Grading Jade

In China jade is known as ‘Yu’, which translates into beauty of spirit and body.
jade-lion When it comes to the value of Jade grading is everything. Jade has two purposes in that it can be used in a decorative fashion or for practical purposes. Ancient cultures around the world took advantage of the hardness of jade to fashion weapons and make tools, Usually nephrite is used for this purpose. Jadeite is the more beautiful of the two jades and is therefore more suited for ornamental and artistic purposes.

Jade can be found in many places around the world from Mexico to Asia. Most of the Jade used in early Chinese cultures came from Sinkiary and Yunan provinces. Today however most gem quality jade has become depleted and the majority comes from Burma.

Grading jade is very difficult because it is so often confused with other stones like marble. Also determining what treatments that may have been applied can take years of experience. Imperial jade is among the most highly sought after but in general Jade is graded in 3 categories. If you want to learn how to tell real jade from fake see my link.

How is Jade Graded?

Grade A Jade: 100% natural untreated jade. Grade A must be intense in color and have natural translucent qualities.

Grade B Jade: Jade which has had minor treatment to enhance color and possibly bleach out blemishes or give it a more translucent appearance.

Grade C Jade: Jade which has been dyed, most of the time colors will fade over the years.

April 8, 2009 | Filed Under How is Jade Graded? | Leave a Comment

Can You Tell Fake Ivory From Real?

Older Chinese carvings done in ivory are some of the most beautiful works of art ever done. Ivory was a medium that allowed true masters to show off their skills. It can however be very difficult to determine ivory from bone, plastic and other resins that are used to imitate the look and feel of real ivory. One of the problems is that ivory comes from tusk and teeth from different animals and the look of real ivory can vary greatly depending on the source.

Magnifying Glass
When examining ivory a magnifying glass is a must, somewhere around 15x is good. Just cause a piece is older does not mean that it is ivory as faux ivory has been used for hundreds of years. The best way is by looking to see if the object has a grain. If it has a grain and you see cross hatching at the bottom of the piece this is a very good indicator you have ivory. Look for a grain pattern that is random as many fakes will have a pattern that is a little to perfect. Generally plastic is smoother than real ivory and bone. Bone is generally more pitted and does not have the grain of ivory.

Hot Pin Test
You can also use the hot pin test that we suggested you use on jade. A hot pin can not penetrate real ivory as it will plastic. Also when you touch bone with a hot pin it might not penetrate but when you smell the object you will smell something close to what burning hair would smell like. When you touch ivory and smell where the pin has touched its more of a burning teeth dentist office type of smell. Of course as with any test you perform you want to do it on the bottom of the object.

UV Light
One method used by serious collectors is to examine a object under UV light. Ivory when examined under UV light is bright and fluorescent where most fakes will not fluoresce and are dull. UV lights are affordable and are a must for any serious collector of ivory, jade, paper, porcelain and oil paintings. Knowing the history of a object will also help authenticate it.