On our travels to Central America, primarily Guatemala we find Jade to be a hot commodity for the country. You find Jade sold on every street corner and by almost every vendor in the markets and sold by every kid walking up and down the streets. As a traveller you need to be extremely careful when purchasing from market people and people selling jade on the streets. If you have the funds to buy authentic jade you need to purchase it from the legitimate stores that give you a certificate of authenticity. You will be surprised by the cost difference but you get what you pay for. You will have no trouble finding a store selling high quality jade especially if you are in Antigua Guatemala.

Jewelry Box

Jade refers to two different minerals: Jadeite and Nephrite. To tell these two stones apart from other gemstones, all you really need to do is get a specific gravity measurement (i.e. a ratio between how much the stone weighs in air versus in water). Jadeite is 3.33 and Nephrite is 2.95. Simulants will vary. For e.g. Quartz is 2.56. Seasoned gemstone enthusiasts will also be able to identify jade based on its color, luster, inclusions and other physical features.

A quick (but sometimes destructive) test is to use your swiss blade to scratch the jade. (Do this at an inconspicuous spot, just in case!) Jade is harder than steel and should not scratch. In some cases, there may be a line of metal that adheres onto the rock. Examine it well so as not to confuse it with a true scratch. Many simulants are softer than jade and will yield to a steel blade.

There are some other fast (and non-destructive) tests & observations you can conduct at home that might shed some light on whether you have jade or something else.

Hold the stone in your hand. Does it feel cool to touch? (You may have seen Chinese or Burmese people touch jade to their cheeks to test its coolness as a sign of authenticity.) Observe the texture of the material. If there is a fracture, the texture should be splintery and rough. If it shows fairly smooth flat surfaces and “faults” (cleavage planes), you may have another type of green stone. e.g. Amazonite. If it is polished, does it look like it has a “dimpled” skin? Can you see tiny veining on the surface? If it is translucent, does the material look slightly fibrous? Jadeite tends to have brighter hues and a shinier polish than nephrite, which is more muted in color and subdued in luster.

Be careful! Even if you have “real jade”, take note that Jadeite is commonly treated. A-jade is natural jade that has not been treated in any way. B is jade that has been bleached. If it is dyed, it is considered C-jade. Even experts run into difficulties identifying treated jades. At the end of the day, sending it to a gem laboratory is probably the best option.

Jade

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jade is an ornamental stone. The term jade is applied to two different metamorphic rocks that are made up of different silicate minerals:

• Nephrite jade, consists of a microcrystaline interlocking fibrous matrix of the calcium, magnesium-iron rich amphibole mineral series tremolite (calcium-magnesium)-ferroactinolite (calcium-magnesium-iron). The middle member of this series with an intermediate composition is called actinolite (the silky fibrous mineral form is one form of asbestos). The higher the iron content the greener the colour.

• Jadeite, a rock consisting almost entirely of jadeite, a sodium- and aluminium-rich pyroxene. The gem form of the mineral is a microcrystaline interlocking crystal matrix.

The English word 'jade' is derived from the Spanish term piedra de ijada (first recorded in 1565) or 'loin stone', from its reputed efficacy in curing ailments of the loins and kidneys. 'Nephrite' is derived from lapis nephriticus, the Latin version of the Spanish piedra de ijada.

Nephrite and jadeite were used by people from the prehistoric for similar purposes. Jadeite is about the same hardness as quartz, nephrite is somewhat softer in hardness, Both nephrite and jadeite are tough, but nephrite is tougher than jadeite. They are beautifully coloured and can be delicately shaped. Thus it was not until the 19th century that a French mineralogist determined that "jade" was in fact two different materials. The trade name jadite is sometimes applied to translucent or opaque green glass.

Among the earliest known jade artifacts excavated from prehistoric sites are simple ornaments with bead, button, and tubular shapes.

 Additionally, jade was used for axe heads, knives, and other weapons. As metal-working technologies became available, the beauty of jade made it valuable for ornaments and decorative objects.

Jadeite has a Mohs hardness of between 6.5 and 7.0,and Nephrite has hardness of 5.5 to 6.0  so it can be worked with quartz or garnet sand, and polished with bamboo or even ground jade.

Nephrite can be found in a creamy white form (known in China as "mutton fat" jade) as well as in a variety of green colours, whereas jadeitite shows more colour variations, including blue, lavender-mauve, pink, and emerald-green colours. Of the two, jadeite is rarer, documented in fewer than 12 places worldwide. Translucent emerald-green jadeitite is the most prized variety, both now and historically. As "quetzal" jade, bright green jadeitite from Guatemala was treasured by Mesoamerican cultures, and as "kingfisher" jade, vivid green rocks from Burma became the preferred stone of post-1800 Chinese imperial scholars and rulers. Burma (Myanmar) and Guatemala are the principal sources of modern gem jadeitite, and Canada of modern lapidary nephrite. Nephrite jade was used mostly in pre-1800 China as well as in New Zealand, the Pacific Coast and Atlantic Coasts of North America, Neolithic Europe, and south-east Asia. In addition to Mesoamerica, jadeitite was used by Neolithic Japanese and European cultures.

