade for many years, their jade becomes more transparent and the water content seems to have increased. Is this the legendary “people nurturing jade”? In fact, it is because the oil and sweat secreted by the human body when wearing it soaks the jade, making it visually look more transparent and moist, but after being stored in the box for a few years and fully evaporating, the jade will return to its original appearance.

However, it also depends on the quality of the jade. Only when the quality of the jade is very good will the effect be more obvious. As for the saying that it becomes greener the more you wear it, that is nonsense. The green color of jade is caused by chromium. There is very, very little chromium in the human body, and your chromium cannot enter jade. How could it affect the color of jade?

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