J & A Jewelry : Jade ( Jadeite versus Nephrite )

There are 3 different type of treatment for Jade. Jade Dealers uses these Type or Grade to identify the Jade that been enhanced ( Sometime called stablized ).

Grade A :
Natural Jadeite with its natural color & natural transparency. Jadeite have not been enhanced in any way except for cutting, polishing & surface waxing (wax dipping).
This is the accepted traditional finishing process for Grade A Jadeite. The color of the jade will not fade over time as it is natural color of the jadeite stone.

Grade B :
Natural Jadeite soaked in chemical/bleaches and/or acids to remove brown or yellow impurities from between grain cracks & boundaries. Then, it is treated with Clear Polymer Resin to fill the void left by the impurities that was previously removed. The Polymer will improve the transparency and color of the jade.

Detection of this method can be done by a infrared spectroscopy. No color was added by this process, but by adding the polyer it will improve the the tranparency of the jadeite and the color would improve as a result of this procedure.

Grade C :
Natural Jadeite treated with artificial stained or dyed to give it a better color than prior to treatment. The color of the jade is artificially added and is not natural. Grade C Jade's color would fade over time. translucency is usually lost with this method

Grade B & C combined :

Natural Jadeite are treated with Grade B & Grade C process thus the Jadeite will look better and is a trap for unsuspecting buyers.

The Jade we sell are Jadeite from Burma.

J & A Jewelry guarantees the Grade that you are purchasing. We only sell Grade A Burmese Jadeite.

Jade, or yu ( 玉) refers collectively to two different gem stones: Jadeite and Nephrite.

Jadeite
A gem stone made up of silicate minerals that consist of sodium and aluminum-rich pyroxene. It has a Mohs Hardness of between 6.5 and 7.0 ['ying yu' ; 硬玉 ;'hard jade']

Nephrite
A gem stone made of silicate minerals that consist of calcium and magnesium, nephrite belongs to the amphibole group of minerals. It has a Mohs Hardness of between 6.0 and 6.5 ['ruan yu' ; 軟玉 ; 'soft jade']

Jadeite is rarer than nephrite and is therefore regarded as more valueable. Nephrite mines are located in China, Russia, New Zealand, Guatemala and the Swiss Alps. Dark green jade,(Canada jade) is also found in Western Canada. Jadeite mines are in China, Russia and Guatemala, but the best Jadeite stones come from Burma (Myanmar).

Jadeite, with its bright emerald-green, lavender, white (bai yu : 白玉), pink, reddish orange and brown colors was imported from Burma to China only about late 1800s. The vivid green variety became known as fei-ts'ui ( 翡翠) is the most expensive of the Jadeite and commonly used in jewelry setting.

Our Jade Buyers travels to China's Rough Jade Market to purchase the Jadeite that was imported from Burma. We would then process the Jadeite into Jewelry. We only sell Grade A Burmese Jadeite.

Good Sources on the web to learn more about Jadeite :

J & A Jewelry Corporation