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3 Tips for Selling Jade

3 Tips for Selling Jade

Posted on by jordan

Why Jade?

Selling jade is selling an experience, an enigma, and a story.

It’s no wonder jade is referred to as “the inscrutable gem.” Anyone who sees it loves it, but not everyone is comfortable selling it. This is understandable, as the culture and history associated with jade is not always known but is nonetheless respected.

Jade has been revered all over the world for thousands of years. It is tough enough that ancient peoples used them as tools, and so alluring that one Chinese emperor marched 100,000 men to find the secret jadeite mines of Burma.

It’s appearance is surreal.

It’s texture is addictive.

And it’s story is more intertwined with history than any other gemstone on the planet.

Seeing it is loving it, but understanding it is something else entirely.

This is the conundrum faced by many American sellers.

We know you want your customers to love jade as much as you do, so how can you explain something so inexplicable?

Here are our 3 Tips for Selling Jade.

#1. The jade customer is discerning, so be prepared to explain your knowledge if warranted as an assurance of your skills as a jade salesperson.

Here are some important things to know about jade.

  • There are two different gemstones called jade: Nephrite and Jadeite.

Nephrite is the jade of ancient China, whereas jadeite captivated Chinese nobility more recently in the 1700s.

  • Both jades are the toughest gemstones on the planet, and both are suitable for everyday wear with jadeite being slightly harder to scratch than nephrite.
  • The only jadeite worth buying (and it certainly is worth buying!) is natural and untreated. Jade is one of the most commonly imitated gems in the world, so proper documentation is absolutely essential when making a jade purchase. Most jade on the market is ‘B Jade,’ which has been acid-bleached and filled with polymer. ‘B Jade’ is not valuable, it is brittle, it’s color is not permanent, and the acid can leak onto the wearer’s skin. Not just buying ‘A Jade,’ but having proof that the stone is natural is of the utmost importance.

#2. Consider the lighting.

Many jade customers have their own penlight or will expect you to have one. Not only is it customary for jade shoppers to shine a line through it, but they will probably want to see it under different lighting conditions including sunlight. Jadeite is translucent, therefore it is highly affected by the type of lighting in its environment. One of the things that is most magical about jade is watching it seemingly change as you walk from room to room.

If your customer asks to shine a UV light through it, know that this is an unreliable method of detecting polymer in jade. Surprisingly, not all polymer (‘B Jade’) will fluoresce, and interestingly enough there have been natural jade specimens with some fluorescence. While this is not a reliable test for authenticity, some customers may still want to do it. Be prepared to show them a gem report if they are concerned about the jade being natural.

#3. Don’t overuse the term “imperial.”

How annoying is it when someone refers to an ‘L’ Color diamond as a “canary?”

Extremely.

Just as uninformed customers (and sometimes professionals!) refer to any yellow diamond as canary, so do people refer to any green jade as “imperial.” Only client education will correct this over time.

Imperial Jade is a term that should be reserved only for the highest quality of green, translucent jadeite. Imperial Jade sells in the tens of thousands to millions, so please don’t take this nomenclature lightly. 

Treat the term “imperial” with the same respect you apply to “canary,” “pigeon blood,” and “padparadscha.”

If your store is interested in selling natural jadeite jade, you can read more at

https://masonkay.com/

And don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions!

Testing Your Jade Roller At Home

Testing Your Jade Roller At Home

Posted on by jordan

REAL OR FAKE

Are Jade Rollers made from REAL Jade?!

To anyone who knows how rare and valuable jade can be, it’s probably no surprise that most jade rollers found in stores are actually quartz or some other simulant.

I’ve scoured the internet for information regarding the authenticity of jade rollers and predominantly found erroneous information that seems to imply jade rollers are commonly genuine.

HOME-TESTING MYTHS

Here are some of the common myths regarding jade roller authenticity and the truth behind them.

Myth #1: If you drop a jade roller and it breaks, it is probably real.

