Jadeite is one of the two gemstones referred to as “jade.” The other stone is nephrite, which has a similar appearance but different properties.
What is the difference between jade and jadeite? All jadeite is considered jade, but jade gemstones can be jadeite or nephrite.
Is jadeite a rare stone? Yes, especially high-quality specimens.
Today, we’ll explore jadeite’s properties, meanings, history, pricing, and more!
Jadeite is a semi-precious gemstone and historical March birthstone. As a zodiac stone, jadeite benefits Pisces, Virgo, and Taurus. It’s also the traditional 12th wedding anniversary gem.
But what is so special about jadeite? One beloved quality is that jadeite’s fine crystalline structure produces a translucency that looks like there’s water inside the stone.
As a mineral, jadeite is in the pyroxene group. However, the mineral form is rare and usually tiny, so jadeite-rich rocks (like jadeitite) are used to create most gems.
Jadeite rocks are typically granular with interlocked crystals, making jadeite gems incredibly durable. The interlocked structure makes jadeite extremely tough, even more shatter-resistant than diamonds.
Which is better: jadeite or nephrite? Jadeite comes in more and brighter colors, but nephrite is more affordable. Our guide on the differences between nephrite and jadeite goes over jadeite vs nephrite in-depth.
Jadeite’s properties listed:
Mohs hardness: 6.5-7
Color: Usually shades of green or white; Can be colorless, white, yellow, red, orange, purple, yellow-brown, yellow-green, gray, black, or blue
Crystal structure: Monoclinic (in rare mineral form)
Luster: Vitreous (glassy), sub-vitreous, or pearly
Transparency: Translucent to opaque
Refractive index: 1.64-1.667
Density: 3.24-3.43
Cleavage: None
Fracture: Splintery
Streak: White
Luminescence: Fluorescence & X-Ray colors present; Pale-colored specimens sometimes white in LW-UV; Pale yellow and mauve specimens sometimes intensely blue-violet in X-rays
Pleochroism: None
Birefringence: 0.012-0.020
Dispersion: None
Pictured above: Maw Sit Sit
Stones considered jadeite varieties include:
Chloromelanite: Opaque, dark green to black jadeite OR outdated name for omphacite
Omphacite: Mineral between iron-bearing diopside and jadeite; May contain aegirine, augite, and jadeite
Maw Sit Sit: Rock with black and green veining exclusive to Myanmar; Composed of albite, jadeite, and other minerals; AKA “jadeite-albite”
Turkiyenite: Turkish purple rock (typically with white spots) that’s mostly purple jadeite with quartz, orthoclase, and other minerals; AKA “Turkish purple jade”
Jadeitite: Rock almost entirely composed of jadeite
Jadeite symbolizes luck, eternity, and balance. Throughout history, jadeite has been most significant in Chinese culture.
In the ancient Chinese art of Feng Shui, jade represents prosperity, harmony, and tenderness. Jadeite also represents mental clarity, spiritual purity, and wealth in Chinese culture.
Chinese jade carvings have their own meanings:
Dragon: Strength, success, goodness
Bat: Joy
Butterfly: Longevity
Peach: Immortality
Bi (circular disk with center hole): Heaven
Cong (square vessel with round interior): Earth
They also believe jadeite connects the living to the dead, or heaven to Earth, using it in Chinese funeral and mysticism rituals.
Pictured above: Bi jadeite carving shape
Before becoming a gemstone, jadeite was used in Europe during Neolithic times (3,500-2,000 BC) for weaponry. Europeans wouldn’t start using jade again until the 1500s, when Spaniards brought back green gems from South America.
Jadeite had been used for jewelry and ritual objects by Aztecs, Mayans, and Olmecs.
The Spaniards called them piedras de yjada, meaning “stone of the side” after the belief that Aztecs used the stones to treat kidney problems. The term yjada eventually became “jade” in English.
