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Jade 101

What jadeite actually is, why Type A matters, and how to read a stone before you buy it.

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Jade 101

Jade is not one mineral. The word covers two different stones that share a name and almost nothing else: jadeite, a pyroxene, and nephrite, an amphibole. They differ in hardness, in structure, and — in the market — by an order of magnitude in price.

What “Type A” does and does not mean

Type A describes treatment status only. It says the stone was not bleached, not impregnated with polymer, and not dyed. It says nothing about colour, water, or how desirable the piece is. A modest stone and an exceptional one can both be Type A — which is exactly why the label alone should never be the reason you buy.

Grade describes treatment. Quality describes the stone. Buyers conflate the two more often than anything else in this trade.

Water, ice and bean

Translucency has its own vocabulary in jadeite, and it moves independently of colour. Glassy is the most translucent; bean the least. Between them sit ice and the glutinous grades. A stone can have excellent colour and poor water, or the reverse — and the two are priced differently.

Translucency grades, from most to least transparent

GradeWhat you seeTypical effect on price
GlassyObjects behind the stone are legibleHighest
IceSoft light passes through, milky clarityHigh
Glutinous-iceSome light, noticeably denserMid
GlutinousLittle light, glue-like densityLower
BeanOpaque, coarse grain visibleLowest
Jadeite photographed in daylight
The same stone reads differently under daylight and under shop lighting. Ask for both.

What to check before you pay

A short pre-purchase checklist

  1. Read the certificate number

    Then look it up yourself. If a seller resists that, the conversation is over.

  2. Compare measurements

    The lab records weight and dimensions. They should match the listing within rounding.

  3. Ask about flaws

    Cotton, stone lines and cracks all affect price. A seller who describes them is more reliable than one who does not.

  4. Check the return terms

    Colour is the hardest thing to judge from photographs. A return window is worth more than a discount.

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