Modern “Caged Jade Bangle” is a natural white and green Jadeite Jade bangle, enhanced by White Rhodium precious metal and gems, by Marilyn Tan Jewellery. Photo: Marilyn Tan Jewellery

We often use the word Jade to describe any green stone. But actually there are only two real kinds of jade gemstone in the world: Nephrite Jade and Jadeite Jade.These stones can look very similar – and they can both be valuable – but the crystal structure inside is different. This gives them subtly different properties.

To help you understand jade, this article is an overview of all the most important questions people ask when they’re buying jade jewellery. You will discover;

• What is the difference between Nephrite Jade and Jadeite Jade
• Where jade is found around the world
• What kinds of jade are most valuable
• How Colour, Translucency, Texture and Clarity affect the price of jade
• What tricks are used to sell counterfeit or fake jade
• Which other stones are often mistaken for jade

What’s the difference between Nephrite Jade and Jadeite Jade?

Nephrite Jade is a kind of calcium magnesium silicate with a smooth surface polish and a waxy sheen. For thousands of years, Nephrite was considered ‘true jade’ (zhen yu).

We usually think of Nephrite Jade as a dark spinach green, but the stone naturally comes in different shades of green, plus red, orange, lavender, yellow, black and white. Until the 18th century white Nephrite Jade was the most valuable, because people thought it could protect you against poison. To understand more about the different colours and jade and their symbolism, go here

Jadeite Jade is a kind of sodium aluminum silicate. It is more shiny than Nephrite and naturally comes in many colours. But a bright apple-green called “Imperial Jade” is especially prized.

Both Nephrite and Jadeite are valuable. And both precious stones were formed in a similar way. Jade started under the oceans millenia ago in a geological layer called the Oceanic lithosphere. Over untold centuries the pressure, heat and movements of the earth compressed the layer into jade. Today some jade is mined, while other jade is brought to the surface in rivers, rolling along as boulders and pebbles.

Earrings in black and green Nephrite Jade with gold vermeil fittings and bangle of black and green Jadeite, with gold vermeil clasps, both by Marilyn Tan Jewellery. Photo: Low Tuck Weng

Where is Jade found?

Nephrite Jade deposits are now found in various locations in the world including Canada, New Zealand, China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Italy and Turkestan. At Marilyn Tan Jewellery we usually source Nephrite Jade from British Columbia in Canada, because the mining practices are strictly controlled and the Nephrite Jade quality is excellent.

Jadeite is found in Myanmar (formerly known as Burma). It’s also found in the USA, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Mexico and Japan. Jadeite from Myanmar is considered the best because the colours are so bright and the stone is so dense, clear and shiny.

Unpolished nephrite jade rocks can look like pebbles. Photo: Jade market near White Jade river in China by John Hill ➚ available under CC License ➚

Also see: What do the different colours of jade mean?

What kind of Jade is most valuable?

When you are judging the quality of diamonds, you look for the Cut, Colour and Clarity. When you are judging the quality of jade, you look for Colour, Texture, Transparency and Clarity.

How does the colour of jade affect its value?

Jadeite naturally comes in green, lavender, red, orange, yellow, brown, white, black, and gray. All of these colours make gorgeous jewellery.

Natural Lavender Jadeite Bangle with Yellow Gold Vermeil Fittings, by Marilyn Tan Jewellery. Photo: Marilyn Tan Jewellery

When it comes to jade jewellery, personal taste plays a big part in value. Some people find lavender jadeite a more youthful colour. Others like mixed colours such as white and green mixed together. This mix is sometimes called “Cabbage Jade” and it’s thought to attract wealth because you can “make the green grow”.

But overall, the most expensive colour for jadeite is a very vibrant apple-green color known as “Imperial jade.” It is one of the world’s most expensive gemstones – more valuable than gold or diamonds.

How does the transparency and clarity of jade affect its value?

Jadeite ranges in translucency from completely opaque all the way to semi transparent. Because a semi-transparent jade allows light to penetrate, it gives the stone a brilliant glow and increases the value of the gemstone.

The Jadeite’s clarity also affects its value. If you hold the piece of Jadeite stone up to the light you can usually see areas inside that look like clouds in the sky, or you might see lines or dots. The most expensive Jadeite has less of these clouds and lines.