Fact: Jade is harder to break than almost all other gemstones.

Jadeite and nephrite are two of the toughest natural minerals on the planet. Can they break? Sure! But if they can, so can their simulants which are irrefutably less tough. 

The most common jade simulant on the market is quartz which can also break if it drops on a hard surface, and is definitively more likely to break than jade.

Please don’t drop your jade roller. Whether or not it breaks is dependent on a variety of factors including height, angle of impact, the surface it lands on and more. Whether your jade roller is real or fake it can break, and truthfully it is less likely to break if it is jade rendering this myth extremely misleading. (Marketing, am I right?)

Myth #2: Color is an indication of authenticity.

Fact: Simulants can be dyed to mimic jade color.

It’s 2021 and there are some damn good fakes on the market — particularly in quartz. Fake jade can be painted, dyed, and made to look quite like jade. Colorless quartz can be dyed any color that jade can be and that’s a fact.

Unless it definitely looks like it’s not jade (for instance, if it is pink or some other non-jade color), color is not a reliable indicator. I strongly suggest taking a look at the Mason-Kay Jade Colors of Jade Chart.

Myth #3. If a jade roller is cool to the touch, it’s genuine.

Fact: Quartz and many other simulants can also be cool to the touch. 

While jade is cool to the touch, it can warm up — particularly from contact with skin. With this being said, jade can be warmed and simulants can be cool. Temperature is not a reliable indicator.

Myth #4. You should look for Jade Rollers that say “natural jade.”

Fact: People lie. A lot.

Plenty of simulants are touted as “natural jade,” “imperial jade,” and even called “jadeite” and nephrite.” As it turns out, people do lie sometimes.

Myth #5. If your facial roller doesn’t scratch with a knife, it’s genuine jade.

Fact: Quartz is as hard to scratch as jade is.

The reason people use a “scratch” test is because steel is typically a 5-ish on the Moh’s Scale of Mineral Hardness. Because nephrite is a 6-7 on the hardness scale and jadeite is a 6.5-7 on the hardness scale, they can both scratch steel but not the inverse. Regardless, the absence of a scratch on your facial roller is not conclusive testing as quartz is actually a 7 on the hardness scale. This means that a stainless steel knife can’t scratch quartz, and therefore can not distinguish jade from quartz.

HOW TO TELL IF YOUR JADE ROLLER IS FAKE

Here are some common indicators that a jade roller is not natural jade:

-Low Price. If it’s $20 or $30, it’s probably not jade. However, with that being said, it might not be jade if it’s $80 either. Simulants are sold at all price points.

-Not a Reputable Seller. If you purchase a jade roller from a jade miner that actually sells jade jewelry, it’s a lot more likely that they’re selling genuine jade than a beauty store or online skincare seller. Naturally, skincare professionals don’t tend to be gemologists. It’s not their fault, that’s just how it is. Many quartz facial roller sellers believe they’re selling jade because they don’t have access to the ability to test it.

-Scratches with a Knife. Be careful with this, just because it isn’t jade doesn’t mean you can’t still use it. If the scratch test reveals it isn’t jade and you damage your facial roller in the process, you may render it unusable.

SIMULANT NOMENCLATURE

Here are some misleading words commonly used for jade simulants in facial rollers:

Dongling Jade, sometimes used for quartz

Aventurine Jade, used for aventurine quartz which is not jade

Chinese Natural Jade, may even come with a “certificate of authenticity” but this is not a quarantee

Xiuyan Jade

And many more!

WHERE TO FIND REAL JADE ROLLERS

The majority of jade rollers on the market simply aren’t natural nephrite or jadeite.

However, this doesn’t mean you can’t get a real one! In fact, Canadian nephrite miner Jade West produces a genuine jade roller which can be purchased at jademine.com 

We have tested and proven that Jade West’s jade roller is in fact natural, genuine nephrite jade. It is also beautiful, well made, and feels incredible on the skin.

