shape
carat
color
clarity

I’m looking for a nephrite bead necklace- is this one good?

diamondyes

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Oct 16, 2020
Messages
1,813

Thanks for letting me borrow your eyes!
 
Ok… sometimes I refrain from commenting as but since you tagged me…

I don’t like it as
1. The listing uses a stock photo and you cant tell what you will receive in the end.
2. Even in the stock photo, one shows a great deal of unevenness in the beads color and the other various black spots, both are not desirable in necklaces/nephrite. Black spots are common in nephrite but ideally as little as possible. So assuming the stock pic is the best it can be, I’ll be concerned re the usual stock that will be sent out.
3. From the pics I can’t make out if the lustre is good. Vs this one where you can kinda tell lustre is ok:

But…
It is not very expensive and if you can ask for a pic of the exact strand you will receive and it makes your heart sing then why not.
 
Ok… sometimes I refrain from commenting as but since you tagged me…

I don’t like it as
1. The listing uses a stock photo and you cant tell what you will receive in the end.
2. Even in the stock photo, one shows a great deal of unevenness in the beads color and the other various black spots, both are not desirable in necklaces/nephrite. Black spots are common in nephrite but ideally as little as possible. So assuming the stock pic is the best it can be, I’ll be concerned re the usual stock that will be sent out.
3. From the pics I can’t make out if the lustre is good. Vs this one where you can kinda tell lustre is ok:

But…
It is not very expensive and if you can ask for a pic of the exact strand you will receive and it makes your heart sing then why not.

Thank you so so much! That was very educational and I really appreciate it! Especially with the example photo you linked me to. Is nephrite Jade less expensive than jadeite? In terms of comparing two decent quality strands…
 
Ok… sometimes I refrain from commenting as but since you tagged me…

I don’t like it as
1. The listing uses a stock photo and you cant tell what you will receive in the end.
2. Even in the stock photo, one shows a great deal of unevenness in the beads color and the other various black spots, both are not desirable in necklaces/nephrite. Black spots are common in nephrite but ideally as little as possible. So assuming the stock pic is the best it can be, I’ll be concerned re the usual stock that will be sent out.
3. From the pics I can’t make out if the lustre is good. Vs this one where you can kinda tell lustre is ok:

But…
It is not very expensive and if you can ask for a pic of the exact strand you will receive and it makes your heart sing then why not.

I just want to say again how much I appreciate your time and expertise!
 
You are most welcome! Yes nephrite is usually much more affordable. But the good white ones can be quite pricey too.

Beads are not usually my thing so am tagging @mellowyellowgirl to help
 
You are most welcome! Yes nephrite is usually much more affordable. But the good white ones can be quite pricey too.

Beads are not usually my thing so am tagging @mellowyellowgirl to help
Thank you! Especially since I see the necklace you linked me to is sold out, heh
 
I live in the land of nephrite jade - BC, Canada. These studs show a desirable color for our nephrite (which is one of the biggest sources in the world). Whilst I like the black pepper spots, they are 20220813_192153.jpgless desirable, and watch out for a dull army green, which is very common. You'll almost never get a bright apple green like jadeite, but our brightest greens command high prices and are hard to source, being exported to foreign markets (where they are claimed as Chinese, when in fact are mined in Canada).

The necklace is ok. If it makes your heart sing, as others have said, go for it. The price is commensurate with the quality IMO.
 

