Evaluating jadeite (feicui)

[Bookwyrm]

Changed bangles today and all this talk about colour roots made me pay attention to mine!

I love how you have the most glamourous, eye-catching (and HUGE!) pieces yet you do not hesitate to wear them out and about. I wish I could pull off pieces like that on a daily basis!

I don’t know if you’d like this setting, but I fell in love with it the second I saw it on Cheyenne Weil’s Instagram, and it made me think of you and your pearls! I absolutely adore her work!

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[Bookwyrm]

I haven’t seriously shopped for jade before this year so I’m afraid I don’t really know! But I am pretty sure the general quality of the pieces will be better than the US, and probably cheaper too. I haven’t had the good fortune to understand the Singapore market but Crimson has you covered there!

If you have the chance, definitely shop around in HK or look at some of the auctions that heavily feature jadeite!

I will try to look into some of the auctions and jadeite shops in HK when I visit at the end of the year, thank you!

 

[Bookwyrm]

Let's say that I also hypothetically like blue and hypothetically wanted to get my first jadeite and definitely knew nothing about it despite following this thread and hypothetically didn't want to spend a ton.

If that were hypothetically all true, what would we think about this ring for me? https://www.lihongjade.com/highly-t...lue-jadeite-dreamy-winter-ring-jad001234.html

Or potentially these earrings? https://www.lihongjade.com/highly-t...lue-jadeite-le-cubism-earrings-jaa001207.html

I don't know how to judge blue jadeite at all, but I just wanted to say I love the design of those earrings! They are stunning!

 

[Crimson]

Let's say that I also hypothetically like blue and hypothetically wanted to get my first jadeite and definitely knew nothing about it despite following this thread and hypothetically didn't want to spend a ton.

If that were hypothetically all true, what would we think about this ring for me? https://www.lihongjade.com/highly-t...lue-jadeite-dreamy-winter-ring-jad001234.html

Or potentially these earrings? https://www.lihongjade.com/highly-t...lue-jadeite-le-cubism-earrings-jaa001207.html

OOh! I think the ring might be a little too light but I love the earrings.
I think they might be very thin though but that means they would move easily!

 

[Crimson]

@Bookwyrm here is one more Hong Kong jadeite shop worth checking out. I lost them for a while because they changed their website address.
Imperial Jadeite Hong Kong - they have an audacious name, but their collection is sumptuous,

http://dihuang.yo-l.com/?lang=en

 

[newtojewels]

OOh! I think the ring might be a little too light but I love the earrings.
I think they might be very thin though but that means they would move easily!

Do you mean that it's a little too light in color or does that mean something else I've missed in jadeite land? lol! The ring kind of makes me think of a fancy clear jelly or something. I like them both, obviously neither is a top quality jadeite piece but I think they're both nice pieces of jewelry if that makes sense.

 

[Bookwyrm]

@Bookwyrm here is one more Hong Kong jadeite shop worth checking out. I lost them for a while because they changed their website address.
Imperial Jadeite Hong Kong - they have an audacious name, but their collection is sumptuous,

http://dihuang.yo-l.com/?lang=en

Ooo thank you for the recommendation! I'll check them out too!

 

[Bookwyrm]

@Bookwyrm here is one more Hong Kong jadeite shop worth checking out. I lost them for a while because they changed their website address.
Imperial Jadeite Hong Kong - they have an audacious name, but their collection is sumptuous,

http://dihuang.yo-l.com/?lang=en

These imperial green chilli peppers are so cute! But rather random haha - I wonder why they decided to carve them into chilli peppers!



And these intense green earrings are just stunning

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

I love how you have the most glamourous, eye-catching (and HUGE!) pieces yet you do not hesitate to wear them out and about. I wish I could pull off pieces like that on a daily basis!

I don’t know if you’d like this setting, but I fell in love with it the second I saw it on Cheyenne Weil’s Instagram, and it made me think of you and your pearls! I absolutely adore her work!

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

Love that pearl ring!!!

