I have actually been fascinated by jade (mostly nephrite but also jadeite) long before I realized the charm of sparkly CS gemstones, but never really bought since the standards are so complicated and I hardly used to wear any kind of accessory. But then came CS and I started wearing rings almost daily, and there was a jade ring that, although I passed, got me all excited about jade again. So I started a jade ring collection that consists of mostly plain rings with no setting, because it's a common traditional style and because I like turning and playing with them, something I can't do as much with gemstone rings.
First is jadeite because that's the one I passed on. I wanted one with better zhong shui, with a good glow of its own. This happens with good icy and glass level jadeite where the crystal particles are fine and arranged regularly, so the light is reflected in the same direction. (There's another effect where the crystal particles are fine and arranged irregularly so the light is reflected in different directions, giving the jadeite a "gluey" texture, which is also good.) The one I got is icy and glowy, there's still some visible inclusions (mian) in there but not so much that I mind.
The second one is milky with a dash of spinach green. It is much, much cheaper than the first one as it's not as icy and the green is not the "yang" green valued in jade. (But still, usually any green that is not marred by black is valued higher than other colors with the same zhong shui.)
Then there's nephrite. I am culturally more attracted to nephrite although they lack the transparency and glow of jadeite that is usually valued in jewelry. Top quality nephrite is very expensive but commercial quality and small items are much, much more affordable than jadeite. So I was able to get them in a variety of colors without too much stress to my wallet
The criteria for judging nephrite is vastly different from jadeite. Where "watery" and "transparent" is considered a good traite in jadeite, it is often a negative factor in nephrite, as good nephrite is supposed to be fine with an "oily" texture, with a very gentle shine. I am still casually looking for a white nephrite with "skin" (the surface of the stone, usually in an orangy color).
Please excuse the dirty window, it's been, well a long while since it's last been cleaned from the outside... I promise it doesn't look that bad when not so close up
And just in case anyone's interested, the metal like substance in the big black ring is pyrite. It's traditionally considered a "blemish" as it makes the nephrite "impure", but it looks very cool to some (me included) so it's also sold as a feature sometimes.
I am by no means an expert and welcome any discussions/corrections. Would love to see other people's jadeite/nephrite as well!
First is jadeite because that's the one I passed on. I wanted one with better zhong shui, with a good glow of its own. This happens with good icy and glass level jadeite where the crystal particles are fine and arranged regularly, so the light is reflected in the same direction. (There's another effect where the crystal particles are fine and arranged irregularly so the light is reflected in different directions, giving the jadeite a "gluey" texture, which is also good.) The one I got is icy and glowy, there's still some visible inclusions (mian) in there but not so much that I mind.
The second one is milky with a dash of spinach green. It is much, much cheaper than the first one as it's not as icy and the green is not the "yang" green valued in jade. (But still, usually any green that is not marred by black is valued higher than other colors with the same zhong shui.)
Then there's nephrite. I am culturally more attracted to nephrite although they lack the transparency and glow of jadeite that is usually valued in jewelry. Top quality nephrite is very expensive but commercial quality and small items are much, much more affordable than jadeite. So I was able to get them in a variety of colors without too much stress to my wallet
The criteria for judging nephrite is vastly different from jadeite. Where "watery" and "transparent" is considered a good traite in jadeite, it is often a negative factor in nephrite, as good nephrite is supposed to be fine with an "oily" texture, with a very gentle shine. I am still casually looking for a white nephrite with "skin" (the surface of the stone, usually in an orangy color).Please excuse the dirty window, it's been, well a long while since it's last been cleaned from the outside... I promise it doesn't look that bad when not so close up
And just in case anyone's interested, the metal like substance in the big black ring is pyrite. It's traditionally considered a "blemish" as it makes the nephrite "impure", but it looks very cool to some (me included) so it's also sold as a feature sometimes.
I am by no means an expert and welcome any discussions/corrections. Would love to see other people's jadeite/nephrite as well!
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