Jade carvings and ritual objects in China also go back to Neolithic times, but they were all nephrite. Jadeite (from Burma, present-day Myanmar) wouldn’t be introduced until the 1700s.
Chinese artisans actually distinguished the two, calling the former fei-ts’ui and the latter yu. But the two stones weren’t officially differentiated until French mineralogist Alexis Damour analyzed them in 1863. This distinction led to the term “jadeite.”
The most expensive jadeite jewelry is the Hutton-Mdivani Necklace, sold by Woolworth heiress Barbara Hutton in 2014 for $27.4 million.
Now, what is jade used for in crystal healing?
Jadeite has been a healing stone for centuries. Green jadeite, like other green gemstones, is a powerful heart chakra stone.
What is jade good for physically?
Purported physical jadeite stone benefits include treating:
Cardiovascular health
Hormone imbalance
Fertility issues
Infections
Emotionally, jadeite can reveal your truest desires and energize you to make them a reality. It’s also said to help you work through trauma or emotional wounds to reach acceptance.
Jadeite’s value is most dependent on its color, size, and origin. However, texture, treatments, cuts, and transparency are also significant factors.
Typically, jadeite’s color is its number-one value factor. Shades of green are most valuable, with “imperial jade” being priciest. Popular jadeite greens are:
Imperial Jade: Purer green than emerald, medium-dark tone, saturated; Ideal coloring sometimes called laijao or “chili pepper”
Apple Green / Xim Keng Zhong: Lighter green with yellow undertones
Flower Green / Huã Qing Zhong: Mottled pattern of bright, light, and dark greens, sometimes with white patches
The second most valuable color is lavender, especially with pink undertones.
The third most valuable is “ice jade,” colorless and ideally transparent. Green or purple undertones present create “melon jade.”
The most affordable colors are brown, gray, and black.
What is the rarest color of jadeite? Blue jadeite is the rarest color.
Color-zoning decreases jadeite’s value, though most stones are mottled. Natural specimens with more than three colors are valuable.
Jadeite is rarely faceted. The most valuable cuts use the most rough, like bangles. Most high-quality jadeite specimens become cabochons. Long strands of jadeite beads can be quite valuable, since finding matching colors is difficult.
Valuing jadeite carvings is dependent on the piece’s age, intricacy, and origin. Designs that would be infeasible on other gems can be done on jadeite given its toughness and lack of cleavage.
Only colorless jadeite can be transparent, which is highly valued. Higher translucence creates a moonstone-like internal glow and higher value.
Certain inclusions can increase or decrease jadeite’s value. If they’re black or lower transparency, value decreases. Colored inclusions on white jadeites or silky tubes can increase value. Fractures decrease value.
Jadeite texture can be fine, medium, or coarse. Fine-grained jadeite is stronger with the desirable “wet” translucency. Medium or coarse texture decreases value. Black jadeite’s value is largely dependent on its texture.
A lot of jadeite jewelry isn’t valued per-carat but on overall size and quality. Larger jadeites — even 5 carats — of good-quality are valuable.
Jadeite is treated more often than nephrite, but both receive treatment-related Type grades:
Type A: Natural, untreated except sometimes wax coating
Type B: Bleach (acid soaking) and polymer impregnation
Type C: Dyed
Type B+C: Bleach and polymer treatments plus dyed
Any treatments besides wax coatings lower jadeite’s durability and value. For reference, Type B jadeite’s price will be around 5-10 percent of the price of an equivalent Type A jadeite.
Other treatments for jadeite include foil backing or composites (doublets or triplets).
Synthetic jade exists but not as commercial gems. “Synthetic jade” gems are probably simulants.
Common simulants are:
Hydrogrossular garnet
Dyed marble
Glass
Plastic
How can you tell if jadeite is real? Our guide on how to test if jade is real has great tips!
Jadeite, like nephrite, forms in metamorphic rocks. However, jadeite formation requires higher heat and pressure deep underground, only emerging from earthquakes or erosion.
