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How to Test for Real Jade

Jade is a gemstone mined around the world and commonly for its translucent green appearance, though it is also found in a range of colors from white to pink to brown. It is popular for carvings and also for jewelry. If you have doubts about the authenticity of an item purportedly made of jade a few simple tests will help ascertain whether your jade is real or an inferior impostor.

Things You'll Need

Knife
10X loupe magnifier

Instructions

- 1
  Scratch the jade with a pocket knife or table knife. See if it resists etching with a knife, indicating that it is real jade. Note that if it scratches it may be a fake, such as serpentine.
- 2
  Examine the jade with a 10x loupe magnifier, under a bright light. See if there is a fibrous pattern within the gem, signifying that it is true jade. Look for clarity in fakes. Search for a layered pattern, which is likely a thin layer of jade attached to a less valuable stone underneath.
- 3
  Hold the jade in your fist until it warms to your body temperature. Leave it on a table or counter for one minute and then feel it again. Determine if it has cooled to room temperature and is therefore real jade as fakes tend to hold the heat longer. Touch it to your tongue, if you have trouble telling if it has cooled; if it feels cold, it's jade.

Rocks & Minerals