Fake Imperial Jade

[Cave Keeper]

I noticed Imperial Jade is being sold nowadays, usually without any specification in the descriptions stating that the stone is identified as Jadeite. In fact, only a few sellers are honest enough to state that they are actually selling Malaysia Jade.

Just found out that Malaysia Jade is actually translucent quartz, well-polished and permanently dyed!

I hope this is not really the case, but then I''m no gemmologist, sorry.

 

[flopkins]

cave keeper-

fake jade has been around for a long time, IMO, and I haven't really seen much jade recently (I used to go shopping w/my mom for jade pieces in chinatown as a kid) but if you're looking for an imperial jade piece, make sure you go to a reputable dealer... in chinatown! true imperial jade is very rare. Look at the quality and intricacy of the engraving/carving. I find that a lot of the 'fake' jade out there has very poor artisan-ship (for lack of better word) and the carving is usu much more 'coarse' if you know what i mean. The few pieces of true imperial jade I have seen, they are usu. identifiable by their color, translucency, thinness, and detail in carving. I think the thinness is a byproduct of the fact imperial jade is more rare, and the thinner pieces make more use of what raw material they have. Also, old jade will usu be set in 18k, and the setting will tell you a lot more about the authenticity than anything else. The other factor to consider is the price. Obviously the old mantra 'if the price is too good to be true, it is...' applies well w/jade.

I wish I had some pics of some of my mom's pieces to show you.

The fake jade I have seen is usu not passed off as imperial jade - fake jade is usu of lower quality to begin with, and the saturation is too bright - imperial jade is much darker. Also, sometimes you will know if it's fake after a period of time, because the dye will begin to fade/leech out? (not sure which) but in any case, the color will change over time. (this happened to a piece my mom got in HK many yrs ago) Then again, like I said, I haven't shopped for jade in about a decade, so the new fakes might be much better nowadays!

I am just a regular consumer, so any jade experts out there pls comment and correct me if I'm wrong... although I have to admit I haven't seen much jade around PS.


ETA- I personally would not recommend trying to buy imperial jade online, unless it's from a well known large gem dealer - IMO it would be too hard to evaluate the quality from pictures alone.

 

[Colored Gemstone Nut]

Flopkins & Cavekeeper:

You bring up some very interesting points about jade.

Top green jadeite resembles the finest Colombian emeralds and can sell for thousands of dollars per carat and more. The best jade is imperial gem green the highest quality green jadeite comes from Burma.

Primary colors are green, yellow, lavender, black and white. The rarest and most valuable is Imperial jade. A combination of 2 colors is deemed desirable by many in the trade. The element chromium in jade is what gives the stone its green color.

Grading jade can be similar to faceted gemstones but slightly different. Some desirable factors are an Intense Even Green Color, Medium Tone, Translucent (which flopkins mentioned),Clean Material, with an Even Texture, Watery Luster, and Smooth Finish.

Color is the most important factor in the quality of jadeite like most gems. The greener and more saturated the piece of jade, the better. . Top Burmese jade contains 65%-70% green according to the AGL grading system. The secondary colors tend to be yellow and sometimes blue. Small amounts of grey may also be present and large amounts of grey can lower the value. The color should also be even to your eyes, not splotchy or mottled. Ideal tone is medium. If the tone is too light, the green will not be intense. If the tone is too dark, it affects transparency and can "black-out."

The most desirable jadeite is translucent or semi-transparent. The higher the translucency, the more valuable the jade. Most jade will not look like the transparency of a colored gemstone. You want to be able to see inside of the gem and not have the opacity of turquoise

Some fakes include serpentine, carnelian, aventurine quartz, glass, grossular garnet, and soapstone. That is why it is important to have an independent grading report from a major laboratory or some well respected PS gemologist like Richard Sherwood or RockDoc

, if you are considering purchasing an important piece of jade.
Here’s a couple great photo’s of some very nice high quality imperial jade…Enjoy

 

[Cave Keeper]

Great pics! Thanks for the two lovely examples, Colored Gemstone Nut

Yes, the Malaysia Jade look very similar to your Imperial Jades. I wonder whether they are only dyed, or have actually been diffusion-treated, since they do look so good, and those shopkeepers in Shanghai can put on such a great act by taking out a penknife to boldly cut where no man has dared to before to show you how genuine their Jades are, whether Malaysia, Imperial, Jadeite, or whatever.

 

[innerkitten]

I myself always liked the forest green and the green and white mottled colors the best. But those bright greens are fab. I also like the light purple.

 

[Rube]

Could anyone tell me about jade from Central America?

 

[Richard M.]

Hey Rube!

The GIA has an interesting article about it Here



I bought this miniature Mayan funerary mask made from it several years ago at Tikal in Guatemala before word of the discovery had made it to the U.S. media. The source of Mesoamerican jadeite had been a mystery until these recent discoveries, especially the Olmec blue. Jadeite artifacts from this source have been found over a huge area. The mysterious Olmec were expert at carving it into ceremonial celts (ax heads) and sculptures. The earliest known use of jadeite in that region is in the Mexican state of Guererro dating to about 1,500 B.C., when carved beads were placed in the mouths of the deceased at burial. Other cultures like the Moche in Peru used nuggets of tumbaga, an amalgalm of gold and silver, the same way.

Gem-quality jade (nephrite or jadeite) from any source is a tiny part of total production. Despite its relatively low hardness, jade''s interlocking fibrous structure makes it extremely tough and durable. This property was understood and exploited by many early cultures worldwide for toolmaking and sculpture. Jade also had clear shamanic significance for early peoples. There''s evidence the Olmec believed it represented water, a belief that may have originated both from its color and the fact it was found as cobbles in streambeds.