Ha! Thank you! I have never thought about what jewellery suits me. Basically if I love it, I’m going to wear it regardless of how it looks

I am a bit more discerning with clothes but my theory is no one looks bad in jewellery.

 

[Crimson]

These imperial green chilli peppers are so cute! But rather random haha - I wonder why they decided to carve them into chilli peppers!



And these intense green earrings are just stunning

Chili peppers represent wealth, so perhaps it wasn't so random after all. i don't know why though? Maybe because in Cantonese there is a pun in one of the characters -chilis are called "lart jiu" in Cantonese and "jiu choy" means to beckon wealth.
Have you seen lucky beckoning cats, which feature in both Japanese and Chinese cultures?
In Cantonese the beckoning cat is called a "jiu choy mao". Here are two beckoning cats! The cat on the right holds the words "jiu fook" or beckoning luck. The word at the top is "jiu" or Zhao.
The cat on the left holds the words "Moon Leen" or "Men lian" meaning "Continuously through the door"
Put together the four words mean "beckoning luck to enter continuously through the door".
That;s about the limit of my Cantonese! My Chinese relatives would not be very pleased with me. I can however always blame it on my other (European) ancestors. I have been told I speak Chinese with a Anglo accent


T

 

[Crimson]

Do you mean that it's a little too light in color or does that mean something else I've missed in jadeite land? lol! The ring kind of makes me think of a fancy clear jelly or something. I like them both, obviously neither is a top quality jadeite piece but I think they're both nice pieces of jewelry if that makes sense.

Yes, I meant light in colour. If I wear such colours they will just blend into my skin.
I thought I would share these photos of blue jadeite from a WeChat dealer who works only with Guatemalan jadeite.
The second photo indicates the price of the pair (one oval is covered by his finger) - 2K RMB.
In the third pic the price of the large oval is given as just over 1K RMB. The large oval is less saturated and leans grey.
Also in these ohtoos you can see how the blue jadeite looks in different lighting conditions. The tray is highly illuminated but the hand is not/less so.

 

[newtojewels]

Yes, I meant light in colour. If I wear such colours they will just blend into my skin.
I thought I would share these photos of blue jadeite from a WeChat dealer who works only with Guatemalan jadeite.
The second photo indicates the price of the pair (one oval is covered by his finger) - 2K RMB.
In the third pic the price of the large oval is given as just over 1K RMB. The large oval is less saturated and leans grey.
Also in these ohtoos you can see how the blue jadeite looks in different lighting conditions. The tray is highly illuminated but the hand is not/less so.

Thank you so much! Very helpful as always and especially in this thread, we're so lucky to have you!

 

[Bookwyrm]

Chili peppers represent wealth, so perhaps it wasn't so random after all. i don't know why though? Maybe because in Cantonese there is a pun in one of the characters -chilis are called "lart jiu" in Cantonese and "jiu choy" means to beckon wealth.
Have you seen lucky beckoning cats, which feature in both Japanese and Chinese cultures?
In Cantonese the beckoning cat is called a "jiu choy mao". Here are two beckoning cats! The cat on the right holds the words "jiu fook" or beckoning luck. The word at the top is "jiu" or Zhao.
The cat on the left holds the words "Moon Leen" or "Men lian" meaning "Continuously through the door"
Put together the four words mean "beckoning luck to enter continuously through the door".
That;s about the limit of my Cantonese! My Chinese relatives would not be very pleased with me. I can however always blame it on my other (European) ancestors. I have been told I speak Chinese with a Anglo accent


T

These cats are so cute! And thank you for explaining the cultural significance behind the chilli peppers - you're a wealth of knowledge on all things jadeite as always, and I've learnt so much from you on this forum!

 

[Crimson]

@newtojewels and @Bookwyrm Thank you, it is really sweet of you. i try my best!
I enjoy interacting with you and others on PS. There is such a sense of community.
I haven’t seen much jadeite in London or Paris.
A jeweller in Paris has these large green stones! At a fleeting glance they look as if they might be jadeite, but they are Persian turquoise.



