Is That Real Jade In The Walking Street Market

[heybruce]

I'm preparing for my annual trip to the U.S. for Christmas and trying to do some shopping for family that I rarely see. I don't think my relatives want any more colorful bags or wood carvings, so I'm looking for something new. I see lots of pretty "jade" trinklets in the Sunday Walking Street Market for what seem to be very little money, but I have no idea if any of them are real jade. I know that jade in the U.S. is much more expensive than here, but also know that the final retail price of all jewelry in the west can be several times the price paid to the manufacturer. In other works, I don't know if the stuff here is cheap because it's being sold close to the source, or cheap because it's fake. Does anyone have any insight into this?

[FolkGuitar]

I'm preparing for my annual trip to the U.S. for Christmas and trying to do some shopping for family that I rarely see. I don't think my relatives want any more colorful bags or wood carvings, so I'm looking for something new. I see lots of pretty "jade" trinklets in the Sunday Walking Street Market for what seem to be very little money, but I have no idea if any of them are real jade. I know that jade in the U.S. is much more expensive than here, but also know that the final retail price of all jewelry in the west can be several times the price paid to the manufacturer. In other works, I don't know if the stuff here is cheap because it's being sold close to the source, or cheap because it's fake. Does anyone have any insight into this?

It doesn't have to be 'fake' to be cheap. Even with real jade (of which there are two different minerals given that name; jadeite and nephrite,) the quality varies so greatly that the lowest quality often sells for less than common quartz. However, low quality jade is still jade, and there are few people who are actually able to tell the difference in qualities. It's a very difficult mineral to appraise.

[maccaroni man]

I'm preparing for my annual trip to the U.S. for Christmas and trying to do some shopping for family that I rarely see. I don't think my relatives want any more colorful bags or wood carvings, so I'm looking for something new. I see lots of pretty "jade" trinklets in the Sunday Walking Street Market for what seem to be very little money, but I have no idea if any of them are real jade. I know that jade in the U.S. is much more expensive than here, but also know that the final retail price of all jewelry in the west can be several times the price paid to the manufacturer. In other works, I don't know if the stuff here is cheap because it's being sold close to the source, or cheap because it's fake. Does anyone have any insight into this?

It doesn't have to be 'fake' to be cheap. Even with real jade (of which there are two different minerals given that name;

jadeite and nephrite,)

the quality varies so greatly that the lowest quality often sells for less than common quartz. However, low quality jade is still jade, and there are few people who are actually able to tell the difference in qualities. It's a very difficult mineral to appraise.

in bkk you will most likley find jadeiete as it comes from burma, the key factors in price is size, color amd clearity. white and black are most costly, whatever the color jade is translucent hence when you examin the piece you are interested in hold it to a light and look for purity if it is has other minerals you will see them, the other concern you will have in the markets is if what they are selling is plastic. Jade has a unique ability to deflect heat, so any easy test is to take a strand and wrap it around the jade and put a flame to the hair if the piece is jade the hair will not burn. Good luck hope this helps.

[imaneggspurt]

Jade has almost as many variations as diamonds, take a look at jaderus on line, ( i have no connection to it )

[Ajarn]

It's a xmas present for a farang, who cares if it is real?

[Greenside]

Jade has a unique ability to deflect heat, so any easy test is to take a strand and wrap it around the jade and put a flame to the hair if the piece is jade the hair will not burn. Good luck hope this helps.

Yes, I tried this is in the Night Market the other day but it didn't work. Others must have done the same as the vendor dowsed me with his handily placed bottle of Pepsi and then called his friends over to give me a quick course in the etiquette of jade appraisal for farangs. The hospital says I'll be OK by Monday.

[SomNamNah]

PMSL!! I can just imagine that!!

There are also big bags of rubies for sale in Mai Sai... apparently off cuts that are too small to make into jewels. shh.... dont tell anyone!

Seriously though, you can buy real jade in Mai Sai, from Burma... but i'd never dare.

You can also buy good jade up at the top of doi suthep at the jade/orchid place there. They have cheap offcuts also... im sure you could find a cheap polisher to cut the costs and make something out of it... hmmm...

Edited December 6, 2008 by SomNamNah

[Samuian]

Difficult to determine unless you are quite an expert in Jade.

Keep in mind that u always get what you pay for and that here is NOT such a thing like a free lunch in the entire world!

