If you work in the industry, please stop telling customers they can tell if their jade is real using a blacklight. It's misleading.
While they can easily tell if their jade is fake, there is nothing about this test that indicates whether or not jade is natural jadeite.
Jade has been treasured for its beauty and cultural significance for centuries. But with its popularity comes the risk of fraud and counterfeit stones being sold as genuine. As a result, various methods have been developed to determine whether jade is real or not. One such method is the UV test, but is it really a reliable indicator of authenticity?
What is The UV Test?
The UV test involves shining a UV light on a jade stone to see if it fluoresces. The idea is that if the stone does not glow brightly under the UV light, it's natural. However, that is simply untrue.
Before we proceed, let's review the jade treatment codes:
'A Jade' = natural jadeite jade, possible with a beeswax coating
'B Jade' = jadeite jade that has been acid-bleached and then impregnated with polymer, resin or wax. B Jade is about 5 - 10% the value of it's natural jade counterpart.
'C Jade' = an older jade treatment method that involves dying the jade and rendering it essentially worthless.
'B + C Jade' = by the far the most common treatment nowadays, this is a combination of B and C Jade, rendering the piece completely worthless.
Will B Jade Fluoresce?
It's important to note that only some "B Jade" and "B + C Jade" may fluoresce under UV light. To clarify, not all pieces of B Jade will fluoresce. Additionally, the beeswax coating on some natural jadeite has been known to fluoresce slightly, so not fluorescing does not necessarily mean that the stone is not authentic.
Will Jade Simulants Fluoresce?
Not usually. Quartz is by far the most common simulant of jade, possibly more common on the market than treated jadeite. Quartz will not fluoresce under a UV light, leading many customers to believe that their dyed green quartz is natural jadeite jade.
So, what can you do to determine the authenticity of jade?
