Is Grade A jade a high imitation?

Many people know that A-grade bags refer to high-quality imitation bags. In fact, A-grade jade also exists. So is A-grade jade a counterfeit or optimized jade?

Natural Jade Bracelet

On the contrary, A-grade jade refers to natural jade that has not been optimized; B-grade jade refers to jade that has been acid-washed and filled with glue; C-grade jade refers to jade that has been dyed; there is also a kind of jade that has been both filled with glue and dyed, called B+C grade jade.

Natural jadeite bead necklace

B-grade jadeite

The raw materials used to make B-grade jadeite generally have coarse crystal particles and loose structure, such as bean-type, dry white and oily green and other related varieties, which are conducive to rinsing and the entry of filling materials. Soak the jade raw materials in concentrated hydrochloric acid or sulfuric acid to remove impurities and destroy the structure of the jade; then use a weak alkali to neutralize the remaining acid; the jade treated in this way often becomes slag-like and can even be crushed by hand. At this time, resin glue needs to be filled into the gaps to solidify it.

B goods surface

Although B-grade jadeite looks beautiful in color and has a transparent texture, its price is actually very low, often less than one-tenth of the price of A-grade jadeite with the same appearance. When transmitted through white light, B-grade jade will be whiter, while there will be more or less impurities in the gaps between the particles of A-grade jade; previously, the fillers used for acid-washing and filling of jade were mainly ordinary resin-based organic glues, which have the characteristics of low hardness, good fluidity and easy filling. The resulting B-grade jade had a weaker surface gloss and a duller sound when knocked, but later the strength of the organic glue used for filling became higher, and the resulting product had a stronger gloss and a crisper sound when knocked, increasing the difficulty of identification; B-grade jade has evenly distributed crack-like pits on its surface, also known as acid-etched reticulation, which is a phenomenon caused by the differences in the expansion and contraction coefficients of the jade crystals and the filling material.

B-grade surface acid etching mesh

C grade jadeite

The purpose of dyeing is to enhance the color of jadeite, and the raw materials are generally selected from jadeite with coarser particles and lighter colors. There are two methods to make dyed jade. Generally, it is first cleaned with acid to remove impurities; then it is soaked in a solution of dye and heated; finally, it is dried, waxed, and polished. Another method is to heat the jade and then quickly place it into a solution containing dye, so that the color can enter into it through the cracks. The most common dyed jade is the jade that is dyed all over, but there is also jade that is dyed partially.

b+c Surface acid etching reticulation pits emerald

Generally, the hue of dyed jade is yellowish, uniform and easy to fade. However, with the recent development of technology, it is also possible to produce a variety of colors with uneven distribution. It is worth mentioning that the color of dyed jade is concentrated in small cracks and fills the nearby crystal gaps along the cracks, and the entire feature is tree-like. The cracks and gaps in natural jade are colorless, which can be seen with a 10x magnifying glass. Usually the dyed jade on the market is emerald green, which is a result of jade of inferior color imitating high-quality jade. This type of jade can be identified by observing the spectrum with a spectroscope. However, in recent years, jade dyed gray-green, dark green or blue-green has appeared on the market. The characteristic spectrum of the dye cannot be observed with a spectroscope for this type of jade.

C goods surface

As the price of jadeite has skyrocketed, more and more women have become interested in jadeite bracelets, believing that they are not only beautiful but also can maintain their value. However, the current jewelry market is full of mixed fish and dragons, and the level and scale of counterfeiting by unscrupulous vendors are shocking. I hope everyone will be cautious when purchasing.

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