The JADE thread!

[2boys_jademommy]

Hey Jadies!

I actually met the seller today instead as we were both available and guess what I ended up with??

View attachment 3547274 View attachment 3547277

Didn't expect the seller to bring along a translucent light lavender bangle in my size but she did and i simply couldn't resist... she did highlight that this piece had many darker lavender veins (in first photo below) and the inner surface has a pretty long visible vein(?) which she says is not a crack - in my opinion it may be a healed internal fracture but the surface is completely smooth when i ran my fingernail over it:

View attachment 3547281 View attachment 3547283

As for the icy "moss in snow" piece, it is relatively thicker/much heavier and chimes lower than the lavender one (though the sound still resonates).

I'm seriously hoping that its grade A and not some mixture of glass (does glass chime lower?) as its really seemed quite a steal for the price I paid. Might take it to NGI to get it tested if it continues to bug me :/

That aside, I ABSOLUTELY fell in love at first sight and just had to have it! I took a side shot to show the moss veins and how they seem to be spaced out perfectly in a triangle.. Sharing some initial pics and will send mod pics in daylight when I get a chance

View attachment 3547285 View attachment 3547286

Sorry for the super long post but I'm just terribly excited and wanted to hear your thoughts / opinions, especially on my concerns and if theres any validity in them :/ thanks so much!

Wow JadedJae you have TWO new bangles!! Very happy for you What size are your new bangles? The seller was very nice to point out "flaws". They are both lovely If it makes you feel better you could get them tested but it's really up to you. Post mod shots later if you like - no pressure lol

 

[Junkenpo]

Sorry for the super long post but I'm just terribly excited and wanted to hear your thoughts / opinions, especially on my concerns and if theres any validity in them :/ thanks so much!

It's always exciting to get new jade pieces. All my jade bangles chime differently, and I had one that didn't chime at all until it broke into 2 separate pieces and then the pieces had their own chimes. Chime should be high and have resonance. I have an agate bangle that has a high, pretty chime but it is much much lighter than jade. Use glass or quartz to bang against the jade, to avoid damage. If you aren't sure about grade, I'd do some home tests: is the bangle weighty in the hand? is it cold to touch & release heat quickly? Under a loupe, is the surface free of small connected spiderwebby pits? when held to the light, no bubbles or gummyness to the color? No presence of dye collecting in cracks/stone lines? no fluorescence under UV long and short waves? Does the specific gravity matches the specific gravity of jadeite?

If any doubts, send them to be tested by a reputable company.

 

[Silver Mom]

Wow those are very pretty. LUCKY YOU. I would definitely take them to be tested at NGI. You are lucky to be by them. I hear you can get the test done for a very resonable price. I had all my bangles tested some by the GIA and some by Hong Kong Jade and Stone Lab and they were quite pricey. It is always better to have a reputable lab test if you have access to a good lab. I would prefer to be safe than sorry when I could still return or get my money back. Most times though it is Grade A. Then you can feel happy and confident about your purchase. Beautiful pieces you have there. Keep us updated on if you plan to test or not.

 

[Purse Nut]

Congrats Jadedjae on your purchase. They're both so beautiful!

 

[cdtracing]

Hey Jadies!

I actually met the seller today instead as we were both available and guess what I ended up with??

View attachment 3547274 View attachment 3547277

Didn't expect the seller to bring along a translucent light lavender bangle in my size but she did and i simply couldn't resist... she did highlight that this piece had many darker lavender veins (in first photo below) and the inner surface has a pretty long visible vein(?) which she says is not a crack - in my opinion it may be a healed internal fracture but the surface is completely smooth when i ran my fingernail over it:

View attachment 3547281 View attachment 3547283

As for the icy "moss in snow" piece, it is relatively thicker/much heavier and chimes lower than the lavender one (though the sound still resonates).

I'm seriously hoping that its grade A and not some mixture of glass (does glass chime lower?) as its really seemed quite a steal for the price I paid. Might take it to NGI to get it tested if it continues to bug me :/

That aside, I ABSOLUTELY fell in love at first sight and just had to have it! I took a side shot to show the moss veins and how they seem to be spaced out perfectly in a triangle.. Sharing some initial pics and will send mod pics in daylight when I get a chance

View attachment 3547285 View attachment 3547286

Sorry for the super long post but I'm just terribly excited and wanted to hear your thoughts / opinions, especially on my concerns and if theres any validity in them :/ thanks so much!

Gorgeous!!!! I'm so jelly!!!

