Choose a Jade Necklace

Jade is a gemstone that has been used and carved for many thousands of years. Actually jade is two gemstones coming from two different material the first one is called jadeite and the second nephrite. Nephrite is a  tougher stone  and it comes in many types of green and also creamy white. Jadeite is rarer and comes in green, pink and even blue! The most valuable jade is green translucent jadeite. Nephrite has been popular with the Chinese for a long time and it is very frequent in Chinese arts and crafts which is not a surprise as China has large deposit of this gemstone. Later on the Chinese discovered jadeite which they could import from Burma. Jade has had the same importance in Chinese culture that gold and diamonds had in  Western Culture. Jade was also popular in other parts of the world such as New Zealand, among the Maori, Korea and Central America. It is a fairly rare gemstone and always considered to be valuable 

Jade's quality is graded in five types. Type A is untreated, Type B is a stained piece of jade which is treated with polymer resin to improve its colour and transparency. Type C is a piece artificially stained or dyed, it might end up losing all its sheen. B+C jade means that has been treated with polymer resin and dyed. Type D is a composite stone often with a plastic backing. Jade made of jadeite is generally a fairly expensive gemstone and therefore beware if you are offered a piece of A type jade for a too much lower price, there is a lot of fake jade around.

Jade is easy to fake and enhanced and you might be sold quartz,serpentine or even glass that looks like jade, also nephrite jade which should be the cheapest of the two jades can be enhanced to look like jadeite. Real nephrite can be found for a fraction of the price of jadeite especially when the latter is emerald green and transparent and is what it is called imperial jade.

As with all gemstones you can enjoy jade in all types of jewelry: earrings, brooches, bracelets and jade rings. If you are looking for a necklace a carved pendant made of nephrite jade will be the most common and easily available choice. Nephrite as it is softer than jadeite is quite often not well polished and smooth after having been carved. You can also find beaded necklaces made of both types of jade, obviously if you are looking for a full necklace made with jadeite beads be prepared to invest a bit of money.

You will also find quite easily vintage earrings or pendants made with nephrite jade,it might be worth more because of its age and other materials than for the jade alone. As green jade comes in a nice strong green and is often carved to make dragons and Buddha pendants is a popular choice for men jewelry too. At the moment multicoloured jade is quite popular although if you want a very good piece of jade it should have an uniform colour throughout.