As such, most jadeite deposits occur near or on faults in serpentine rocks or alluvial boulders.
Where is jadeite found? The top source is Myanmar, producing around 70 percent of the world’s high-quality jadeite.
Gem-quality jadeite also comes from:
California, USA
France
Guatemala (blue jadeite)
Italy
Japan
Kazakhstan
Mexico
Russia
Turkey
But what is jadeite worth?
Burmese Imperial jade is the highest-quality and priciest type.
Untreated jadeite prices per carat:
Imperial Jadeite (Burmese): $400 per carat (below 2 cts); $500 per carat (2-10 cts)
White Jadeite (Burmese): $90 per carat
Jadeite (Non-Burmese): $100 per carat
Treated, non-Burmese jadeite starts at $9 per carat. Most mid-quality jadeite ranges from $70 to $400 per carat or higher.
Our jadeite cabochons range from $35 to $2,950.
Proper gemstone care depends on jadeite’s treatments. You can mechanically clean untreated jadeites, but only use warm water, mild soap, and a soft toothbrush on treated jadeites.
Can you shower with jadeite? Jadeite jewelry secured with epoxy can weaken with exposure to hot water.
Avoid the following with jadeite:
Showering
Swimming
Mechanical cleaners (e.g. steam, ultrasonic)
Harsh chemicals & acids
Gardening or intense activities
Intense heat
Store jadeite separately from other gems. Do NOT freeze jadeite.
Jadeite is a gemstone steeped in history and lore, but it also offers toughness and beauty. Wearing jadeite is a great way to invite some luck and enthusiasm to your day-to-day life!
翡翠是被稱為“ 翡翠”的兩種寶石之一。另一種石頭是軟玉,外觀相似但性質不同。
翡翠和硬玉有什麼區別?所有翡翠都被認為是翡翠,但翡翠寶石可以是翡翠或軟玉。
翡翠是稀有寶石嗎?是的,尤其是高質量的標本。
今天,我們將探索翡翠的特性、意義、歷史、價格等等!