This is also a long necklace of South Sea pearls and tsavorites.

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

Ooh I’m interested in that ring!!!

 

[Crimson]

Ooh I’m interested in that ring!!!

@mellowyellowgirl Yes, it is huge and has presence!
The jeweller is Henri Sillam.
I love their Angel Wings collection.

Angel Wings

Knowing that you are protected is the motivation we need to feel. Dare without regrets and you will get where you want to go. Call it chance or coincidence, or having a guardian angel. You will always be safe and looking at the upside of life! These 18 Kt white gold three dimensional wings can...

www.sillam.com

 

[newtojewels]

This is not a new video but I just came across it yesterday. They didn't have any excellent jadeite, only dyed!, but it was fun to see some of the other greens out there in the world:

No green turquoise, though!

 

[Crimson]

This is not a new video but I just came across it yesterday. They didn't have any excellent jadeite, only dyed!, but it was fun to see some of the other greens out there in the world:

No green turquoise, though!

Such fun! Thanks for sharing, @newtojewels.
Every day or two, I go on a WeChat "Genuine or Fake" channel for jadeite. They show a series of pairs of photos and we have to guess which one in each pair is jadeite. It is really tough but that is where I have learnt to notice subtle differences.
Some of the photos are below. We have only 3 seconds to guess for each pair
Care to try, anyone?

 

[Pomelo]

Such fun! Thanks for sharing, @newtojewels.
Every day or two, I go on a WeChat "Genuine or Fake" channel for jadeite. They show a series of pairs of photos and we have to guess which one in each pair is jadeite. It is really tough but that is where I have learnt to notice subtle differences.
Some of the photos are below. We have only 3 seconds to guess for each pair
Care to try, anyone?

Just followed them on WeChat - what fun, thanks for sharing!
(I got lucky and answered them all correctly, but can’t say exactly why I picked the ones I did!)

 

[newtojewels]

Such fun! Thanks for sharing, @newtojewels.
Every day or two, I go on a WeChat "Genuine or Fake" channel for jadeite. They show a series of pairs of photos and we have to guess which one in each pair is jadeite. It is really tough but that is where I have learnt to notice subtle differences.
Some of the photos are below. We have only 3 seconds to guess for each pair
Care to try, anyone?

So fun! I have my answers but I don't want to be publicly wrong

 

[Crimson]

Just followed them on WeChat - what fun, thanks for sharing!
(I got lucky and answered them all correctly, but can’t say exactly why I picked the ones I did!)

Wow! I think you have seen a lot of jadeite and your eyes have been trained

So fun! I have my answers but I don't want to be publicly wrong

I understand - It was just meant for personal guessing. not to make anyone feel embarrassed.

The answers are below.
I would say the substitutes are nice in and of themselves. The problem arises when they are misrepresented as jadeite.

Grossular garnet


Chalcedony



Silica



Maw-Sit Sit

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

@Crimson I’ve always thought of maw sit sit as a bright green, grainy stone!!! Did not think it could be so clear!

OMG I love the Chalcedony! Is it treated? I want to buy one!!!!

 

[Crimson]

@Crimson I’ve always thought of maw sit sit as a bright green, grainy stone!!! Did not think it could be so clear!

OMG I love the Chalcedony! Is it treated? I want to buy one!!!!

Maw sit-sit is jade albite. I think this piece has a lot of albite, which can be translucent.


The chalcedony is probably dyed. It is a very standard green, just like in dyed agate cabochons. They are really meant to mimic jadeite.
Here is a version in lavender.

 

[Starstruck8]

Maw sit-sit is jade albite. I think this piece has a lot of albite, which can be translucent.

The chalcedony is probably dyed. It is a very standard green, just like in dyed agate cabochons. They are really meant to mimic jadeite.

Thank you, @Crimson. I had just the same questions as @mellowyellwgirl, and had come up with the same answers as you.