 

[JadedJae]

Wow JadedJae you have TWO new bangles!! Very happy for you What size are your new bangles? The seller was very nice to point out "flaws". They are both lovely If it makes you feel better you could get them tested but it's really up to you. Post mod shots later if you like - no pressure lol

Thanks Jademommy! The mauve one is 59mm and the wispy one is 62mm as its relatively thicker. The seller was absolutely wonderful, has good reviews and guaranteed a refund if tested to be anything less than grade A jadeite i'll post mod shots soon but i've been flooding chat hope you guys don't mind!

If any doubts, send them to be tested by a reputable company.

Thanks JKP, great tips on doing self testing! They definitely have all have a resonant chime but the wispy one has a lower tone and i was thinking it might be due to it being much thicker/heavier. I've just ordered a loupe and will start to read up on how to use it

Wow those are very pretty. LUCKY YOU. I would definitely take them to be tested at NGI. You are lucky to be by them. I hear you can get the test done for a very resonable price. I had all my bangles tested some by the GIA and some by Hong Kong Jade and Stone Lab and they were quite pricey. It is always better to have a reputable lab test if you have access to a good lab. I would prefer to be safe than sorry when I could still return or get my money back. Most times though it is Grade A. Then you can feel happy and confident about your purchase. Beautiful pieces you have there. Keep us updated on if you plan to test or not.

Thanks Silver Mom,

I definitely lucked into these two at a great price as the seller was clearing them and she doesnt have many customers at >60mm. She was confident and willing to refund anytime if proven otherwise. NGI is definitely reputable locally and the test cost is reasonable, though costs quite a fair relative to the price I paid for these two might employ the self tests as suggest by JKP first then decide and keep you guys updated.

Congrats Jadedjae on your purchase. They're both so beautiful!

Thanks Purse Nut! I hope I'm not spamming the forum though as I tried sending the photos via mobile and can't resize them haha.

Anyone has thoughts on the stone lines/veins on the lavender piece? I don't mind them terribly considering the deal i got, but would love to hear any opinions if the condition is a big nono. Thanks so much you guys and have a blessed day!

 

[JadedJae]

Gorgeous!!!! I'm so jelly!!!

Thanks cdtracing! Do also share your collection for me to get some eye candy without having to pay through the nose

 

[Silver Mom]

Thanks Silver Mom,

I definitely lucked into these two at a great price as the seller was clearing them and she doesnt have many customers at >60mm. She was confident and willing to refund anytime if proven otherwise. NGI is definitely reputable locally and the test cost is reasonable, though costs quite a fair relative to the price I paid for these two might employ the self tests as suggest by JKP first then decide and keep you guys updated.


I did hear that if you got the verbal instead of the written certification it was something like $30 or $40 which sounds reasonable although it sounds like you got some winners there.

 

[cdtracing]

Thanks cdtracing! Do also share your collection for me to get some eye candy without having to pay through the nose

I have posted pics of what jade I have already a few months ago, several pages back.

 

[Henry James]

Hi JadedJae,

Congratulations on the two bangles you purchased. The lavender one is very beautiful. However, I have something I want to tell you.

I suspect that the semi-transparent moss-in-snow bangle you bought is treated jade. This is not to offend you or to dampen your triumphant spirit, but to convey to you my doubt that you had been cheated by this seller. Honestly speaking, this bangle, thick as it is, costs no less than 20,000 USD if it were grade A. I am being serious, no joking, since I myself have attempted to buy such kind of jade bangle for my mother before. Furthermore, you should also know that the more translucent the jade, the higher and clearer the chime. This is to say that the less translucent the jade is, the thicker and (usually) lower the chime. However, from the picture you posted, as we are able to see the tips of your two fingers through the bangle, then it is no joke--it is 高冰种/ high icy jadeite, the very thing we talked about in the previous post. Furthermore, jadeite has what 内行 (people in the trade) call "翡翠灵光”. It is this special soft, watery glow that distinguishes the real untreated jadeite from B, C grade jadeite. This semi-transparent jade bangle, however, looks even less shiny than the purple one, which seems really hard to understand to me.

Therefore, I advise you to bring that jade bangle to a reputable jade testing center. If, the jade is real A grade, then it is indeed a steal (considering what you said about the price being almost equal to the testing fee). As far as I know, no jade seller will be innocent enough to let go of such translucent A grade jade bangle without a jade certificate, at any price less than 10,000 USD. It is even okay if the bangle is made of glass as long as you like it. But I worry that they might inject some kind of chemical/ toxic glue to make the original jade bangle what it looks like now, which can seriously cause cancer if worn daily.

