What Is Chinese Jadeite?

History

• Jade has been associated with China for thousands of years. However, historical jades were often nephrite. Jadeite has only recently become strongly associated with Chinese jades. Jadeite is more rare than nephrite, and thus is more valuable.

Identification

• Identifying jadeite can be difficult, especially with the prevalence of synthetics and fakes. Although jadeite can come in a variety of colors, including purples, oranges and yellow, most are green. Jadeite has a star point on carved curved surfaces. A flame test will result in a yellow flame because of the stone's sodium content. Hardness and refraction tests can also help to identify jadeite.

Sources

• Jadeite is very rare in China. Most Chinese jade carvers use jadeite mined in Burma. However, jadeite also comes from Guatemala, Russia, Turkey and the United States.

Hardness &Specific Gravity

• With a hardness rating of between 6.5 and 7 on the Mohs scale, jadeite is harder than steel. It has a specific gravity of between 3.3 and 3.5.

Chemical Composition

• Jadeite is sodium aluminum silicate with the chemical formula of NaAlSi2O6. Jadeite is a silicate with a subclass of inosilicate.