硬玉是一種半寶石和歷史悠久的三月生日石。作為生肖石,翡翠有益於雙魚座、 處女座和金牛座。它也是傳統的12 週年結婚紀念寶石。
但是翡翠有什麼特別之處呢?一個深受喜愛的品質是翡翠的精細晶體結構產生半透明感,看起來就像石頭內部有水一樣。
作為一種礦物,硬玉屬于輝石族。然而,這種礦物形式很少見且通常很小,因此富含硬玉的岩石(如硬玉)被用來製造大多數寶石。
硬玉岩石通常呈顆粒狀,帶有互鎖的晶體,使硬玉寶石非常耐用。環環相扣的結構讓硬玉異常堅韌,甚至比鑽石更不易破碎。
哪個更好:翡翠還是軟玉?翡翠的顏色更多更亮,但軟玉更實惠。我們關於軟玉和硬玉之間差異的指南深入介紹了硬玉與軟玉。
翡翠的屬性列表:
莫氏硬度:6.5-7
顏色:通常為綠色或白色;可以是無色、白色、黃色、紅色、橙色、紫色、黃褐色、黃綠色、灰色、黑色或藍色
晶體結構:單斜晶系(稀有礦物形式)
光澤:玻璃狀(玻璃狀)、亞玻璃狀或珍珠狀
透明度: 半透明到不透明
折射率:1.64-1.667
密度:3.24-3.43
乳溝:無
骨折: 分裂
條紋:白色
發光:存在熒光和 X 射線顏色;淺色標本有時在 LW-UV 下呈白色;淡黃色和紫紅色標本有時在 X 射線下呈現強烈的藍紫色
多色性:無
雙折射:0.012-0.020
色散:無
上圖:Maw Sit Sit
被視為翡翠品種的寶石包括:
Chloromelanite :不透明、深綠色至黑色翡翠或綠輝石的過時名稱
綠輝石:介於含鐵透輝石和翡翠之間的礦物;可能含有 aegirine、augite 和硬玉
Maw Sit Sit :緬甸獨有的黑色和綠色紋理的岩石;由鈉長石、硬玉和其他礦物組成;又名“翡翠鈉長石”
Turkiyenite :土耳其紫色岩石(通常帶有白色斑點),主要是含有石英、 正長石和其他礦物的紫色翡翠;又名“土耳其紫玉”
硬玉:幾乎完全由硬玉組成的岩石
翡翠象徵幸運、永恆和平衡。縱觀歷史,硬玉在中國文化中的地位最為重要。
在中國古代風水藝術中,玉代表繁榮、和諧和溫柔。翡翠在中國文化中也代表頭腦清晰、精神純潔和財富。
中國玉雕有自己的含義:
龍:力量、成功、善良
蝙蝠:喜悅
蝴蝶:長壽
桃子:長生不老
Bi (有中心孔的圓盤):天堂
Cong (方器,內圓):土
他們還相信翡翠連接生者與死者,或天堂與人間,在中國的葬禮和神秘主義儀式中使用它。
上圖:翡翠雕刻造型
在成為寶石之前,硬玉在新石器時代(公元前 3,500-2,000 年)在歐洲被用作武器。直到 1500 年代,西班牙人從南美洲帶回綠色寶石,歐洲人才開始再次使用玉石。
硬玉曾被阿茲特克人、瑪雅人和奧爾梅克人用作珠寶和儀式物品。
西班牙人稱它們為 piedras de yjada,意思是“側面的石頭”,因為他們相信阿茲特克人使用這些石頭來治療腎臟問題。 yjada 一詞最終在英語中變成了“jade”。
中國的玉雕和禮器也可以追溯到新石器時代,但都是軟玉。硬玉(來自緬甸,今緬甸)直到 1700 年代才被引入。
中國工匠實際上將兩者區分開來,稱前者為翡翠,後者為羽。但這兩種寶石直到 1863 年法國礦物學家亞歷克西斯達摩 (Alexis Damour) 對它們進行分析後才被正式區分。這種區別導致了“硬玉”一詞的出現。
最昂貴的翡翠首飾是 Hutton-Mdivani 項鍊,由 Woolworth 女繼承人 Barbara Hutton 於 2014 年以 2740 萬美元的價格售出。
現在,玉石在水晶治療中有什麼用?
幾個世紀以來,硬玉一直是一種治療石。綠色翡翠與其他綠色寶石一樣,是一種強大的心輪石。
玉石對身體有什麼好處?
據稱實物翡翠的好處包括治療:
心血管健康
荷爾蒙失調
生育問題
感染
在情感上,翡翠可以揭示您最真實的願望,並激勵您將其變為現實。據說它還可以幫助您克服創傷或情感創傷以獲得認可。