How does texture affect the value of jade?

Both Nephrite Jade and Jadeite have a smooth, even texture that makes you want to touch the gemstone. Both kinds of jade are naturally cold and hard.

Jadeite’s texture can be fine, medium, or coarse, depending on crystal size and hardness. If you look through a microscope, you can see interlocking crystals – also called grains. These grains bond tightly together to make the compact texture of Jadeite.

This allows the finest-quality fine grain Jadeite to be polished into flat disks for pendants, or cabochons for rings and jewellery. A cabochon is a rounded gem, like an egg cut in half.

Fine-quality Jadeite might also be cut into round beads, then strung into a necklace. Longer strands or larger beads can sell for millions of dollars because it is very hard to match beads for size, colour and translucency. It can take years to find enough beads to make a necklace.

Jadeite pendant set with gold vermeil branches and gemstones, by Marilyn Tan Jewellery. Photo: Marilyn Tan Jewellery

Is Jadeite Jade always more expensive than Nephrite Jade?

Not necessarily. The quality of workmanship is really important. Good carving, colour matching and design mattered to jade connoisseurs in ancient times – and they matter just as much now.

And although Nephrite Jade is slightly softer than Jadeite, it is harder to carve due to its structure. This makes Nephrite Jade especially striking for bold jewellery like these mismatched Nephrite Jade earrings by Marilyn Tan Jewellery .

Green Nephrite Jade earrings with rose gold or yellow gold plated fittings, by Marilyn Tan Jewellery, exclusively for Krisshop Photo: Marilyn Tan Jewellery

Even broken jade bangles are valuable

Nephrite Jade bangles have been worn in China for at least four thousand years because they are thought to bring peace and protection. Even today, women in Asia proudly wear jade bangles and hand them down as heirlooms through the generations. Today the bangles can be made of Nephrite jade or Jadeite jade.

The most expensive bangles are formed from one solid piece of jade. If a good jade bangle breaks the pieces are still valuable. They can be re-crafted into other pieces of jewellery, joined together by hinges made from precious-metals. Marilyn Tan Jewellery offers a bespoke jewellery service like this

Exceptional quality bespoke carved green and black jadeite bangle created by Marilyn Tan Jewellery. Photo: Marilyn Tan Jewellery

What tricks are used to sell counterfeit or fake jade?

Unfortunately much of the jade on sale online is counterfeit. It may be soapstone or green quartzite or other softer and cheaper stones.

Plus there are more than 20 different varieties of Jadeite jade. Some are very valuable. Others are not. Inexpensive jadeite can be improved by being injected with colour, or filled with polymer gel to reduce cracks. Or it can be bleached to improve clarity and remove natural inclusions – small, dark spots in the stone.

It’s also common for shoppers to mistake other semi-precious stones for jade. For example, Chrysoprase is a semi-precious Chalcedony stone that comes in a shiny light-green color. Jadite is much more dense in texture – you can see the difference if you hold a piece of Chalcedony up to the sun, next to a piece of Jadeite.

Serpentine is a semi-precious stone that’s widely mined in Australia, New Zealand, China, South Africa, Italy, England and the USA. Serpentine is yellowish-green, with a fibrous or greasy appearance. It’s often mistaken for Nephrite Jade and may even be labeled “new jade” or “Australian Jade.” But Serpentine is softer than real Nephrite Jade and the green is more yellow, muddy and less intense.

How can you tell if your jade jewellery is real?

You can use a jeweller's loupe or magnifying glass to look inside the stone. Hold it up to the light to see the internal structure. It should be compact and dense, not watery like glass.

Look for tell-tale inclusions that indicate the jadeite is natural and untreated. If the stone is suspiciously even and brightly coloured, it may have been bleached, then dyed. If it is warm to touch, it may be an artificial polymer.

You can also get the jewellery checked by a reputable jeweller. They send the piece away to be certified by a registered gemological institute. The institute uses a microscope and spectrometer to measure the density of the jade.

The truth is that authentication methods require training and expertise. So the easy way to know your jade is real is to buy from a reputable jeweller. Jade jewellery from Marilyn Tan Jewellery can be supplied with a certificate of authenticity from a registered gemological institute, as a service to customers.