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http://www.gemologyonline.com/jadeite.html [and don't miss the link to Fred Ward's Friends of Jade, scrolling thru the messages to the California Jade meet-up] The info from Paul Desautels' book cited in a prior link discusses the "easy" tests for jadeite and nephrite - hardness, specific gravity, and refractive index. Dyed calcite, "Suzhou jade" (Bowenite serpentine), aventurine quartz, dyed quartz, serpentine, soapstone...just off the top of my head, these are the most common simulants. Not counting glass and plastic, of course. Then there's jadeite that's been treated with acid to remove iron stains and filled with dyed polymer. You need an infrared spectrometer to detect this one, and it seems to be very common now. In short, before you spend serious bucks on jadeite, get a professional gemmological report. All rights reserved by Bead Collector Network and its users |
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