A Brief Introduction To Spotting Fake Jade

Firstly it is important to realise that with Jade, even if you are in a shop and touching it, is very difficult to tell the genuine from the fake. Some cheap resins can almost perfectly imitate Jade and even feel cool to the touch.

Obviously buying Jade online is a risky business especially if it is being shipped from China. Ebay has excellent anti-fraud procedures in place but realistically cannot cater for all eventualities.

Another difficulty may arise because the word Jade, in China, not only refers to Nephrite and Jadeite, (which we tend to think of as true Jade), but also to Green Serpentine and Soapstone. These can look similar to and closely resemble Jade. Even if you receive a certificate of authenticity from an overseas Jade supplier and you can prove the item to be Soapstone the supplier may well have the law on their side if Soapstone is commonly referred to as Jade in that country.

Additional names to bear in mind which may cause confusion would be
- Korean Jade referring to Serpentine, (Bowenite).
- Transvaal Jade referring to Green Hydrogrossular Garnet.
- Oregon Jade referring to green Chalcedony.
- Indian Jade referring to Aventurine.
- Amazon Jade" referring to Amazonite which can be turquoise or green feldspar.
- Mexican Jade referring to green (dyed) Calcite.

There are others so be careful.

In addition actual Jade, (the real stuff ok?), varies greatly in quality. It's beyond the scope of this article but the actual buying of true Jade in Burma is a fascinating, (at least to me), and risky business for dealers. Low quality Jade can be stained to make it look more valuable.

Real Jade Is Not Cheap.

There are tests that can be done but common sense tells us that it is virtually impossible to test an object until you receive it and by then a dodgy dealer will have disappeard anyway. What are the tests? Well, one is a density test the other is a hardness test. Both are difficult for the untrained without the correct apparatus to perform.

The scratching, (hardness) test is the one usually performed. If Nephrite jade is scratched very hard with a steel object it can leave a mark in the softer stones. Jade is hard and will pass this test easily. Try to use a rounded steel and do not dig into the surface. You can see even this test requires a certain amount of expertise and a "feel" for Jade. Both types of true Jade, (Jadeite and Nephrite), are hard stones that do not chip easily.

Jadeite is the more rare and therefore the most expensive. It is mainly found in Burma with a few deposits in Guatemala and a few other areas. It occurs in many colours including green, white, yellow, black, red and even lavender. There are moree colours. Translucent emarald green Jadeite which is evenly coloured is called Imperial Jade.

Nephrite does not have as many colours as Jadeite. THe green hues are often more subdued than in Jadeite. It is also not as hard as Jadeite. Because of this it is not possible to finish a piece to such a high polish.

This is just a brief introduction to Jade. Be careful. If you like a piece of "Jade" and it is reasonably priced then buy it for what it is. If you are spending a lot of money then find yourself someone who knows about Jade and how to source the real thing.

Good Jade Hunting.

Ade