26/06/2017
Determining the Value of Jade
Now that you know jade can be either jadeite or nephrite, you are probably interested in learning about the way that value is determined. As mentioned earlier, jadeite is more valuable than nephrite and because of this, will be more expensive in most cases. Jadeite is studied for quality much more often than nephrite is and people take the value of jadeite much more seriously. There are three qualities of jadeite that have a large impact on its price and value. They are colour, texture, and transparency.
The Color of Jadeite
Most people simply assume that all jade is green, but that is not true. The most desirable jadeite is certainly a specific green shade, but there are also other colours that are common including red, yellow, lavender, brown, orange, black, and grey. As mentioned, the most highly prized jade is imperial jade and the finest gems are almost transparent with a bright emerald green colour. It is acceptable for imperial jade to also have a slightly bluish or slightly yellow shade as well.
Other primarily green jadeites are also popular and highly sought after. One of these is "Kingfisher Jade," that looks remarkably like imperial jade, but less vivid. "Apple Jade" is another type of jadeite that you will find on the market and instead of bright, deep green, the colour is better described as intensely yellowish green. Finally, you will find that " moss-in-snow jade" is highly sought after too and is a translucent white colour with bright green areas throughout.
The Texture of Jadeite
The texture of jadeite is also important when it comes to its value. Jadeite typically will have a very smooth texture that is soft to the touch in most cases. However, when you really get into jadeite, you will find that the texture can actually be coarse, medium, or fine depending on the variations of the crystal that makes up the jadeite. They are typically put into categories that are, respectively, new mine, relatively old mine, and the old mine.
Just as the crystal structure of jadeite determines the texture of jade, it also contributes to the toughness. Theses crystals, also called grains, essentially form tight, interwoven bonds on a chemical level that is resistant to breaking. Because of this, as a side note, jadeite was often used to make weapons and tools.
The Transparency of Jadeite
The third main indicator of jadeite's value is its transparency. Jadeite can really run the gamut when it comes to transparency and can be totally opaque to semitransparent and almost clear. The most valuable jade can be seen through. For instance, if you were reading these words by looking at them through a high-quality single jade pendant, you could read the words, but they would look slightly blurry. Because light can get through a semitransparent stone like fine jade, it has a brilliance that lower quality stones simply don't have. May people will even describe this as a glow and this typically has a green or lavender hue coming from it. Less valuable jadeite is totally opaque.
Other Indicators of Jadeite Value
In addition to colour, texture, and transparency, there are other factors that can influence the value of jade. The cut of the jade can certainly affect the value of the stone, and thus, the cut can increase the value of jadeite jewellery. Specific cuts are worth more when it comes to the value of jadeite. The finest examples of jadeite are often cut into cabochons, for example, and that makes them more valuable when on the commercial market. Jadeite is also often cut into round beads. In addition to the cut of the Jade, size and weight are also a factor in the value.
