Hi I have a piece of a emerald green jade. If it happens to be imperial jadeite what would the value of it be? I have a gemologist/ (mineralogist more)testing a piece of it for me at the monent. I will get a definite answer on next Monday which one it is! It has some translucency to it when you put phone flashlight on it! Also it looks very consistent throughout. Not mixed material… it’s consistently emerald green color. It’s not treated. Their is some polish only on the outside of the rock. Nothing else other than the polish on the rock. Thanks
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Hi Jennifer, imo there’s too much blue in that specimen to be considered Imperial Jade.
This pic will give you an idea of how rare Imperial Jade is compared to other precious/rare gems.
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If it was jadeite is their another name for it for the color? Thanks
I found a screenshot about something that is about imperial jadeite. Is imperial green emerald jadeite all one color?
A specific gravity determination is easy with a gram scale with tare function, a cup of water to submerge the gem and a piece of thread. No need to wait for an authoritative gemologist pronouncement or guess about whether it “looks” like jadeite or is nephrite or something else. Also possibly, depending on SG numbers, an $85 Chinese refractometer from ebay will give you a spot reading that would also differentiate nephrite from jadeite. Could be something else, but those are two likely suspects. Could be a jasper, but again SG might help and RI spot reading would. -royjohn
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Jennifer, if someone told you with absolute certainty that you have jadeite in your possession, I can tell you right now, it’s 100% not Imperial Jade.
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have to agree with royjohn and jcbell… cannot id anything with certainty from photos. can’t tell if its even nephrite jade… could be a green quartz stone like aventurine. Don’t expect to get high quality jadeite for cheap. Let us know what testing shows. If you are going to pay big money for something, get it tested before you finalize purchase. SgG and refractometry are cheap home tests… worth investing in if you want to do screening yourself… the key word is SCREENING…
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Thank you for everyones help! I will get back with the results monday! Thanks again
I feel silly. This was advertine quartz! So that means it was a type of quartz!
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No need to feel silly! It’s a nice piece of aventurine, a variety of quartzite.
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I think I guessed right- aventurine…aventurine still makes for attractive jewelry. It’s a common substitute for jade beads. Even though it’s not particularly rare of expensive, aventurine still makes for attractive bead or cab set necklaces, bracelets. setting a cab in gold for a ring with accent diamonds is probably not worth it… the labor and other materials would be worth more than the cab. green and gold do work well together as colors. if you are thinking of a gold colored necklace multiple beads or cabs, do for gold filled or plated.
where are you getting your stones from? If online, I’d be very skeptical of high value stones selling for cheap… they don’t exist. If bought, I hope you didn’t pay much for it.
Imperial Jade is lighter green transparency with slightly lighter than light green however various shades of imperial jade exists.
The necklace we just created was a combination of jade from 1300 with various shades.
Took 4 hours to make 1 necklace.
Ming Dynasty barrels added with square jade light green barrels much smaller than larger jade in darker shades.
Appraised value wholesale was $675 the retail value was $5,400 necklace 30” bracelet is 10”
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Thanks for sharing the pictures of jadeite necklaces.
This is by no means a perfect test for jade, and it really depends on experience to be of much use at all, but jade is noticeably less absorbent of ambient heat than many other stones (maybe all, I dunno). If you hold jade in your hand, it feels cool, it’s not subtle if you’ve developed a “feel” for the effect. We have cooler summers (and cool evenings) where I’m staying atm, and as the house heats up during the day, if I pick up a piece of jade it’s almost uncanny how cool it feels vs other stone, and it retains that temp for a long time while holding the stone.
I have no idea if there is any a benefit to this hack-test in ID’ing imperial vs other jades, but I figured i’d share.
Specific gravity of jadeite is higher than nephrite, without significant overlap. It’s also harder on the Moh’s scale but with some overlap. Jadeite is a soda pyroxene, nephrite is an amphibole mineral. testing for specific gravity will differentiate the two. Green quartzite as with aventurine as well as any other quartz based stone will have a lower specific gravity as quartz is light compared to other minerals. SpG is a at home screening test. Doing hardness scratch tests are only good on the back side of cabochons as it is destructive. Hardnesses have a considerable overlap depending on the density of the stone, whichhis why SpG testing is the best screening test that can be done at home nondestructively…Roy John is absolutely correct in doing it at home… further detailed ID including pricing would require an expert.
Imperial jadeite of good quality is priced in the thousands of dollars per ct. similar to good rubies and emeralds.
Less common to find great jadeite less expensive option if found try to obtain when mislabeled by seller. I bought one necklace after testing sold as emerald necklace as turns out was jadeite similar look but not emerald.
I prefer jadeite personally.
Emerald is nice but not always what sellers say a thing is what you actually get.
Most often sold items not exactly as described.
I am used to getting different than described.
I stopped expecting what they say and if close to the photo I am good.
I then tear apart materials acquired to remake into something else. Maybe if someone wants the item as is then would sell as is. Most of time I rip apart items. Most materials are not real, or most often quartz of some type.
Not broke even yet on expectations.
I expect liars to sell. I expect material to match description. If not rip apart and salvage material useable for next project.
I have 10,000 loose gemstones acquired since April 2024 good with inventory of materials available.
After Testing by all 6 variables of testing equipment then identified material can be used if useable. Checking the 4-C points of issue then we can begin creating options.
Begin layout on bamboo board and 1st identify ranged material toward goal sets.
Just finished a blue lapis necklace 34” which works doubled up for most people if they desire.
Longer if requested.
Shorter options always works.
For now created Jade — Imperial in various colors of barrels which originates via China. Each unique jade and color is unique to various regions within.
Seen purple jade, yellow jade, imperial jade is pretty and light however Emperor heated by placing jade on victims and cremating remains to heat the Jade to Emperors desired results.
Imperial jade is not exactly light green but a creation of factors which resulted in many brutal factors. Jade can be expensive. Imperial Jade runs $400+ carat typical entry grade Jade runs $50 carat for certain types.
Depends on market conditions, buyers and whom sells & buys.
No perfect combination.
I created a 34” jade necklace recently and found appraised at much lower than expected at $675 which and would not be willing to sell cheap. My family reigned over Asia Minor for 400+ years and I might know a bit about my families history how they reigned and did to control factors. I suggest researching history.
Research is valuable input when creating jewelry.
I have a 2 necklaces that were a free gift with a necklace I bought from Etsy. Their some kind of natural stone. Do you think any of them could be jade or jadeite? They look more antiqueish. Here are pictures thanks.
Medallion or red carved item seems to me as a focal point for something else.
Very red. Jade comes in various colors but rarely in red if red Jade [Keep].
Never sell.
Red jade — symbolic.
Personally I suggest getting a Presidium II tester will run nearly $500 but worth the money. Tells you conductivity of material to the material type present. Follow instruction in owners instructions included in purchase and will guide you toward material matching type.
Other machines can provide additional clarification of type, reflectometer provides spectral feedback upon gem light penetration which matches materials to the exact frequencies derived upon light penetration not as expensive as prior mentioned device except oil required to determine costs $100 per bottle and you get a half bottle upon purchase. Worthwhile purchases. If you can afford to acquire. Remember identification of material is more valuable the longer your doing these types of transactions. Maybe we do not buy exactly what was sold but we could determine to our best ability the actual type before we sell or keep or give away as gifts. Teaching others is a valued gift. Even if no respect is given eventually provides value later when others follow your efforts. Focus on correcting industry failures. Industry my great grandfather left me is full of failures. It is time I deal with issues head on.