Evaluating jadeite (feicui)
- Thread starter Crimson
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@Bookwyrm I had this ridiculous camera that made everything green turn aqua.
Here’s some more of my jade rings
No imperial though!
Here’s some more of my jade rings
No imperial though!
@Bookwyrm I had this ridiculous camera that made everything green turn aqua.
Here’s some more of my jade rings
No imperial though!
I'm curious, how would you categorise these jade pieces, because the colour seems perfect to me! I love the proportions of the first! May I ask which vendor you bought these from?
Crimson
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Hi Crimson,
Thank you so much for making this thread! I've learnt so much about jade from your explanations and the pictures help a lot!
I'm not sure if this is meant to be a mostly educational thread, but I was wondering if I may ask you and the other jade experts on here a few questions, as I'm relatively new to eploring the intimidating world of jade
Thank you @Bookwyrm for appreciating this thread!
My impressions of the vendors mentioned are: Mason Kay tends to be overpriced, and not offer very high-quality items; Kathy J has nice items, but they look worse in real life than on the website. The shops that I mentioned – On Cheong, Classic Jade - tend to have much more accurate photos. They can also ship overseas. Have a look at some of On Cheong‘s jadeite. There are some pear shapes on the first page, and a Marquise on the second .https://oncheong.com/product-category/e-shop/jewellery/materials/jadeite/
If you like anything, let me know. I can take some photos or even model the piece for you because I’m going there to collect a new ring at the end of this week. I could also ask them to pull out all their pieces that are pear- or marquise- shaped for you. They are one of Singapore’s most trustworthy vendors for jadeite and other jewellery. Their owner is President of the Singapore Jewellers Association.
Hi Crimson!
Thank you so much for all the advice and recommendations! I didn't find anything I liked on Classic Jade, but I found 2 pieces on On Cheong's website that I quite like.
oncheong.com
and
However, going off the pictures, do you think the jade on the Aphrodite ring is too light in colour? I'm after a piece that is a deep emerald (imperial?) green in natural lighting, but glows bright green in brighter lighting. I think the jade on the Chasseurs ring might be closer to the colour I like, but both of these pears seem a bit small. Do you think On Cheong might have other larger/nicer pears available that aren't on their website?
I really, really like this piece from Kathy Jade (I like the glowiness, and the size of the stone is just perfect), but I'm not sure whether the colour will be close to that deep emerald shade I'm after.
Ideally, I'd also love to go for something glassy rather than icy, but I'm not sure if that will be within my budget.
And I'm a bit hesitant about Kathy Jade, now knowing that their pieces look better in pictures, compared to real life...
May I ask your opinion on this Kathy Jade piece?
Again, thank you so much for being here to offer your expertise and knowledge to jade noobs like me!
I hope to learn more about jade on this forum, and will definitely be reading more jade-related threads when I have the time!
Thank you so much for all the advice and recommendations! I didn't find anything I liked on Classic Jade, but I found 2 pieces on On Cheong's website that I quite like.
Aphrodite Jadeite Diamond Ring - On Cheong Jewellery
On Cheong Jewellery offers a wide suite of jewellery ranging from bracelets to earrings, jadeite to sapphires! Each piece is intricately crafted only by experienced craftsmen to ensure your pieces will last the test of time and cherished for generations.
oncheong.com
However, going off the pictures, do you think the jade on the Aphrodite ring is too light in colour? I'm after a piece that is a deep emerald (imperial?) green in natural lighting, but glows bright green in brighter lighting. I think the jade on the Chasseurs ring might be closer to the colour I like, but both of these pears seem a bit small. Do you think On Cheong might have other larger/nicer pears available that aren't on their website?
I really, really like this piece from Kathy Jade (I like the glowiness, and the size of the stone is just perfect), but I'm not sure whether the colour will be close to that deep emerald shade I'm after.
And I'm a bit hesitant about Kathy Jade, now knowing that their pieces look better in pictures, compared to real life...