I'm thinking (may be wrong) that bangle-sized fracture-free grossular rough must be pretty rare. And I'm having fantasies of a tsavorite or merelani mint bangle. That would be very cool...

As it happens, I guessed right, based mainly on the quality of the glow. But I can't put my finger on exactly how to describe it. Can you explain what it is that makes jadeite look like jadeite and the simulants not look like jadeite?

 

[Pomelo]

Such fun! Thanks for sharing, @newtojewels.
Every day or two, I go on a WeChat "Genuine or Fake" channel for jadeite. They show a series of pairs of photos and we have to guess which one in each pair is jadeite. It is really tough but that is where I have learnt to notice subtle differences.
Some of the photos are below. We have only 3 seconds to guess for each pair
Care to try, anyone?

I think what’s fascinating about this is all the different types of stone that look like jade! I learned a lot, and am tempted to buy a few of the lookalikes just to see what they’re like

Scrolling through some of the quizzes and their answers, these are the lookalikes:
Dulong jade, Tianshan jade, water ink jade, quartzite: a type of quartzite (natural quartz)
Xiuyan jade: a mix of nephrite and serpentine
Agate
Dyed jadeite, B/C grade jadeite
Chalcedony
Nephrite: comes in many different forms, eg “golden silk”

 

[newtojewels]

I guessed right! I'm in shock. For whatever it's worth, ChatGPT did not get it right. It missed the two green-er ones.

I hadn't ever heard of some of the substitutes, though. So interesting!

 

[Crimson]

Ooh! Well done everyone!

Perhaps we could all share how we arrived at our answers. For some of us it might have been instinct, and @Starstruck88 mentioned glow.

Thank you, @Crimson. I had just the same questions as @mellowyellwgirl, and had come up with the same answers as you.

I'm thinking (may be wrong) that bangle-sized fracture-free grossular rough must be pretty rare. And I'm having fantasies of a tsavorite or merelani mint bangle. That would be very cool...

As it happens, I guessed right, based mainly on the quality of the glow. But I can't put my finger on exactly how to describe it. Can you explain what it is that makes jadeite look like jadeite and the simulants not look like jadeite?

I had a similar fantasy... but a tsavorite bangle would also be very expensive. I also had delusions of an emerald bangle - no metal, just one piece, like jadeite


Glow
Yes, I do look at glow. That was the deciding factor in the pair with the grossular. Speaking of that, I have seen white grossular that could pass for icy jadeite, except that it lacks glow.

Texture and foundation
Texture that is too fine could be suspect, as in the case of the chalcedony.

Because jadeite is made up of multiple interlocking minerals, it’s very difficult to find one that has extremely uniform texture, as in the case of the albite, which is one mineral

Uniformity of color. Of course it would be ideal to have a uniform color uniform throughout. But that is so rare! For that reason, the chalcedony would be suspect again.

Knowing what exists and what doesn't
in the case of silicae, it was just about knowing that yellow jadeite doesn’t appear like that. It is usually more uniform, and usually doesn’t come in a highly icy type. That’s because yellow jadeite is actually from the skin of the boulder, which is usually more opaque.

Inclusions and patterns
I also learned to recognize common inclusions, such as snowflakes, in jadeite. That was a factor in the pair with the Maw sit-sit.

Too perfect = suspect
Some of the substitutes just look too perfect and too see-through. Even glassy jadeite is not entirely see-through.

Commerical dye colour
Finally, the colour of the chalcedony is that of the usual green dye used in jadeite substitutes. I have seen agate and onyx all with that shade of green.

