Jade is covered with a layer of gray. Is it "low-grade gray" or "high-grade gray"? You have to look at it this way

What attracts us most about jade, besides its transparent and pure geology, is its bright color. Many people buy jade for its bright color.

However, not all jades look bright and colorful. Some jades give people a gray and dull feeling. Most of them are not popular, and the prices also vary due to this.

"Gray base" is used to describe the feeling these jades give people. "Gray" literally means a color between black and white, giving people the visual feeling of being dark and deep, not bright enough. The presence of gray in jade will make the overall color of the jade look less pure, so the base is gray. The two most common gray colors are "gray green" and "gray blue".

The gray base of jadeite has more or less impact on the quality and price of jadeite. So what is the reason why jadeite turns gray and how does it affect the value of jadeite?

The reason why the base of jadeite turns gray

We all know that the reason why jade has its color is because color-causing metal ions penetrate into the surface of jade during the formation process, such as various elements forming green, iron oxide forming yellow, manganese forming purple, and so on. The higher the content of metal elements, the darker the color of the jade and the wider the distribution area.

However, during the formation process of jade, not only one color-causing ion penetrates into it, sometimes multiple color-causing ions penetrate into it. When jade appears to have multiple color-causing ions, the color of jade will be disturbed. For example, if the chromium ions contain some iron ions, the green color of the jade will become less pure. The higher the iron ion content inside the jade, the grayer the color will appear.

So why do we say that the base of jade is gray rather than the color? Because graying refers to the state in which gray appears on the base of jade, and it is not the color definition of jade. The “gray” of jade is more of a feeling, and color is not the only influencing factor.

"Gray" is also related to dust and dirt in another literal sense. In addition to color, if the jade base is accompanied by mineral impurities, suspended matter, etc., it will also constitute gray of varying depths, creating a visual sense of turbidity. Therefore, when we usually say that jade is "gray", we mostly refer to the gray base of the jade.

The value of gray jade

In the fashion world, gray is definitely a fashionable and versatile color, and is also loved by fashion icons, but in the jade world, that is not necessarily the case.

The common oily green jadeite is a kind of jadeite with gray color and base. Gray tone is one of its characteristics. This gray tone makes it look calm and solemn, low-key and not ostentatious. It is especially suitable for the elderly or people with stable personalities.

However, if the color of ice or glass jade is grayish, it is a defect and the color is impure. Even if the quality of the jade is good, its value will be greatly reduced. But what I want to tell you is that some high-end ice and glass jades will have a layer of gray band on the edges of the shine when exposed to light. This is not because the color or base of the jade has turned gray, but a kind of "fake gray", which is a characteristic of old jade.

The intensity of light has an impact on the grayscale of jade. If the light is strong, the grayscale of jade will be weakened, and vice versa, the grayscale will be heavier. Therefore, when purchasing jade, it is necessary to observe it under natural light as much as possible to most accurately preserve the purity of the jade color and the purity of the base.

It needs to be understood that not all jade with a "gray" color is of low quality. The bottom of blue water and ice oil green jade is grayish, but their quality is very high and the price is not low.

Therefore, we must look at the gray color of jade dialectically, which will help us purchase truly valuable jade!

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