May I ask your opinion on this Kathy Jade piece?
Again, thank you so much for being here to offer your expertise and knowledge to jade noobs like me!
I hope to learn more about jade on this forum, and will definitely be reading more jade-related threads when I have the time!Ohh I remember reading about this on Gem Gardener's website! https://www.gemgardener.com/2024/08/25/psa-翡翠危料-burma-vs-guatemala-jade/
Do you think this might bring down the prices of Burmese imperial jadeite?
Crimson
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@Bookwyrm Yes they have others. I will take some photos for you on my next visit. What is your ring size?.Hi Crimson!
Thank you so much for all the advice and recommendations! I didn't find anything I liked on Classic Jade, but I found 2 pieces on On Cheong's website that I quite like.
andAphrodite Jadeite Diamond Ring - On Cheong Jewellery
On Cheong Jewellery offers a wide suite of jewellery ranging from bracelets to earrings, jadeite to sapphires! Each piece is intricately crafted only by experienced craftsmen to ensure your pieces will last the test of time and cherished for generations.
However, going off the pictures, do you think the jade on the Aphrodite ring is too light in colour? I'm after a piece that is a deep emerald (imperial?) green in natural lighting, but glows bright green in brighter lighting. I think the jade on the Chasseurs ring might be closer to the colour I like, but both of these pears seem a bit small. Do you think On Cheong might have other larger/nicer pears available that aren't on their website?
May I ask your opinion on this Kathy Jade piece?
Again, thank you so much for being here to offer your expertise and knowledge to jade noobs like me!
I think the Kathy Jade is probably the same size as the Chasseurs ring. It looks glory in the pictures, but so did the other Kathy pieces I ordered before. They didn’t glow as much in person., so I think it’s hard to tell.
Yes, I was wondering a few years ago when I first started collecting jadeite why nobody paid attention to Guatemala. It has come to the fore partly because of the difficulty of getting jadeite from Burma. Personally, I can see the difference between Guatemalan and Burmese jadeite. There are nuanced differences . Initially, the labs could not tell the difference. The most worrying trend was that Guatemalan jadeite was being passed off as Burmese. Recently because of more research, the differences are becoming clearer. I think Burmese jadeite will still carry a premium, especially imperial.
No, Burmese imperial green is so rare that there is no need to give discounts whatsoever. It pains me that the term “imperial green” is used quite loosely by some retailers.
This is imperial green, nice size (my ring size is HK12).
Here is a cut4 fat pear. It is 3 in one. All th4 rings can be worn separately. Do you like this shade of green?
Here is a comparison between my jadeite and emerald {which is old Mine Muzo green). Unfortunately the photo is little too blue but it gives you an idea of the 2 greens.
Finally, two smaller lovely greens which are very pleasant. The one on the right is pretty close to imperial green.
@Bookwyrm Yes they have others. I will take some photos for you on my next visit. What is your ring size?.
I think the Kathy Jade is probably the same size as the Chasseurs ring. It looks glory in the pictures, but so did the other Kathy pieces I ordered before. They didn’t glow as much in person., so I think it’s hard to tell.
Yes, I was wondering a few years ago when I first started collecting jadeite why nobody paid attention to Guatemala. It has come to the fore partly because of the difficulty of getting jadeite from Burma. Personally, I can see the difference between Guatemalan and Burmese jadeite. There are nuanced differences . Initially, the labs could not tell the difference. The most worrying trend was that Guatemalan jadeite was being passed off as Burmese. Recently because of more research, the differences are becoming clearer. I think Burmese jadeite will still carry a premium, especially imperial.
No, Burmese imperial green is so rare that there is no need to give discounts whatsoever. It pains me that the term “imperial green” is used quite loosely by some retailers.
This is imperial green, nice size (my ring size is HK12).
Here is a cut4 fat pear. It is 3 in one. All th4 rings can be worn separately. Do you like this shade of green?
