Category: Guide to buying jade

So you finally decided to get a jade ring of your choice. Hang on, what’s my ring size?

Often, we will guide our online customers through on how to measure their ring size at home. As almost 50% of our new online customers may not have owned a customised ring before, they are not sure of the ring size they should get. With the increasing queries, we have decided to write this post, so that all our customers will have a ring that suit their fingers comfortably, and finally get their ring measurement right, for good.

Without the assistance of a ring sizer or a ring chart, you can easily get your ring measurement with a string.

Wrap a string around the base of your finger. Measure the length with a ruler. This will be the circumference. Look up the circumference against below international ring size conversion chart. Gentle reminder that ring sizes quoted in ClassicJade are based on Singapore size.

Yes, it does. In fact, it is the most important determinant of the value of a jadeite piece. Jadeite comes in many colours- green, lavender, colourless (icy), red, orange, yellow, black, white, etc. The most desired and finest quality jadeite will be striking emerald green colour with top translucency- known as the “Imperial Green Jade”. Other varieties of green such as apple green (苹果青)and lao keng qing (老坑青) are also widely well liked by jade lovers.

Lavender jadeite is also becoming increasingly popular among the younger consumers. They can come in pinkish purple(粉紫)) or bluish purple (蓝紫). A good quality lavender jadeite can also worth and value more than jadeites of lesser quality green hues.

We do notice increasing demand for icy jadeite(冰种). They are particularly well received by consumers who love highly translucent jadeite with great clarity. A good quality icy jadeite (glassy variety) will also command a high value.

For red, orange and yellow jadeite, they are usually formed closer to the surface of a jadeite raw stone, hence they don’t usually exist in separate big pieces. They are usually thin and less translucent. For those that have good translucency and luster, they are considered to be rare, therefore may command a high price too.

One interesting note for jade with black hues, they can be expensive if they belong to omphacite jadeite (墨翠). Omphacite jadeite appears very black, but when a strong light pass through it, it shows a very nice captivating green hue.

In ClassicJade, we believe that ultimately, the deciding factor for colour hue depends on an individual’s taste and preference.

Due to the high value that a piece of quality jadeite may command, there are many types of imitations and treatments out there in the market to trick the eyes of an untrained consumer.

In ClassicJade, we frequently heard stories from our customers where other retailers told them that natural jade would feel cold to the touch. This is FALSE. Many materials in an air-conditioned place will feel cold to the touch, even glass! As trained jadeite dealer, we are able to tell if a jade is real based on its colour, luster, translucency etc. However, our advice to all our customers, if you want additional assurance on whether a jade is real, it is best to obtain a certification from an independent gemology laboratory. A jadeite piece can be classified into three categories: Type A, Type B and Type C.

Type A- jadeite that is natural

Type B- jadeite that has been bleached with acid and then impregnated with polymer resin

Type C- jadeite that has been dyed

Remember, we only want to buy Type A jadeite. Type B and Type C are usually not sought after as most consumers are resistant to the idea of buying jadeite that has undergone chemical treatments. Even if you do not mind Type B or Type C jadeite, do bear in mind that those are not valuable and you should not be paying a lot of money to own them!

Just a reminder to our dear readers here, in ClassicJade, we sell Type A ONLY. All our jadeite pieces are natural, and certification can be provided or arranged.

There is a Chinese saying “Gold has a value; jade is invaluable”. How true is this?

To start with, let’s try to understand more about jade. There are two types of jade stones: jadeite and nephrite. Jadeite is highly demanded and is usually sourced from Myanmar, formerly Burma. The latter, nephrite, is usually sourced from China. Here, we will focus on jadeite.

To understand the value of jade, we have to look beyond its role as a gemstone and beautiful adornment. Jade is rich in heritage and widely believed to have spiritual meanings in the Chinese culture.

The ultimate value of a particular piece of jadeite depends on various factors. The most important factor is colour, but translucency, clarity, and even its carvings can significantly affect the price. Unlike other gemstones, jadeite is usually sold by piece, and not by carat weight. Since almost every piece is different, it is difficult to establish a standardized pricing scale.

The value of jadeite is also affected by the demand and supply curves. From demand perspective, we know that the China market is still the largest consumer. Therefore, as China becomes wealthier, and its appetite for jade increases, it will drive up the prices. From supply perspective, the unrest and unstable political situations and trade restrictions in Myanmar, further exacerbated by depletion of natural jadeite mines will certainly cause the prices to climb even further.