I think what’s fascinating about this is all the different types of stone that look like jade! I learned a lot, and am tempted to buy a few of the lookalikes just to see what they’re like

Scrolling through some of the quizzes and their answers, these are the lookalikes:
Dulong jade, Tianshan jade, water ink jade, quartzite: a type of quartzite (natural quartz)
Xiuyan jade: a mix of nephrite and serpentine
Agate
Dyed jadeite, B/C grade jadeite
Chalcedony
Nephrite: comes in many different forms, eg “golden silk”

Yes, so many possibilities! I can see you’ve been exploring the site, @Pomelo!
I confess I had the same thought about buying some of the simulants
but that would leave me less money for the genuine stuff.
Actually you don't need to buy them. In Beijing and in Singapore there are lots of stalls/stores with mixed stuff. You can have a fine time just browsing and feeling.
Some of them give themselves away just by feel. It is just like how we can tell natural pearls from fake ones.The texture is different. Some are too greasy, and some are too smooth. Some are just not as dense, and hence too light.
The difference in glow is also more easily detected in person.
Finally of course the fakes are usually dyed and you can feel the resin or polymer.

I guessed right! I'm in shock. For whatever it's worth, ChatGPT did not get it right. It missed the two green-er ones.

I hadn't ever heard of some of the substitutes, though. So interesting!

Yay! That’s great!
You’re in a roll, @newtojewels
Also good to see that we beat AI on this.

 

[Seastheday]

Ooh! Well done everyone!

Perhaps we could all share how we arrived at our answers. For some of us it might have been instinct, and @Starstruck88 mentioned glow.


I had a similar fantasy... but a tsavorite bangle would also be very expensive. I also had delusions of an emerald bangle - no metal, just one piece, like jadeite


Glow
Yes, I do look at glow. That was the deciding factor in the pair with the grossular. Speaking of that, I have seen white grossular that could pass for icy jadeite, except that it lacks glow.

Texture and foundation
Texture that is too fine could be suspect, as in the case of the chalcedony.

Because jadeite is made up of multiple interlocking minerals, it’s very difficult to find one that has extremely uniform texture, as in the case of the albite, which is one mineral

Uniformity of color. Of course it would be ideal to have a uniform color uniform throughout. But that is so rare! For that reason, the chalcedony would be suspect again.

Knowing what exists and what doesn't
in the case of silicae, it was just about knowing that yellow jadeite doesn’t appear like that. It is usually more uniform, and usually doesn’t come in a highly icy type. That’s because yellow jadeite is actually from the skin of the boulder, which is usually more opaque.

Inclusions and patterns
I also learned to recognize common inclusions, such as snowflakes, in jadeite. That was a factor in the pair with the Maw sit-sit.

Too perfect = suspect
Some of the substitutes just look too perfect and too see-through. Even glassy jadeite is not entirely see-through.

Commerical dye colour
Finally, the colour of the chalcedony is that of the usual green dye used in jadeite substitutes. I have seen agate and onyx all with that shade of green.



Yes, so many possibilities! I can see you’ve been exploring the site, @Pomelo!
I confess I had the same thought about buying some of the simulants
but that would leave me less money for the genuine stuff.
Actually you don't need to buy them. In Beijing and in Singapore there are lots of stalls/stores with mixed stuff. You can have a fine time just browsing and feeling.
Some of them give themselves away just by feel. It is just like how we can tell natural pearls from fake ones.The texture is different. Some are too greasy, and some are too smooth. Some are just not as dense, and hence too light.
The difference in glow is also more easily detected in person.
Finally of course the fakes are usually dyed and you can feel the resin or polymer.

Yay! That’s great!
You’re in a roll, @newtojewels
Also good to see that we beat AI on this.

This is so informative and so much fun to learn, thank you for taking the time to explain!

 

[diamondyes]

Wow! I think you have seen a lot of jadeite and your eyes have been trained


I understand - It was just meant for personal guessing. not to make anyone feel embarrassed.

The answers are below.
I would say the substitutes are nice in and of themselves. The problem arises when they are misrepresented as jadeite.

Grossular garnet


Chalcedony



Silica



Maw-Sit Sit

Fun! Thank you!!

 

[fiona00004]

I have been gravitating towards wearing the traditional look of high karat gold and green jade. Here's my current everyday necklace. I love this Buddha jade pendant at just the right size for me.