Here is a comparison between my jadeite and emerald {which is old Mine Muzo green). Unfortunately the photo is little too blue but it gives you an idea of the 2 greens.
Finally, two smaller lovely greens which are very pleasant. The one on the right is pretty close to imperial green.
Hi Crimson,
Thank you for offering to take photos, and congratulations on your new ring! I'd love to see photos when you receive it
I'm around a 4.5 - 4.75 US; I think that may be a 9.5 using the HK sizing system.
And ooof it's sad to hear that Kathy Jade pieces don't glow as much in person. Did you end up keeping any of the pieces you ordered?
I think the pear of the Chasseurs ring seems a tad too elongated for me, but that may be the angle of the photo. I love the proportions of the pear on the Kathy Jade ring, but I wouldn't mind a pear that's even chubbier, like the 'fat pear' you uploaded. And I do like the shade of green of that pear! It's a deep and delicious shade of green, at least to my eyes. Would you consider that shade imperial (it's quite hard to tell on a phone screen haha)? I really like the shade of the first picture you posted, and the shade of the ring on the right in the 3rd picture. With the last picture, I prefer the deeper green of the one on the right, as the one on the left seems a bit too light and yellowish for my liking. I wish I could see these in person!
I'm keeping my fingers crossed that On Cheong has some other pears/marquise in an imperial or near-imperial shade and good transparency when you visit! (If you happen to see any small to medium-sized oval/round cabs like the one on the right of your last picture, can I pretty please see those too?
)Singapore sounds amazing...you guys have JannPaul too!! Sooo lucky!
Are there any other jade vendors that I should check out?
Crimson
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@Bookwyrm, the chubby pear is a nice green but not imperial. It is 55K.And ooof it's sad to hear that Kathy Jade pieces don't glow as much in person. Did you end up keeping any of the pieces you ordered?
I think the pear of the Chasseurs ring seems a tad too elongated for me, but that may be the angle of the photo. I love the proportions of the pear on the Kathy Jade ring, but I wouldn't mind a pear that's even chubbier, like the 'fat pear' you uploaded. And I do like the shade of green of that pear! It's a deep and delicious shade of green, at least to my eyes. Would you consider that shade imperial (it's quite hard to tell on a phone screen haha)? I really like the shade of the first picture you posted, and the shade of the ring on the right in the 3rd picture. With the last picture, I prefer the deeper green of the one on the right, as the one on the left seems a bit too light and yellowish for my liking. I wish I could see these in person!
I'm keeping my fingers crossed that On Cheong has some other pears/marquise in an imperial or near-imperial shade and good transparency when you visit! (If you happen to see any small to medium-sized oval/round cabs like the one on the right of your last picture, can I pretty please see those too?
Singapore sounds amazing...you guys have JannPaul too!! Sooo lucky!
Are there any other jade vendors that I should check out?
The first ring that I posted in my previous post is 100K. That a very good price for such quality. It is highly icy.
The Chasseurs ring has nice depth and good proportions ( see the pic below).
The one on the left looks nice on camera but the jadeite is too thin. Both jadeites are very reactive to light but not imperial green.
It is very hard to get a truly imperial green cabochon over 10mm for less than 6 figures… I did visit one other shop today but they had no pears. There are many shops that say their stuff is imperial green but naah… it is not. It is also worth noting that no lab uses the term. The best descriptor given by Hong Kong Jade and Gem Lab is “Intense green”. But not all intense greens are imperial because all the other factors have to be present.
Here’s what I went to pick up. On Cheong set a Mahenge spinel for me on plain band so I could fit it between my two spinning floral rings. Nicely done, don’t you think?
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Oh my that is amazing @Crimson
I thought it was one seamless ring!!!! Could we have more pics of that spinel with her sisters please?
I thought it was one seamless ring!!!! Could we have more pics of that spinel with her sisters please?
oncrutchesrightnow
Ideal_Rock
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Wonderful thread! So many questions… I have refrained from buying jade out of fear of being ripped off! It is hard to trust vendor websites for education.
