Judging quality
Grading uses type A (untreated), B (bleached and polymer-impregnated) and C (dyed). Only type A holds long-term value; ask for the classification on any significant piece.
Pyroxene
Jadeite
The rarer, harder jade, and the source of imperial green. Nearly all top gem jadeite comes from a small region of northern Myanmar.
Care
Tough and durable, but treated material degrades over time. Avoid heat and solvents.
History & lore
Olmec and Maya cultures worked Guatemalan jadeite for two millennia before the Burmese stone reached China in quantity.
Cultural history, recorded as tradition rather than as medical or scientific claim.
Common questions about Jadeite
- What is Jadeite?
- The rarer, harder jade, and the source of imperial green. Nearly all top gem jadeite comes from a small region of northern Myanmar.
- How hard is Jadeite and what is it made of?
- Jadeite is a Pyroxene-family mineral with the composition NaAlSi2O6. It crystallizes in the monoclinic system and rates 6.5-7 on the Mohs hardness scale. It occurs in green, lavender, white.
- Where does Jadeite come from?
- Notable localities for Jadeite include Myanmar, Guatemala, Russia.
- How do you tell good Jadeite from filler?
- Grading uses type A (untreated), B (bleached and polymer-impregnated) and C (dyed). Only type A holds long-term value; ask for the classification on any significant piece.
- How do you care for Jadeite?
- Tough and durable, but treated material degrades over time. Avoid heat and solvents.
See it in person
Photographs only go so far
Both rooms are open six days a week, and there is always someone happy to pull pieces out of the case so you can compare them under the light.