How To Tell If Jade Is Real: Real vs Fake Jade

Three Wrong Ways to Identify Real Jade

1. Scratch the glass

It is said that: "Those who can carve glass are real jade, and those who cannot are fake jade." This method is wrong. The hardness of glass is 5, and there are many stones with hardness greater than 5. In addition to jade, there are dozens of kinds of stone, like granite, agate, diamond, corundum, Malay jade, water foam jade, etc., which can scratch glass. Therefore, you cannot judge whether it is real jade or fake jade by scratching the glass.

Test result: damage to jadeite. Although the hardness of hard jade is higher than glass, both objects are hard, so hard jade can be injured.

2. Burning hair

The folks say: Wrap your hair around the jade, and then use a lighter to burn it. If the hair is not broken, it is real jade, and if it is burned, it is fake jade. This method is very wrong. Try this method and you will know that hair is wrapped tightly around any stone, in a few seconds it will not burn, because there is no gap. Whether it is real or fake jade, if the hair will be tangled loosely and leave gaps, and it will burn instantly.

Test result: The jade is roasted on a gas fire, and the jade may be cracked after burning.

3. Feeling cold and hot

Folks say: touch jade with your hands and stick jade with your face. If it is cold, it is real jade, and if it is warm, it is fake jade. This method is wrong. This is a matter of the thermal conductivity of the material. Materials with fast heat conduction will give people a feeling of coolness, while materials with slow heat conduction will give people a feeling of warmth. However, there are many stones that are similar to real jade’s heat conduction speed, including glass. This method can distinguish jade from plastic, wood, etc., but it can't distinguish jade and other stone.

Characteristics of Natural jade vs Fake

Natural Jade

There are two real types of Jade: nephrite and jadeite. Jade has a very unique look.

An authentic piece of jadeite has a really fibrous texture, as its intertwined, it looks like it's a little flex interlocking, and especially on more opaque pieces, that's a bit more apparent than on more translucent transparent pieces.

Then nephrite is a little bit different it has a bit more of a soapy look. But most stones just do not have that texture, just because this green does not mean it's Jade. so please keep that in mind and again, if it looks too good to be true, it probably is fake.

So half of natural Jade is jadeite and the other half is nephrite Jade.

Differentiating between nephrite and jadeite assay is a lot tougher than differentiating between fakes and other local-like stones. So the best way is obviously to get a certificate.

Fake Jade

1. Characteristics of plastic fake jade: The texture is lighter than real jade, and the hardness is poorer.

2. Characteristics of colored glass fake jade: under light or sunlight, there are many bubbles inside the glass.

3. Characteristics of electric-colored fake jade: It has small green and blue cracks, which are called "spider claws" by experts because they will leave cracks during electroplating.

4. Characteristics of jade powder fake jade: the density is only 2.8, and the density of real jade is 3.3-3.4.

How To Tell If Jade is Real: Color

Jade comes in many different colors, green is best color, but it should never be uneven or dull. If the color is dim and yellowish, it is the inferior product or fake jade. Matte jade means that it is not real jade, it may be dyed with chemicals.

It is pretty common for fake jade to be dyed to this color. Probably 80 to 90% of the Jade today is treated. it is impregnated with bleaches and chemicals and dyes. If you want as natural pure Jade as possible, you want grade-a Jade, Grade B Jade, or Grade CJade - absolutely not. Grade C jade has been dyed and grade B Jade has been impregnated with a resin to improve the clarity and texture. Only A grade jade is as natural pure jade as possible.

How To Tell If Jade is Real: Texture

Real jade is translucent or almost transparent. It is smooth to touch. Natural jade is usually included with line with stone lines cracks and spots of inclusions. If the jade looks translucent and without any imperfections, then it’s likely a fake and they're usually treated. If the jade is opaque, or the transparency is very low, it is usually fake jade.

How To Tell If Jade is Real: Sound

When we hear the sound of real jade, we should hear a very high-pitched, bell-like sound. if the jade was fake, it would sound something like we are striking a piece of glass.

As the sound goes forward, it usually has the higher the pitch the sound that usually indicates the higher quality too.

That's almost the same way as a guitar. If you had a really expensive guitar and it is made of better wood, then you know if then that it will make a higher or a more beautiful sound. So it kind of works the same way with jade too.