Jade is available in almost every color. The signature color of jade is green, and this is -all things being equal-the most valuable color. Jade is also available in whites, greys, almost black, brown, red, and lilac. Jade is never naturally electric yellow, blue or cherry red, though jade in this color is prevelantly available -especially in beads. These colors are the result of “dying” the jade by impregnating it with colored polymers. Read more about Jade Treatments and Enhancements
See the many Colors of Jade
Green Jade
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| Best Green: This is the most valuable color of jade, when it is natural and not the result of dyeing. Jade this color is called “Imperial Green.” A piece like this, even the size of a pumpkin seed would cost in the thousands. | Good Green: This is a nice green – the color is strong but it does not “glow” as brightly or as intensely as the other. | Brownish Green: These beads are a duller, mossy green that is less desirable. | Pale, mottled Green: Jade is often mottled – white with streaks of green or various shades of green. All else being equal, the more green the better. |
White Jade
From a chemical and gemological point of view, when jade is pure, it is white -or colorless. The “impurities” or chemical additions like iron and chromium which occur naturally as the crystals are forming, are what gives jade its many colors. But when the jade crystal is at its purest, it looks like the pictures below. The value of colorless jade varies across geographic regions and according to trends. Prices have risen dramatically when comparing them today to what they were 20 years ago. The most valuable colorless jade is highly translucent and is called “ice jade”.
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| Opaque: A bangle of opaque color-less Jade is not so valuable | Beads: The light colored beads pictured here are of fairly good transparency. | Carving: The edges of this carving glow with translucence. In Jade of this quality, the value can be largely influenced by the skill of the carving. | Ice Jade: This type of Jade is the favorite of some, East and West. It has almost a frosty glass-like clarity. It is the most valubale of the “whites” but care should be taken as it is easily imitated by cheaper materials (e.g. glass, quartz) |
Dyed Jade
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| Yellow Jade: | Light Green Jade: | Red Jade: | Black Jade: |
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| Dull lavender | Soft Lavender | Maw Sit Sit: Another variety of Jade – always opaque – it is valued for its saturated, varied and beautiful dark greens. It is extremely popular among a small group of collectors, but generally does not come close to the value of fine jadeite. |
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| Pale color, high translucency: | Natural Red: | Streaked opaque Green: | Streaked green with some translucent edges: |
Apart from the difference in value and slight differences in color, the two kinds of jade also differ in surface appearance: jadeite jade has a glassy luster, while nephrite jade has a waxy look.
The finest and most abundant jadeite is found in Burma (Myanmar) and therefore, can sometimes be found under the name “Burmese Jade”. Other sources of jadeite include Guatemala, and smaller amounts are found in the USA and Switzerland.
How Jade is graded: Lower quality and less attractive jade is very easy to improve in appearance with man made enhancements and treatments. Since it is easy and the rewards are great, this is a very commonly done. Therefore, differentiation between grades of jade (determining what quality level a piece of jade is) is often a matter of understanding which treatment has been used on it. Three pieces of jade my look quite similar (similar color, similar translucency and size) upon first casual glance, when in fact they represent 3 grades and exponential price differences.
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