Collecting guide: Jadeite jewellery

Jade or jadeite — what’s the difference?

The term ‘jade’ is actually a catch-all term that encompasses two separate minerals: nephrite, which is more opaque and traditionally used for sculptural objects and ornaments; and jadeite, which is more translucent and can be polished to a high lustre, making it more suitable for jewellery.

In ancient China, whatever a stone was actually made of, if you thought it beautiful enough then you could call it ‘jade’. Now we have the technology to examine the chemical properties of a stone and discover whether it is jadeite or nephrite.

When did jadeite become popular in China?

Unlike nephrite, which has been an important material in Chinese art for more than a thousand years, jadeite only arrived from Burma in 1784. By the beginning of the 19th century it had become widely sought-after, its popularity perhaps boosted by the Empress Dowager Cixi’s enthusiasm for the stone.

As a result, military officers and noblemen amassed as much jadeite as possible so that they could gift it to the royal household and wear it themselves, leading to an astronomical rise in value.

Today, owing to limited production in Burma and the stone’s continued popularity among Chinese buyers, jadeite is still considered one of the top gemstones in the Eastern market, alongside coloured diamonds, rubies, sapphires and emeralds.

Why is jadeite so prized?

One of the reasons jadeite is so prized for jewellery is what is referred to as its ‘water content’ in Chinese. Its crystalline structure enables rays of light to penetrate the stone easily, to reflect and refract light. This translucency makes it look as if there is water inside the stone itself, which is what makes jadeite so special.

What does jade symbolise?

Prized by scholars and collectors for centuries, jade has traditionally symbolised purity, knowledge and righteousness, as well as protection. Many still believe that the stone protects its wearer from harm, and promotes wealth.

How are jewellers able to create such intricate designs with jadeite?

When it comes to precious stones, it’s important to distinguish between toughness and hardness: diamond is the hardest material in the world, but brittle; jadeite is much tougher. When you apply force to a ruby, a diamond or a sapphire, it can easily break, but you can carve and pierce jadeite without damaging it.

Jewellers are therefore able to apply intricate designs onto jade, such as a spiderweb or honeycomb motif, which would be impossible on other gemstones.

Does size matter?

There are only two sizes that matter in the jadeite market — simply put, these are small and large. Small generally indicates beads with a diameter between 8 and 11 mm, while large beads would range from 12 to 17 mm in diameter, or even more.

In ‘large’ bead necklaces, the biggest three or five pieces might be over 15 or 16 mm in diameter, but you’ll often find that the beads close to the clasp are only 12 or 13 mm in diameter. Truly remarkable pieces are those that have beads of a uniform size.

The bead necklace is the most valuable and sought-after style of jadeite jewellery because it’s difficult to match the quality and size of the beads. In 2017, Christie’s in Hong Kong offered a rare necklace that was composed of 29 jadeite pieces, with every bead a consistent 15 mm in diameter. From a low estimate of HK$56.8 million, the final price was HK$95 million — about US$12 million.

How important is colour?

Another contributing factor to value can be colour: jadeite comes in many colours, with green the most common. Others include lavender, yellow, red and brown; some stones are even black or colourless.

When it comes to green, there are myriad different tones that can affect the value of the stone. Some greens are too dark, greyish or yellowish. The best is what we call ‘strict’ green, with the highest saturation and a medium to medium-dark tone, almost like a ‘vivid emerald’ green, also known as ‘imperial’ green.

What to look for when buying jadeite?

Unlike diamonds or other prized gemstones, jadeite can be bought for as little as HK$1,000 — but this won’t bring you the best quality.

It’s important to check that the jadeite has not been treated: it must be natural, untreated and from Burma. You also have to take into account other considerations such as colour, translucency and size.

Where possible, to get a real sense of a stone’s beauty, you should see it in person. Diamonds, rubies and sapphires tend to reveal most of their characteristics in photographs and still look visually appealing, but jadeite is difficult to capture accurately on film. Handling a piece, and examining it under different lighting conditions, will give you a true appreciation of its qualities.