For self-testing, I can only say that even people who buy raw jade daily in Burma get cheated. Especially for such icy jade, the more subtle and insidious the imitation techniques. I think self-testing is a form of self-confirmation biases, since if a person so likes a piece of jade, he or she will be surrounded by all kinds of feelings when he or she self-tests a jade. Hence a crack can be distorted to indicate the jade is natural/ or artificial, etc.

Hey Jadies!

I actually met the seller today instead as we were both available and guess what I ended up with??

View attachment 3547274 View attachment 3547277

Didn't expect the seller to bring along a translucent light lavender bangle in my size but she did and i simply couldn't resist... she did highlight that this piece had many darker lavender veins (in first photo below) and the inner surface has a pretty long visible vein(?) which she says is not a crack - in my opinion it may be a healed internal fracture but the surface is completely smooth when i ran my fingernail over it:

View attachment 3547281 View attachment 3547283

As for the icy "moss in snow" piece, it is relatively thicker/much heavier and chimes lower than the lavender one (though the sound still resonates).

I'm seriously hoping that its grade A and not some mixture of glass (does glass chime lower?) as its really seemed quite a steal for the price I paid. Might take it to NGI to get it tested if it continues to bug me :/

That aside, I ABSOLUTELY fell in love at first sight and just had to have it! I took a side shot to show the moss veins and how they seem to be spaced out perfectly in a triangle.. Sharing some initial pics and will send mod pics in daylight when I get a chance

View attachment 3547285 View attachment 3547286

Sorry for the super long post but I'm just terribly excited and wanted to hear your thoughts / opinions, especially on my concerns and if theres any validity in them :/ thanks so much!

Hey Jadies!

I actually met the seller today instead as we were both available and guess what I ended up with??

View attachment 3547274 View attachment 3547277

Didn't expect the seller to bring along a translucent light lavender bangle in my size but she did and i simply couldn't resist... she did highlight that this piece had many darker lavender veins (in first photo below) and the inner surface has a pretty long visible vein(?) which she says is not a crack - in my opinion it may be a healed internal fracture but the surface is completely smooth when i ran my fingernail over it:

View attachment 3547281 View attachment 3547283

As for the icy "moss in snow" piece, it is relatively thicker/much heavier and chimes lower than the lavender one (though the sound still resonates).

I'm seriously hoping that its grade A and not some mixture of glass (does glass chime lower?) as its really seemed quite a steal for the price I paid. Might take it to NGI to get it tested if it continues to bug me :/

That aside, I ABSOLUTELY fell in love at first sight and just had to have it! I took a side shot to show the moss veins and how they seem to be spaced out perfectly in a triangle.. Sharing some initial pics and will send mod pics in daylight when I get a chance

View attachment 3547285 View attachment 3547286

Sorry for the super long post but I'm just terribly excited and wanted to hear your thoughts / opinions, especially on my concerns and if theres any validity in them :/ thanks so much!

 

[JadedJae]

Hi JadedJae,

Congratulations on the two bangles you purchased. The lavender one is very beautiful. However, I have something I want to tell you.

I suspect that the semi-transparent moss-in-snow bangle you bought is treated jade. This is not to offend you or to dampen your triumphant spirit, but to convey to you my doubt that you had been cheated by this seller. Honestly speaking, this bangle, thick as it is, costs no less than 20,000 USD if it were grade A. I am being serious, no joking, since I myself have attempted to buy such kind of jade bangle for my mother before. Furthermore, you should also know that the more translucent the jade, the higher and clearer the chime. This is to say that the less translucent the jade is, the thicker and (usually) lower the chime. However, from the picture you posted, as we are able to see the tips of your two fingers through the bangle, then it is no joke--it is 高冰种/ high icy jadeite, the very thing we talked about in the previous post. Furthermore, jadeite has what 内行 (people in the trade) call "翡翠灵光”. It is this special soft, watery glow that distinguishes the real untreated jadeite from B, C grade jadeite. This semi-transparent jade bangle, however, looks even less shiny than the purple one, which seems really hard to understand to me.

Therefore, I advise you to bring that jade bangle to a reputable jade testing center. If, the jade is real A grade, then it is indeed a steal (considering what you said about the price being almost equal to the testing fee). As far as I know, no jade seller will be innocent enough to let go of such translucent A grade jade bangle without a jade certificate, at any price less than 10,000 USD. It is even okay if the bangle is made of glass as long as you like it. But I worry that they might inject some kind of chemical/ toxic glue to make the original jade bangle what it looks like now, which can seriously cause cancer if worn daily.