Beware of uneducated bloggers and skincare specialists commenting on jade authenticity. Jade is a complicated stone that many people do not understand due to confusing nomenclature and manipulative marketing. If you ever have any questions about jade, please contact a jade specialist such as Mason-Kay Jade (jadeite) or Jade West (nephrite.)

For other trustworthy resources on jade, visit:

https://www.gia.edu/

https://www.gia.edu/gems-gemology

https://masonkay.com/

http://jademine.com/

Does Jade Change Color?

Does Jade Change Color?

Posted on by jordan

Many people believe that natural, untreated jadeite can change color over time. Typically attributed to the health or integrity of the wearer, it’s alleged color fading is sometimes even called the “miracle of jade.” Why an irreversible color change (undoubtedly less desirable than it’s original green) would be an attractive quality is beyond me. Thankfully, the truth about natural, untreated jadeite jade is that it will in fact not change color over time.

Natural jade is impervious to perfumes, oils, and most cold acids. Natural jade will not change color from sunlight, and while heat treatment can darken the hue of some red jade, heat from day-to-day exposure to weather and household appliances will not affect the color at all.

While speaking from a position of science and observation, I do not wish to be disrespectful toward those who have such a belief about jade. Jade is held in very high regard by many cultures, including of course that of the Chinese people. Many who have had an experience where their jade faded in color may be surprised to find out that this is not a gemological attribute of jadeite. 

So why does their jade fade?

Where does this rumor come from and why does there seem to be truth to it?

This brings us to treated jades: ‘B Jade,’ ‘C Jade’ and ‘B+C Jade,’ although the answer in any individual case may also be a dyed simulant of jade which we will not cover in this article.

What is ‘B Jade?’

Jadeite jade that has been acid-bleached and impregnated with polymer or resin.

Valued at 5-10% the value of natural jade, ‘B Jade’ is often sold dishonestly and is very difficult to distinguish from natural jade. Standard gemological testing is inconclusive so a proper gem test requires spectroscopy from a reputable lab. Googling ‘at home jade tests’ on the internet will not help you determine if jade is natural vs. impregnated with polymer.

Can the color of B Jade change? Absolutely, as the polymer can come out over time.

What is ‘C Jade?’

Also called ‘dyed jade.’ 

‘C Jade’ is jadeite jade that has been dyed and has been used as a jade treatment for many years. It would be erroneous to refer to ‘C Jade’ as “natural jade” or “real jade.” The dye that gives it its color is considered temporary and can fade over time. ‘C Jade’ has little to no value, but unfortunately is sometimes sold as natural which is why it is always advised to ask for a report from a reputable gem lab such as GIA, AGL, or even a lab testing service guarantee from Mason-Kay Jade.

What is ‘B+C Jade?”’

B+C Jade or BC Jade is a combination of polymer/resin impregnation and dye.

This jade imposter is almost certain to change color or fade over time.

In an effort to drive sales, most treated jade is sold as natural on the market. Many customers have fallen victim to these scams only to be disappointed when their jade turns out to be treated or a non-jade material entirely. This truth reveals itself when the jade either breaks (as jade is the toughest gem on the planet, unlike its simulants and treated counterparts which are quite brittle) or fades/changes body color over time.

My guess is that the powers that sell ‘B Jade’ as natural got ahead of this by marketing “jade” as miraculously color-changing. Perhaps there is some other reason, but it’s best to be critical when shopping for natural jade. Always ask for a report from a reputable lab such as GIA or AGL, or a guarantee from Mason-Kay Jade. Reports from online sellers can be falsified, so don’t hesitate to call a lab and check on a report number before buying. Additionally, only shop with sellers whom you trust.

Natural jade is beautiful, hard to break and long-lasting, as well as rare and valuable. It is absolutely worth it to do your homework before investing in jade, as buying treated jade or some simulants can have little to no value at all.

If you have jade that you would like tested, don’t hesitate to reach out to Mason-Kay about their jade testing services.