Richard M.

 

[Rube]

Thanks for the link, Richard!

I have always loved jade. My husband and I both study the Maya and mostly have seen the LARGE pieces of it that were once used by the Olmec or Maya. Yet, while traveling in Mexico and Guatemala, we don''t see a huge amount of even smaller pieces for sale.
The mask you have is very nice! You should see some of the reproductions that are being sold now!

I would be interested in owning a jade necklace, but most of the resources I find online sell jade from Asia, and because of my particular interests would prefer a piece from Central America.

The information has been very helpful, thank you.

Rube

 

[Richard M.]

Date: 8/17/2005 3:29:53 PM
Author: Rube
Thanks for the link, Richard!


Yet, while traveling in Mexico and Guatemala, we don''t see a huge amount of even smaller pieces for sale... I would be interested in owning a jade necklace, but most of the resources I find online sell jade from Asia, and because of my particular interests would prefer a piece from Central America.




Rube

Glad to be of help.

Somewhere in my vast and very disorganized files (dead wood as well as digital) I have the names of several lapidary firms in Guatemala that might provide the necklace you seek. A large jade cutting firm is located in Antigua, I believe, and the owners lay claim to discovering the jadeite deposit long before the academics did.

If I can unearth the contact info I''ll post it for you. I''ve put my trusty subconscious to work seeking clues to where I "filed" the information.

BTW I''m fascinated by the Olmec, especially, and hope to visit La Venta, Monte Alban and other Olmec centers ASAP to see what I can learn about their lapidary techniques.

Richard M.

 

[Rube]

Thanks again! I would like to know your source if you find it.

I would love to get to La Venta too. The Olmec were so much more advanced than I think a lot of people give them credit for.

Good luck learning!

Rube

P.S. I've been to Monte Alban, and the view is breath taking. To only be there when it was inhabited...

 

[Cave Keeper]

Wow, Rube, what a photo!

Where and what is this place called Monte Alban?

 

[Richard M.]

Rube,

The old subconscious trick worked again. It''s my wetware version of Google. Go Here for the article I had in mind. It presents a lot more information and I''ve added it to my own easy-to-find archive. The jewelry firm''s address in Antigua, with email addy which I hope is still good, are at the very end of the article. Good luck finding a lovely necklace!

Thanks for the image of Monte Alban. It stirs my travel lust and I think I''ll be making winter travel plans. It''s hard to ignore the architectural similarities between its structures and those at Teotihuacan, isn''t it?

Richard M.

 

[Rube]

Cave Keeper-
Monte Alban is a Pre-Columbian site in Oaxaca, Mexico. It''s actually just outside of the city of Oaxaca, on the top of a mountain leveled by men. The site it QUITE old and was controlled mainly by the Zapotecs.
And, since I know we all like rocks here, the carved Danzantes stones found at the site are incredible, and I''ll include a picture of those too.

And Richard, ooooh thanks for the link! It might have to be the begining of a Christmas gift.
(It''s funny that you mention Teotihuacan. It was on the same trip I saw them both for the first time. Teotihuacan has some amazing links to the rest of Mesoamerica!)

Rube

 

[Cave Keeper]

Date: 8/18/2005 10:18:03 AM
Author: Rube
Cave Keeper-
Monte Alban is a Pre-Columbian site in Oaxaca, Mexico. It''s actually just outside of the city of Oaxaca, on the top of a mountain leveled by men. The site it QUITE old and was controlled mainly by the Zapotecs.
:

Thanks, Rube!

Pre-Columbian. Does the word ''Columbian'' refers to discover of the West Indies, Christopher Columbus?

 

[thebanjodog]

all. interesting topic. i purchased a pair of 12x15mm jade cabachon earrings set in 14k gold at an estate jewelry auction a few years ago. i wore them into an unfamiliar jewelry store about one hour from my home in july 2002. the owner of the store came over to me and made a big too do about the earrings and called the other employees over to see them.

he asked to see them and told me he thought they were imperial jade and possibily worth thousands of dollars. he brought out a ring he had there that belonged to another customer who wanted him to sell it for him. he compared it to my earrings and said mine looked far superior to the jade in the ring. the ring being offered for sale was smaller than one of the cabs and they were asking 9k. he said he was not an expert but if he was right they were quite a bargain as i had only paid about 140 bucks for them.

after much thought i took them back in and had them sent to mason-kay to be checked. that cost me 180 bucks. the report i received said the cabs were jadite but that it had been treated and each cab was worth only 20 bucks. the report further stated if they had been natural and untreated they would have been worth "upwards of $10,000". i have always been sorry i sent them for two reasons. i am not sure i should have used the jewelry shop that i had send them and it would have been nicer to have thought maybe they were the real thing. banjo

 

[Cave Keeper]

Date: 8/19/2005 2:22:37 PM
Author: thebanjodog
:
after much thought i took them back in and had them sent to mason-kay to be checked. that cost me 180 bucks.
:
i have always been sorry i sent them for two reasons. i am not sure i should have used the jewelry shop that i had send them and it would have been nicer to have thought maybe they were the real thing. banjo

Just imagine: a $100,000 jade bangle is worn to protect a lady from harm. When it does its fated task, there goes the $100,000.

Now the amount you spent sounds OK, doesn''t it?

 

[thebanjodog]

sorry cavekeeper, i guess i am too dense to get the analogy. banjo