Trade Show Jade Update and How Do You Know if Jade is "Real"?

This weekend is a jewelry, gem and fashion trade show in our area.  This is the best time of year for this trade show, since it's still "winter" in Florida and that's when we have the most people living here, the part time winter-in-Florida lovers.  There are two vendors who sell jade jewelry and items, and they hold back some jade they think I might be interested because I always go when the show opens the first day.

Only one of the vendors was present.  In fact, there were so few vendors that I wondered if trade shows are going to slowly disappear because of online sales especially Amazon.  The vendor didn't have any jade for me, she is working on selling out and stop selling jade.  She even had some color treated jadeite bangle bracelets.  She is from China and used to sell only genuine and natural Chinese jade and Burmese jadeite.  We discussed that now most women wear larger jade bangles than they did 20 years ago when we both started selling them.  And she gets offended when buyers ask her if her jade is really "real".   We had a good discussion, because we both deal with the same issue: real jade.

Other vendors had a few pieces of jade jewelry, and it was obvious to us that the jade in them was either color treated or "something else".

The only way to know for sure if your Burmese jadeite is "real" is to have a gemologist test it, usually by refraction.   I own a refraction meter so I can test every jadeite piece I purchase before I list it.

When I went to China to purchase Burmese jadeite, I went to the Burma border and bought directly from the jade carvers.  I could see their raw jadeite stone, watch them work.  I always wore one of my very good grade A Burmese jadeite bangle bracelets so they knew that I knew "real" jade.  And since I spoke some Chinese, they respected that.   My friend in southern China is a officer in the southern jade association.  He owns his own jade carving shop and sells jade.  He has everything we need to test jade.  So I know that all the "old mine" jadeite I have listed is genuine and natural color. 

And just because jade has been color treated does not mean it is "fake".   Fake jade is something other than jade: aventurine, amazonite,  quartz, serpentine, soapstone.  Some "jade" sellers advertise their jade is old, it was found underground, and still has the "dirt" on it.   That's fake, for sure.

Color treated jade can be colored with vegetable dye, like the Chinese jade that has the "blood red" on it.  Most color treated jadeite is bleached with acid to remove the unattractive colors, then color is added.  The acid will eventually bleach out the color, and may cause burn to your wrist. 

Vegetable dye treated for red color - this is "real" jade

Color treated Burmese jadeite, bleached with acid and color added
A more fragile jade bangle that breaks more easily

But there is nothing "wrong" with color treated jade, grade B or C.  What's wrong is if the seller is not telling you that it is B or C grade.  Many people like color treated jade.  I have a few color treated B and C grade bangles because they are really pretty, fun to wear for certain occasions. 

Then there's the question of the jadeite bangle bracelets with certificates of gemology testing.  Are the certificates fake?  Sometimes.  When I was shopping in jade market in Guangzhou,  I would see tourists buying jade bangles, and the seller pulling a stack of "certificates" out, choosing one to give as "certificate of authenticity".   My jade associate in China is part of the government, so when he buys the newer modern jadeite bangles for me,  he gets them all tested and certificates made from a reputable gemologist, who would not want to mess with someone from the government.

If your jadeite bangle bracelet has the number taped onto it and it matches the certificate,  it is probably a "real" certificate.  There is usually a web site address on the certificate so you can put in the number and get validation.  Because of all the jade the company tests, it may be difficult, especially since it is in Chinese language.  

20 years ago when I first started selling jade here in the USA, there was no question about jade being "real".   Then more people started selling jade, didn't buy it directly from the jade carvers in China, and don't really know about jade, so don't really know what they are selling.

And that is not fair to customers.   I buy and sell only jade that I know what is, have had it tested, and as stated previously, treat customers the way I expect to be treated.

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