The Westport Library Resource Guides: Jade: Healing Stones (2024)

FAQs

How to know if jade is real? ›

Real jade should have a natural looking color with some variation in shade and natural inclusions. The brighter the color, the more valuable the jade piece will be. Color is one of the most important factors in determining the value of jade. The most valuable colors are green, white, and lavender.

Chinese jade is expensive due to its rarity, beauty, and history. China was the first culture to master the art of carving jade, and they had the highest standards for which stones to use. Several qualities of the stone add to its value, and one of the most important factors is jade's rarity.

Green jade can appear with a yellowish tint or vibrant, like a Granny Smith apple. Red – Sometimes red colored jade is heated to increase its hue, but this process reduces the value and impairs its translucence. The best red color is a pure reddish brown, although the stone ranges from a yellow tint to an orange hue.

Jade is a generic term that encompasses both nephrite and jadeite, while jadeite refers to a specific mineral. Jadeite is rarer, more colorful, and generally more valuable than nephrite, making it the preferred material for high-end jade jewelry, however some artists prefer nephrite jade for it's unique appearance.

Jadeite comes in a wide range of colors. The most valuable is an intense green called Imperial.

Jade is not the hardest material, but it's very durable. That means it's nearly impossible to break. If I hit a big piece with a hammer, it wouldn't shatter.

Buying jade for yourself when the spirit of the stone had it's eyes set on another, would anger the gods, creating negative energy and supposedly causing the wearer bad luck. Our customers often note how specific stones call to them, so we do believe the stone can choose you to an extent.

The rarest shade of jade is known as "imperial jade" or "emerald green jade," which is a vivid green hue with a slight blue undertone. This shade of jade is highly prized in Chinese culture and is considered to be the most valuable and precious.

High-quality jade will be semi-transparent, though you can find jade gemstones that range in transparency from opaque to semi-transparent. The texture is typically smooth and even. Jade can be carved into a variety of shapes.

WEARING YOUR JADE MORE WILL CHANGE ITS COLOUR – FACT OR MYTH? There are many who believe that the more you wear Jade close to the body, it will either turn a richer colour or its colour will start to fade, due to good energy or negative vibrations. However, this is truly only just a myth!

What does jade mean spiritually? ›

Closely associated with the heart chakra, jade promotes feelings of love, compassion, and self-love, connecting us to our higher selves and fostering a sense of unity with the world around us. Its spiritual properties also include confidence, acceptance, health, and the ability to resolve emotional or spiritual issues.

Within jadeite, the most valuable pieces are those exhibiting intense and saturated colors, particularly vibrant greens (such as the 'Imperial Green') and rich lavenders. The value of nephrite jade also mostly depends on the quality of its color, with rich, deep greens being highly desirable.

Materials often mistaken for jade include chrysoprase, maw sit sit, serpentine, hydrogrossular garnet and aventurine. This is due to these gemstones boasting the same deep green colour that jade is most famous for, though each have subtle differences that allow you to identify their true nature.

The Feel Test -One distinctive characteristic of this natural stone is that it's usually cold, so you'll immediately feel its coolness when you hold it. The authentic stone feels relaxed, smooth, and like soap, and it would take a while before a real green gem warms up in your hands.

Jadeite, a pyroxene, also comes in three different types including type A which is pure jadeite, type B which is chemically treated, and type C which is chemically treated and dyed. Nephrite, an amphibole, is made up of either tremolite or actinolite minerals and is the oldest used form of jade.

When jadeite contains fluorescent minerals such as Zeolite, Kaolinite, nepheline, montmorillonite ect, it can show fluorescence under the 365nm UV light. Cotton sponges (white cotton or cloud area) is a mineral impurity, but it does not disqualify a Type A jadeite.

You simply need to place the stone in sunlight or white water, or else you can blow warm air from a hair dryer at the stone. This heat will cause the fake material to warm up, whereas a real gemstone will never change its temperature and will remain constant.

Materials often mistaken for jade include chrysoprase, maw sit sit, serpentine, hydrogrossular garnet and aventurine. This is due to these gemstones boasting the same deep green colour that jade is most famous for, though each have subtle differences that allow you to identify their true nature.