翡翠的價值主要取決於其顏色、大小和產地。然而,質地、處理、切割和透明度也是重要因素。
通常,翡翠的顏色是其價值的第一要素。綠色的色調最有價值,“帝王玉”最貴。流行的硬玉綠色是:
帝王玉:比祖母綠更純的綠色,中等深色調,飽和;理想的著色有時被稱為 laijao 或“辣椒”
Apple Green / Xim Keng Zhong : 帶黃色底色的淡綠色
Flower Green / Huã Qing Zhong : 明亮、淺綠色和深綠色的斑駁圖案,有時帶有白色斑點
第二個最有價值的顏色是薰衣草色,尤其是粉紅色底色。
第三貴重的是“冰玉”,無色透明。綠色或紫色底色呈現出“瓜玉”。
最實惠的顏色是棕色、灰色和黑色。
翡翠最稀有的顏色是什麼?藍色翡翠是最稀有的顏色。
色域會降低翡翠的價值,儘管大多數寶石都有斑點。具有三種以上顏色的天然標本很有價值。
翡翠很少有刻面。最有價值的切割使用最粗糙的,如手鐲。大多數優質翡翠標本都變成凸圓形。長串翡翠珠可能非常有價值,因為很難找到匹配的顏色。
翡翠雕刻品的估價取決於作品的年代、複雜程度和產地。鑑於翡翠的韌性和無解理,在其他寶石上無法實現的設計可以在翡翠上完成。
只有無色翡翠才能透明,價值很高。更高的半透明度會產生類似月光石的內部輝光和更高的價值。
某些內含物會增加或減少翡翠的價值。如果它們是黑色或透明度較低,則價值會降低。白色硬玉或絲質管上的彩色內含物可以增加價值。骨折會降低價值。
硬玉質地可以是細、中或粗。細粒翡翠強度更高,具有理想的“濕”半透明度。中等或粗糙的質地會降低價值。黑色硬玉的價值在很大程度上取決於其質地。
很多硬玉首飾的價值不是按克拉計價,而是按整體尺寸和質量計價。質量好的較大的硬玉(即使是 5 克拉)也很有價值。
硬玉比軟玉更經常被處理,但兩者都獲得與處理相關的類型等級:
A 型:天然,未經處理,有時蠟塗層除外
B型:漂白(酸浸)和聚合物浸漬
C型:染色
B+C 型:漂白和聚合物處理加染色
除蠟塗層外的任何處理都會降低硬玉的耐用性和價值。作為參考,B 型翡翠的價格約為同等 A 型翡翠價格的 5-10%。
硬玉的其他處理方法包括箔背襯或複合材料( 雙重或三重)。
合成玉存在但不是商業寶石。 “合成玉”寶石可能是仿品。
常見的模擬物有:
怎麼辨別翡翠的真假?我們關於如何檢驗翡翠真假的指南有很棒的提示!
硬玉與軟玉一樣,形成於變質岩中。然而,翡翠的形成需要更高的熱量和地下深處的壓力,只有從地震或侵蝕中才能形成。
因此,大多數硬玉礦床產於蛇紋石或沖積巨石的斷層附近或斷層上。
翡翠產地在哪裡?頂級產地是緬甸,出產世界上約 70% 的優質翡翠。
寶石級硬玉還來自:
美國加利福尼亞州
法國
危地馬拉(藍色翡翠)
意大利
日本
哈薩克斯坦
墨西哥
俄羅斯
火雞
但是翡翠值多少錢?
緬甸帝王玉是最高品質和最昂貴的類型。
未經處理的翡翠每克拉價格:
帝王翡翠(緬甸) :每克拉 400 美元(2 克拉以下);每克拉 500 美元(2-10 克拉)
白色翡翠(緬甸) :每克拉 90 美元
翡翠(非緬甸) :每克拉 100 美元
經過處理的非緬甸翡翠起價為每克拉 9 美元。大多數中等品質的翡翠價格從每克拉 70 美元到 400 美元不等,甚至更高。
我們的硬玉凸圓形寶石價格從 35 美元到 2,950 美元不等。
正確的寶石護理取決於硬玉的處理方法。您可以機械清潔未經處理的翡翠,但只能在經過處理的翡翠上使用溫水、溫和的肥皂和軟牙刷。
可以用翡翠洗澡嗎?用環氧樹脂固定的硬玉首飾會因暴露在熱水中而變弱。
硬玉應避免以下情況:
淋浴
游泳
機械清潔器(例如蒸汽、超聲波)
刺激性化學品和酸
園藝或激烈的活動
酷暑
將翡翠與其他寶石分開存放。不要冷凍翡翠。
翡翠是一種蘊含悠久歷史和傳說的寶石,但它也具有韌性和美感。佩戴翡翠是為您的日常生活帶來好運和熱情的好方法!
本文是否有幫助?