Jade is the official gemstone of British Columbia, where it is found in large deposits in the Lillooet and Cassiar regions. It is also the official gemstone of the state of Alaska, found particularly in the Kobuk area. A two ton block of jade sits outside the Anchorage Visitor’s Center in downtown Anchorage, Alaska, mined from near Kobuk and donated to the city as a showpiece. Jade is also the state gemstone of Wyoming, U.S.A.

 Jadeite is one of the two minerals called jade. The other jade mineral is nephrite, which is a variety of actinolite. Jade has been used for eons in China and Central America as an ornamental and religious stone of deep significance. The nephrite jade was used mostly in China, although both have been used in both regions. Nephrite is more abundant than jadeite and has few color varieties, ranging only from creamy white to green.

Jadeite is found in strongly metamorphosed sodium-rich serpentinous rocks, and is named from the Spanish "piedra de ijada" (stone of the side) as it was thought to cure kidney stones and other kidney ailments.

Jadeite has many color varieties, and while green jadeite is most recognizable as jade, it is more commonly found as a grayish green, and may also be white, a pale blue-gray, or even a pale purple.

Antigua Guatemala is known worldwide as a place to shop for Guatemala's high quality jade, one of the finest jades in the world. There are two types of jade: Nephrite and Jadeite. Guatemala has Jadeite, a precious stone sacred to the Mayans. It is harder and denser than the more common Nephrite type of jade, and is gaining in popularity throughout the world, especially the rare color black. The Guatemalans are grateful to Pierre de Vaux, from Belgium, who in the early 1970's rediscovered the ancient craft of carving Guatemala's jade. Since that time, jade has become an important cultural resource and industry in Guatemala and has attracted many foreign investors. Today, many local Guatemalans have taken a personal interest in preserving their indigenous art forms, thus creating new jobs for their people and making a Guatemalan treasure easily affordable for all classes of travelers. Jade shines and does not scratch easily. It can only be cut with a diamond blade or stainless steel. There is a fierce competition among the Jade factories and shops nowadays, creating a better selection and prices for the consumers and tourists. Years ago, no Guatemalans could get into the Jade marketing because it was monopolized by the foreigners. The monopoly started breaking down in 1987 by several Guatemalans who opened shops regaining in this way part of their rights and inheritance from their ancestors. Nowadays, you can see the natives selling Jade on the streets.

Jade is the second most important material after bronze in the history of Chinese culture, and the belief in its magical powers is evident in Chinese mythology, religion, philosophy, folklore and social life. Protection It is believed that Jade can protect one from evil and bring good luck. People have been said to escape accidents because they had a piece of Jade on them. In some of these cases, the Jade piece broke, leaving the person unharmed. Healing Jade is frequently used in Chinese alchemy and medicine. The Chinese believe Jade has the ability to confer immortality, eradicate shortness of breath and thirst, as well as improve the health of the heart, kidneys, lungs and throat. Some people believe that scars on the face and body can be removed if constantly rubbed with a piece of white Jade. Comforter to the Dead Jade articles have been used by both the living and the dead. "The living wear Jade as a symbol of their mortal integrity, and Jade accompanies the deceased to comfort their souls". Sacrificial utensils made of Jade were used for offerings to ancestors and in ceremonial respect to the gods of heaven and earth.

Mental Healing According to followers of the New Age, Jade encourages practicality, wisdom, mental peace and tolerance of others. They also believe it can rejuvenate during periods of stress, reduce fears, banish negative thoughts and increase a person’s capacity for giving and receiving love. Jade makes a good worry stone and is often used in rosaries.

Spiritual healers attribute different abilities to each color of Jade. They recommend blue for aid in meditation, brown when entering a new phase in life, green for the management of passionate feelings, lavender for repairing a broken heart, red for generating emotional energy, white for problem-solving, yellow for people with a lack of energy.

Physical Healing Crystal healers associate Jade with ailments of the immune system, thymus, heart, kidney and nervous system. Nephrite is actually derived from the Greek word for kidneys and is still a remedy among healers for Nephritic Colic. The crystal healing followers also believe it can stimulate white blood cell and adrenaline production, which could account for its long association with sports. Eastern athletes believe it can darken in times of superior fitness and lighten when illness comes.