Any specific things to look for in purple jade?
Can we hear more about treatments? How to spot them, what price discount they should get.
Is there synthetic jade, and how can we tell the difference from natural? How do we make sure we are not getting a complete simulant when shopping online?
Are there any vendors who specialize in non-traditional jade jewelry? It seems like thick pieces are more highly valued — is there such a thing as a skinny bangle? Any comments on beads?
After reading this thread I feel more qualified to distinguish the really really nice stuff from the total junk, but I am still at a loss as to how to identify excellent-great-good-fair, and the relative pricing.
Any specific things to look for in purple jade?
Can we hear more about treatments? How to spot them, what price discount they should get.
Is there synthetic jade, and how can we tell the difference from natural? How do we make sure we are not getting a complete simulant when shopping online?
Are there any vendors who specialize in non-traditional jade jewelry? It seems like thick pieces are more highly valued — is there such a thing as a skinny bangle? Any comments on beads?
After reading this thread I feel more qualified to distinguish the really really nice stuff from the total junk, but I am still at a loss as to how to identify excellent-great-good-fair, and the relative pricing.
Crimson
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Glad you like iit, @mellowyellowgirl. I will post photos tomorrow/. Just finished a long day at work and it is now night.
Crimson
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@oncrutchesrightnow thank you for appreciating this thread. Those are all great questions! This article by May.s addresses several of your questions. https://mays.sg/blogs/jade-education/jadeite-jade-bangle-bracelets-treatments
Re: Lavender jadeite, there are two major points to note. First, the texture is likely to be more grainy. It’s extremely difficult to find lavender that is highly icy or glassy..
Second, the acid test is with the lavender jadeite losers its colour intensity or saturation when exposed to daylight or bright light. When buying lavender jadeite, it is critical to view it under different lighting conditions.. Even the largest piece of lavender jadeite in the world reportedly suffers from saturation loss in bright light.
Having said that, you should choose what you like best. For lavender jadeite, I would choose colour saturation before texture. I can accept that the texture will not be as fine as that of green jadeite, so the colour has to be strong and stable.
Re: skinny bangles, yes, there are some. Beauty bangles or 美人条 are bangles that typically have a flat, not rounded surface on the wrist, and they are usually also slimmer than other bangles.
oncrutchesrightnow
Ideal_Rock
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Thanks for the helpful info and humoring these questions. Where can one find beauty bangles?
How can we find a reputable vendor near where we live, if the large trusted vendors mentioned in this thread do not have a presence in our area? If I am going to spend more than a few hundred bucks on a product I’m not familiar with, I would like to try on in person. Or, do online retailers have good return policies?
Crimson
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Where do you live, @oncrutchesrightnow ?
Here is an online shop with a (tight) return policy. It has been mentioned by several PS members. They have several; slim bangles in various diameters and shapes (some are oval, not round) https://www.yokdee.com/en-sg/collections/bangle?page=1
Li-Hong Jade is a more established and longtime store. Accurate pictures, and higher quality jadeite. The staff are very polite.
This bangle is so pretty!
https://www.lihongjade.com/highly-t...-jadeite-princess-round-bangle-jac002017.html
I haven’t bought anything from either of the stores I mentioned above but I have been to their physical shops and can say their photos are, by and large, accurate.
Enjoy browsing
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Hi Crimson,@Bookwyrm, the chubby pear is a nice green but not imperial. It is 55K.
The first ring that I posted in my previous post is 100K. That a very good price for such quality. It is highly icy.
The Chasseurs ring has nice depth and good proportions ( see the pic below).
The one on the left looks nice on camera but the jadeite is too thin. Both jadeites are very reactive to light but not imperial green.
It is very hard to get a truly imperial green cabochon over 10mm for less than 6 figures… I did visit one other shop today but they had no pears. There are many shops that say their stuff is imperial green but naah… it is not. It is also worth noting that no lab uses the term. The best descriptor given by Hong Kong Jade and Gem Lab is “Intense green”. But not all intense greens are imperial because all the other factors have to be present.
