How to Tell If a Rock Is Jade?

Examine the color of the rock. Real jade varies in color from emerald green to violet, orange, yellow, dark red, gray or even black and always has a soft, muted color tone. Look for extreme discoloration on the stone, which may be a sign that it is fake and was dyed to look like jade.

Hold the stone up against the light to evaluate its transparency. Authentic jade should have a subtransparent to subtranslucent transparency comparable to honey. You will likely see natural vein-like streaks running through real jade. Fake jade is often contains air bubbles that formed during production.

Feel the jade stone to evaluate its luster. Real jade has a glassy, wax-like texture and should sometimes even feel greasy. The surface of the stone should feel smooth, even-textured and cool to the touch no matter what the current temperature is. Fake jade will feel warm and clammy when held.

Perform a scratch test on the stone if you already own it. Use a knife or scissors and attempt to scratch an inconspicuous area of the stone. If the stone scratches easily it most likely isn't jade. While authentic jade has a smooth texture and appears polished it is an extremely durable and tough rock. Jadeite usually ranks 6.5 to 7 on Mohs scale of mineral hardness while nephrite ranks between 6.0 and 6.5.