Attachments

  • 20220813_192952.jpg
    20220813_192952.jpg
    98.3 KB · Views: 4
Last edited:
Hi @diamondyes, The JadeMine is run by Nikki Makepeace and her husband Paul Lanyon. Nickki is the daughter of Kirk Makepeace, who founded Jade West, a leading producer of nephrite. Both Nikki and Paul are nice and helpful. When I wanted a pair of Siberian cat‘s eye nephrite, Paul searched the inventory and matched them for me. Feel free to ask them for more photos.
The listing for the necklace that you are considering is honest and upfront. They stated that the nephrite is carving grade (see pic below). Here is a GIA article on the nephrite trade, explaining what is meant by carving grade nephrite. https://www.gia.edu/gia-news-research/nephrite-jade-road-evolution-green-nephrite-market
Please note that the grades for nephrite – which range from AAA to B and C, are not to be confused with grading for jadeite. In the case of nephrite, the letters simply refer to quality, and not to the absence or presence of treatments.
i would add that nephrite is the original Chinese Jade; jadeite was introduced a few centuries ago. https://www.lotusgemology.com/index.php/library/articles/270-jade-buying-guide-jade-auction-records
As @Begonia pointed out, Nephrite has its own appeal and beauty, and is not to be judged on the same criteria as jadeite. I hope this is helpful!B35863A7-5916-4255-ACCB-E9BBDD306FCA.jpeg
 
I live in the land of nephrite jade - BC, Canada. These studs show a desirable color for our nephrite (which is one of the biggest sources in the world). Whilst I like the black pepper spots, they are 20220813_192153.jpgless desirable, and watch out for a dull army green, which is very common. You'll almost never get a bright apple green like jadeite, but our brightest greens command high prices and are hard to source, being exported to foreign markets (where they are claimed as Chinese, when in fact are mined in Canada).

The necklace is ok. If it makes your heart sing, as others have said, go for it. The price is commensurate with the quality IMO.
Thank you!!
 
Hi @diamondyes, The JadeMine is run by Nikki Makepeace and her husband Paul Lanyon. Nickki is the daughter of Kirk Makepeace, who founded Jade West, a leading producer of nephrite. Both Nikki and Paul are nice and helpful. When I wanted a pair of Siberian cat‘s eye nephrite, Paul searched the inventory and matched them for me. Feel free to ask them for more photos.
The listing for the necklace that you are considering is honest and upfront. They stated that the nephrite is carving grade (see pic below). Here is a GIA article on the nephrite trade, explaining what is meant by carving grade nephrite. https://www.gia.edu/gia-news-research/nephrite-jade-road-evolution-green-nephrite-market
Please note that the grades for nephrite – which range from AAA to B and C, are not to be confused with grading for jadeite. In the case of nephrite, the letters simply refer to quality, and not to the absence or presence of treatments.
i would add that nephrite is the original Chinese Jade; jadeite was introduced a few centuries ago. https://www.lotusgemology.com/index.php/library/articles/270-jade-buying-guide-jade-auction-records
As @Begonia pointed out, Nephrite has its own appeal and beauty, and is not to be judged on the same criteria as jadeite. I hope this is helpful!B35863A7-5916-4255-ACCB-E9BBDD306FCA.jpeg
I look forward to diving deeper into this education! Thank you!
 
I can’t tell much but it definitely isn’t the same color as the one you originally posted. Hopefully others can chime in
 
You are most welcome! Yes nephrite is usually much more affordable. But the good white ones can be quite pricey too.

Beads are not usually my thing so am tagging @mellowyellowgirl to help

I think you've given great advice already Icy! I have no idea about Nephrite. Jadeite I can give a decent guess as my sister and I have bought a few this year.
 
@Crimson @Begonia @icy_jade
I don’t suppose you can tell by this photo, anything about this nephrite strand I tried on and really liked? I will go visit it again. I don’t recall it having any lustre to speak of.5CE6F476-2D6E-4B3B-892D-639AB10DAD61.png

Yes, I agree with @icy_jade. It looks like “spinach green” nephrite. it is difficult to tell from photos but this strand looks more evenly coloured. As @Begonia shared, it is possible to get nephrite of homogeneous texture. How does the necklace look in the daylight? Good nephrite can look bright, too although it usually lacks the glow of high quality jadeite.
 