Here’s what I went to pick up. On Cheong set a Mahenge spinel for me on plain band so I could fit it between my two spinning floral rings. Nicely done, don’t you think?
I love your floral ring! It's so cool how they managed to slot your spinel right between your two spinning rings, so that it looks like one ring! Is your spinel precision cut? It looks so bright!
Thank you so much for taking all the pictures for me, and keeping an eye out for pears
I do like the green of the chubby pear, but I think I might just wait and look around for a pear that has my favourite proportions.
How would you describe the green on the Chasseurs ring? I'd really like a deep emerald green colour (but I'm not too sure what the proper term for that is).
Is there any way to tell from pictures alone how reactive to light a piece of jadeite is? I'm finding a bit hard to tell, because a lot of the pieces I see online all seem super neon bright and glowy in vendor pictures.
I was wondering if I might be able to email or contact you privately to send some videos of jade pieces I'm eyeing at the moment, and ask your opinion (if you have the time)? I'm finding it so hard to decide between a couple of pieces, and don't know if I should wait for a better piece to come along…
Crimson
Brilliant_Rock
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This is a bit random, but when a vendor says that a jadeite is "emerald green" should I assume that it's quite a saturated green with a slightly bluish tone, or something like that?
Also, does anyone happen to know when the annual Kathy Jade sale is?
Many vendors use the term emerald because somehow the Chinese words翠绿 翡翠 get translated as emerald. Sigh. Lost in translation… it may refer to pure green or slightly intense green.
Kathy has more than one sale a year - Women’s Day, Mothers’ day and their own anniversary.
Crimson
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Hi Crimson,
I love your floral ring! It's so cool how they managed to slot your spinel right between your two spinning rings, so that it looks like one ring! Is your spinel precision cut? It looks so bright!
Thank you so much for taking all the pictures for me, and keeping an eye out for pears
I do like the green of the chubby pear, but I think I might just wait and look around for a pear that has my favourite proportions.
How would you describe the green on the Chasseurs ring? I'd really like a deep emerald green colour (but I'm not too sure what the proper term for that is).
Is there any way to tell from pictures alone how reactive to light a piece of jadeite is? I'm finding a bit hard to tell, because a lot of the pieces I see online all seem super neon bright and glowy in vendor pictures.
I was wondering if I might be able to email or contact you privately to send some videos of jade pieces I'm eyeing at the moment, and ask your opinion (if you have the time)? I'm finding it so hard to decide between a couple of pieces, and don't know if I should wait for a better piece to come along…
I don’t know how to give you my email without telling everyone - and we are asked not to reveal personal contact info here. You could post your pics here, I am sure it would be good to get others’’ thoughts as well.
Hi Crimson,
The vendor said that the piece is somewhere between apple and imperial green (darker than apple, but lighter than imperial) when I asked for more info. Do you happen to know when the anniversary sale is? I'm hoping it's soon!
Ahh I know this is meant to be an educational thread (and thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and going into all the details about how to properly evaluate jade!) so I feel kind of bad filling the thread with pictures and all my silly questions haha - I don't want people looking for information on jade to have to scroll through pages of my pictures and me yapping
I've noticed sometimes other PSers have made Loupetroop listings as a way of sharing emails without breaking forum rules; I really hope this isn't frowned upon, but I just made a listing on Loupetroop with my email, if you wanted to reach out
(Hopefully this works - it's my first time doing something like this haha)Loupe Troop
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Somehow jadeite always calls out to me even when I feel like I’m done and dusted with it.
I actually love reading all the questions and answers on this thread so if you’re happy to post here, honestly it’s very informative and fun to read. Also helps keep the thread afloat which I think is important since @Crimson has done such a wonderful job of explaining the details to us.
Took these pictures for you all on my recent trip.