For self-testing, I can only say that even people who buy raw jade daily in Burma get cheated. Especially for such icy jade, the more subtle and insidious the imitation techniques. I think self-testing is a form of self-confirmation biases, since if a person so likes a piece of jade, he or she will be surrounded by all kinds of feelings when he or she self-tests a jade. Hence a crack can be distorted to indicate the jade is natural/ or artificial, etc.

Hi Henry James,

Please don't worry about offending or upsetting me, honest and experienced opinions / advice from the Jadies here are definitely much appreciated especially for newbies like me, and one of the reasons why its so important to find such a community to share learnings and experiences

Your advice confirms my initial suspicions (not to cast any doubts on the seller's reputation or honesty, maybe she really didnt know as well), which is why I had included a photo showing the translucency of the bangle using my fingers as well as highlighting the lower chime which should not be the case for 高冰种 / highly icy variety bangles. While I don't mind it being a glass bangle for the price I paid, I certainly do not want to wear something toxic on my arm that could potentially be detrimental to my body ;(

Will definitely have this tested over the weekend and keep you guys posted. Once again, extremely grateful to have found such a wonderful group here!

 

[Silver Mom]

Hi Henry James,

Please don't worry about offending or upsetting me, honest and experienced opinions / advice from the Jadies here are definitely much appreciated especially for newbies like me, and one of the reasons why its so important to find such a community to share learnings and experiences

Your advice confirms my initial suspicions (not to cast any doubts on the seller's reputation or honesty, maybe she really didnt know as well), which is why I had included a photo showing the translucency of the bangle using my fingers as well as highlighting the lower chime which should not be the case for 高冰种 / highly icy variety bangles. While I don't mind it being a glass bangle for the price I paid, I certainly do not want to wear something toxic on my arm that could potentially be detrimental to my body ;(

Will definitely have this tested over the weekend and keep you guys posted. Once again, extremely grateful to have found such a wonderful group here!

Glad you will have it tested. I think Henry James has some very valid advice. Good luck and hoping for Grade A. You might have hit the jackpot. Keep us posted.

 

[elizabethtwrs]

Hey Jadies!

I actually met the seller today instead as we were both available and guess what I ended up with??

View attachment 3547274 View attachment 3547277

Didn't expect the seller to bring along a translucent light lavender bangle in my size but she did and i simply couldn't resist... she did highlight that this piece had many darker lavender veins (in first photo below) and the inner surface has a pretty long visible vein(?) which she says is not a crack - in my opinion it may be a healed internal fracture but the surface is completely smooth when i ran my fingernail over it:

View attachment 3547281 View attachment 3547283

As for the icy "moss in snow" piece, it is relatively thicker/much heavier and chimes lower than the lavender one (though the sound still resonates).

I'm seriously hoping that its grade A and not some mixture of glass (does glass chime lower?) as its really seemed quite a steal for the price I paid. Might take it to NGI to get it tested if it continues to bug me :/

That aside, I ABSOLUTELY fell in love at first sight and just had to have it! I took a side shot to show the moss veins and how they seem to be spaced out perfectly in a triangle.. Sharing some initial pics and will send mod pics in daylight when I get a chance

View attachment 3547285 View attachment 3547286

Sorry for the super long post but I'm just terribly excited and wanted to hear your thoughts / opinions, especially on my concerns and if theres any validity in them :/ thanks so much!

Oh my word. The moss in snow piece is divine ! I'm dying over how translucent it is !

 

[JadedJae]

Glad you will have it tested. I think Henry James has some very valid advice. Good luck and hoping for Grade A. You might have hit the jackpot. Keep us posted.

Hey Jadies,

So i managed to do a quick density test on all three of my bangles at home (simple calculation of mass of bangle / weight of bangle in water) and while the black and lavender ones checked out at 3.28ish, the mossy one landed at 2.73 :/ Under the loupe which arrived today, i could make out a thin connected web on the surface per what JKP had described - what does this web signify?

I'm pretty much convinced that the mossy one is either treated or mixed with some other material (will likely request for a refund) but will get the lavender one tested since the density was higher and surface was smooth like my black one.. Am sooo glad to have you guys around to advise on what to look out for!!

I've learnt SO much this week and now just to find out what that webby surface means... JKP??

 

[crosso]

Congrats on your purchases, JadedJae! They are both lovely, though I'm sorry the mossy one turned out too good to be true. We've all been there [emoji53] -it's hard not to get caught up in the moment and keep a critical eye when buying jade!

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