Friends often hold up a piece of jade and ask me if it is jadeite. In order to solve this problem, the editor in this issue will teach you some simple and easy-to-understand natural jade identification techniques, hoping it will be helpful to everyone.

Fiber interwoven structure

The jadeite particles that make up jade are intertwined in a fibrous manner, similar to the fibers of tissue paper entangled with each other. Jade with a fiber interwoven structure is relatively rare, so we can preliminarily determine whether the jade is jadeite based on the structure.

Green jadeite particles interwoven in a silky pattern

The structure is clearer under transmitted light

Microripples

Jade is composed of more than one mineral, jadeite. The hardness of other minerals is lower than that of jadeite. In addition, jadeite has hardness anisotropy, which causes jade to form uneven, wavy patterns after polishing - micro-ripples.

The artificially processed B-grade jade (bleached and filled jade) and B+C jade (bleached, filled and dyed jade) on the market have lower colloid hardness. After polishing, part of the colloid filling between the particles will be carried away, leaving behind a series of criss-crossing grooves, which are called acid etching reticulation.

Jadeite has two sets of cleavages, so jade sometimes shows flashes on the cleavage surfaces, which is what we often call jadeite texture. Depending on the size of the reflective surface, it can be divided into snowflakes, fly wings, and sand stars.

Color Root

On jade jewelry, the gradual transition of green in linear, vein-like, and flake-like forms to the relatively lighter range around them is called color roots. The color roots have a certain color influence and will make the surrounding areas appear green. The color roots of natural jade have a dense and deep feeling, and the color distribution is mostly uneven. The color of dyed jade is distributed in a spider-web-like pattern with a strong floating feeling. The color of some dyed jade is too bright and uniform, which can also be used as a basis for identification.

Green is rooted in natural jade

When natural jade is not polished, it appears green overall, and the color of the color root diffuses significantly.

Under the transmitted light of natural jadeite, the color roots take off the green coat that covers them and reveal their true appearance.

Dyed jadeite, the colors float and are distributed in a spider web shape

Secondary yellow tint

During the formation process of jade, it is inevitable that some iron oxides will invade between the particles, forming the secondary yellow hue unique to natural jade.

When observed through light, the base of natural jade has a light yellow tint

Artificially processed jade has undergone acid washing, and the secondary substances between the mineral particles will be removed, causing the overall base to appear pale white, without the yellow hue of natural jade.

In addition, natural jade can also be identified through methods such as weighing, knocking, feeling the coolness, and instrument testing. These are just basic introductory tutorials, including jade’s culture, deposit types, causes, optimization processing methods, variety evaluation, and market overview.

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