I can’t tell much but it definitely isn’t the same color as the one you originally posted. Hopefully others can chime in

Yes I think you are right
 
Yes, I agree with @icy_jade. It looks like “spinach green” nephrite. it is difficult to tell from photos but this strand looks more evenly coloured. As @Begonia shared, it is possible to get nephrite of homogeneous texture. How does the necklace look in the daylight? Good nephrite can look bright, too although it usually lacks the glow of high quality jadeite.

I will report back after I visit it! Is spinach green considered good or bad, usually?
 
I always think it’s all personal. If you like the color, then it’s good. Like I like bluish lavender jadeite the most. Over the more standard lavender color or pinkish lavender which are more expensive. So to me, bluish lavender is what I will buy and wear and I don’t really care to buy the more expensive shades that I don’t like as much. Just my personal opinion.

Nephrite color charts
4242F91D-CA7B-46C6-9690-F243AFD5F93C.jpeg
986863F8-B8C6-4590-A5FA-2DDAC809BAD8.jpeg
 
@Crimson @Begonia @icy_jade
I don’t suppose you can tell by this photo, anything about this nephrite strand I tried on and really liked? I will go visit it again. I don’t recall it having any lustre to speak of.5CE6F476-2D6E-4B3B-892D-639AB10DAD61.png

Can't see much. Can you take a white paper towel and photograph against that? In different lighting conditions? That would help a lot.

Don't be fooled by green silk in between the beads. That fools our eyes a bit into improving quality in our brains. Hold them up to the light by the window or a lamp. A good shop will encourage that. Oh! I see the silk is light! Carry on...

Bit of uneven knotting tension in the middle, slight right there. No biggie, but just so you know :)
 
Last edited:
I always think it’s all personal. If you like the color, then it’s good. Like I like bluish lavender jadeite the most. Over the more standard lavender color or pinkish lavender which are more expensive. So to me, bluish lavender is what I will buy and wear and I don’t really care to buy the more expensive shades that I don’t like as much. Just my personal opinion.

Nephrite color charts
4242F91D-CA7B-46C6-9690-F243AFD5F93C.jpeg
986863F8-B8C6-4590-A5FA-2DDAC809BAD8.jpeg

Do I see an option where nephrite can have chatoyancy???? Wowza.
 
Can't see much. Can you take a white paper towel and photograph against that? In different lighting conditions? That would help a lot.

Don't be fooled by green silk in between the beads. That fools our eyes a bit into improving quality in our brains. Hold them up to the light by the window or a lamp. A good shop will encourage that. Oh! I see the silk is light! Carry on...

Bit of uneven knotting tension in the middle, slight right there. No biggie, but just so you know :)

Thank you! I do think this strand would have to be re-knotted.
 
I’ll post more pics when I go back :)
 
Here are my Siberian Cat‘s eye nephrite from TheJadeMine. They do have a milk and honey effect but the line isn’t as sharp in nephrite as it is for chrysoberyl cat’s eye.47C912DE-5D11-4419-B73B-59B66261EF5B.jpeg

Oh that’s so cool! Thanks for sharing!
 
80869224-5549-4142-8852-F484BB184E20.jpeg67926B06-0332-42E2-B363-1A1E28DFE2B6.jpeg
 

Attachments

  • A9381D05-C936-41A6-AEA6-998FD3DD2D2D.jpeg
    A9381D05-C936-41A6-AEA6-998FD3DD2D2D.jpeg
    334.9 KB · Views: 9
They definitely need to be re-strung. I tried to show the colour and texture in the photos. Thoughts? Be brutal! I haven’t bought it haha
 

i think these will look lovelly once restrung and knotted
i dont know a thing about jade but this to me looks like it will make a very useful contribution to your jewlery wardrobe and will gets lots of wear

if you are not going to knot them yourself please take care to send them to someone who will do a top notch job
 
GET 3 FREE HCA RESULTS JOIN THE FORUM. ASK FOR HELP

Featured Topics

Top