HOW TO JUDGE THE AUTHENTICITY OF JADE STONE

brac1Jade is a beautiful gemstone that has been incorporated into jewelry designs for centuries, which is why it is commonly a target for being shammed. Sometimes costume jewelry or faux pieces will try to pass off fake jade as real. Since there are so many types of jade colors and textures, it can be difficult to decipher if the stone is real or not. As avid jade stone collectors, we travel to countries to personally hand pick the jade items we sell.

All of our jade pieces, such as our earrings and pendants, are of the highest quality and are completely genuine, and, from our experience, there are many methods you can use to tell if the jade stone you are inspecting is authentic or not. When you go to purchase jade, buy only from reputable retailers, as jade stone imposters can be made out of glass, soapstone and even plastic.

Due to its value and popularity, jade is often imitated in the jewelry market. If you are passionate about the jadeite stone and want to know how to tell the imposters from the actual material, perform these helpful tests and observations.

blog_clip_image004Thoroughly Inspect It

  • Real jade has granular, fibrous intertwining on its surface that are natural irregularities.
  • You will never see bubbles within the interior of jade.
  • Hold the stone in your hand; if it takes a while to warm up, then it is most likely authentic.
  • Jade imitations may tend to fracture easily or sparkle, unlike the real material.
  • When a jade stone is collided with another jade stone, it should make a musical sound.
  • Toss it into the air and catch it with your hand; real jade will feel heavier than a fake jade stone because of its high density.

Scientifically Test it

An effective way to check the authenticity of a jade stone is by using the scratch test, but it is not always conclusive. Take a needle or knife and scratch the stone with it. If it leaves a scratch mark upon the surface, then chances are that it is not real jade because the hardness should be between 6.0 and 7.0 on the Mohs scale. Other scientific tests to conduct are refractive index, X-ray diffraction and proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy. However, these methods are difficult to perform, are time consuming and can be very expensive.

blog_clip_image006Be Knowledgeable of the History and Craft

Jade lovers have a better chance of detecting imposter jade from real jade when they know all the aspects about the stone. The biggest markets for genuine jade are London, Hong Kong and New York. China is also a large market but, unfortunately, the dealers there are not all honest. One should read up on the history of jade in Chinese culture because it dates back 10,000 years. Visiting auction houses, museums, exhibitions and trustworthy dealers are a great tactic for training the eye to pinpoint the characteristics of real jade. Understanding the carving techniques of different centuries is also a plus.

The highest quality jade bangles are shiny, translucent and rich in color. Unlike other jade items such as earrings, bangles stand for protection, love and balance. Some jade collectors do not wear their bangle – instead they place it upon a decorative ornamental stand for display. Either way, jade bangles present a beautiful appearance that is admirable and eye-catching.