This was $15000 aud. My photos don’t do it justice. It’s nowhere near as dark in real life and has a super fine texture. Basically no visible crystals at all.
These were the more affordable ones:
The one that I didn’t buy. I was fond of this one and it was a great price but the one I ended up buying suited my wardrobe more.
I actually love reading all the questions and answers on this thread so if you’re happy to post here, honestly it’s very informative and fun to read. Also helps keep the thread afloat which I think is important since @Crimson has done such a wonderful job of explaining the details to us.
Took these pictures for you all on my recent trip.
This was $15000 aud. My photos don’t do it justice. It’s nowhere near as dark in real life and has a super fine texture. Basically no visible crystals at all.
These were the more affordable ones:
The one that I didn’t buy. I was fond of this one and it was a great price but the one I ended up buying suited my wardrobe more.
Crimson
Brilliant_Rock
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Thank you for sharing all the photos, dear @mellowyellowgirl.
I think you probably bought the first one?
Hehe , it is so large it is spilling off your finger
YAAY!! I love ballerina settings and that looks like a rich, deep green. The price is pretty good too.
Re: the green, yes, so hard to get an accurate shot. Those pics remind me of this photo I took few days ago. In the photo, my jadeite looks darker than it really is.
I know what you mean about jadeite calling. I get the call too, from jadeite, ruby, emerald and neon spinel.
I think you probably bought the first one?
Hehe , it is so large it is spilling off your finger
YAAY!! I love ballerina settings and that looks like a rich, deep green. The price is pretty good too.Re: the green, yes, so hard to get an accurate shot. Those pics remind me of this photo I took few days ago. In the photo, my jadeite looks darker than it really is.
I know what you mean about jadeite calling. I get the call too, from jadeite, ruby, emerald and neon spinel.
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@Crimson nono I didn’t buy it! For one I’m not in the market for more green jadeite and it didn’t fit me. Haha I have a rather dreadful photo of it cutting off the circulation on my finger! I’m not a huge fan of resizing, the conspiracy theorist in me reckons resizing makes things move!
Crimson
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Ahh I know this is meant to be an educational thread (and thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and going into all the details about how to properly evaluate jade!) so I feel kind of bad filling the thread with pictures and all my silly questions haha - I don't want people looking for information on jade to have to scroll through pages of my pictures and me yapping
I've noticed sometimes other PSers have made Loupetroop listings as a way of sharing emails without breaking forum rules; I really hope this isn't frowned upon, but I just made a listing on Loupetroop with my email, if you wanted to reach out
Loupe Troop
Thanks, @Bookwyrm . Don’t feel bad about asking questions here. We can all learn and enjoy looking at jadeite together! That is what such threads are for
Crimson
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Hi Crimson,
The vendor said that the piece is somewhere between apple and imperial green (darker than apple, but lighter than imperial) when I asked for more info. Do you happen to know when the anniversary sale is? I'm hoping it's soon!
Oh dear, I don’t recall so Iooked at their social media. They sometimes have a sale in late July/early August.
Somehow jadeite always calls out to me even when I feel like I’m done and dusted with it.
I actually love reading all the questions and answers on this thread so if you’re happy to post here, honestly it’s very informative and fun to read. Also helps keep the thread afloat which I think is important since @Crimson has done such a wonderful job of explaining the details to us.
Took these pictures for you all on my recent trip.
This was $15000 aud. My photos don’t do it justice. It’s nowhere near as dark in real life and has a super fine texture. Basically no visible crystals at all.
These were the more affordable ones:
The one that I didn’t buy. I was fond of this one and it was a great price but the one I ended up buying suited my wardrobe more.
Thank you for sharing! I love that deep emerald green shade of the first ring! I do like the setting and size of the second more though. I feel like I have such thin, stick-like fingers that I can’t pull of any big stones, and am stuck with daintier rings forever. Sometimes I wish I had thicker fingers haha
Which ring did you end up getting?
And thank you for the encouragement; I’ll post the videos of the jade I’m eyeing!
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