Why the heck should somewhere in the backyard of nowhere a piece of jade or "a bag of rubies" be any cheaper then on the market, unless one is a well known trader?

The ordinary buyer will be more likely to be ripped off, at least sold something that isn't the "real McCoy".

[heybruce]

Some interesting information, but no direct answer about the authenticity of Walking Street Market jade. That's probably not a good sign. I'm afraid I don't have sufficient hair on my head to do the burning hair test, though I suppose I could pluck one of the longer strands from my back or other places. Kind of awkward to do that in a crowded market. I assume I can get real jade from the expensive stores, but I'm trying to buy lots of gee whiz trinklets, not expensive jewelry. I'll probably go on the assumption that if I can't tell if it's real my relatives can't either.

[SomNamNah]

heybruce, go up to doi suthep, right at the top.. 100% jing jing. pricey as hel_l... but as i said, you can get an offcut for a few hundred baht, or less,(in the work room behind) then take it to the night market stone polisher... easy peasy.

[Samuian]

.........edit....but I'm trying to buy lots of gee whiz trinklets, not expensive jewelry. I'll probably go on the assumption that if I can't tell if it's real my relatives can't either.

then what, go on, you gave yourself an alternative answer!

[Ajarn]

heybruce, go up to doi suthep, right at the top.. 100% jing jing. pricey as hel_l... but as i said, you can get an offcut for a few hundred baht, or less,(in the work room behind) then take it to the night market stone polisher... easy peasy.

How do you know it is real quality Jade ??

[SomNamNah]

good point! trust no-one! hmm.. However i *think* they (farang owners) have certificates up there. Gawd knows. lovely place to visit, even if its just to pretend to be interested in a 500k ring. Im sure they wouldnt mind the heat test either up there on the offcuts. Will give it a go next time i visit.

[SomNamNah]

1. Become familiar with imitation jade. Only jadeite jade and nephrite jade are authentic jade. The most expensive and desirable jadeite (Burmese Jadeite, Burma Jade, Imperial Jade, or Chinese Jade) usually comes from Myanmar (formerly Burma), and small quantities are mined in Guatemala, Mexico and Russia. 75% of the world’s jade comes from the mines of British Columbia in the form of nephrite, but it's also mined in Taiwan, the United States and (in small amounts) Australia.^[1] In New Zealand Greenstone or Pounamu is highly regarded by Māori. Māori people recognize four main types of pounamu, identifying their color and translucence: kawakawa, kahurangi, īnanga. These are all nephrite. They also regard a fourth type of pounamu - tangiwai- from Milford Sound which, although prized is actually bowenite and not truly jade in the eyes of the rest of the world. Other materials passed off as jade include:
   • serpentine ("New Jade" or "Olive Jade")
     
   • prehnite
     
   • aventurine quartz
     
   • grossular garnet ("Transvaal jade")
     
   • Chrysoprase ("Australian jade" - most of it comes from Queensland, Australia)
     
   • Malaysia Jade (permanently dyed translucent quartz that may be called by its color – Red Jade, Yellow Jade, Blue Jade)
     
   • opaque dolomite marble ("Mountain Jade" - from Asia, dyed in vibrant colors)
     

[*] http://www.wikihow.com/Image:007_162.JPGIrregularities mean it's probably realHold it up to a bright light. If possible, examine the internal structure with a 10X loupe. Can you see little fibrous or granular, felt-like, asbestos-like intertwinings? If so, it's probably genuine nephrite or jadeite. Chrysoprase, on the other hand, is microcrystalline, so it'll look homogenous.^[2]

If you see anything resembling layers with the 10X loupe, you're probably looking at jadeite that's been "doubled" or even "tripled" (thin layer of gem-quality jadeite sometimes glued over a different base).^[2]

[*]Observe the density. Both jadeite and nephrite have a very high density (jadeite - 3.3; nephrite - 2.95). Density is measured by dividing the weight (in grams) by the volume (c.c.).

• A specific density gravity test can be performed as described below, or you can judge the density less accurately by tossing the stone in the air and catching it in your palm. If it feels heavier than most stone pieces of the same size, it is more likely to be authentic jade.^[3]
  
• Another way to judge density is to observe the sound of plastic beads gently tapping each other. If you have a piece of real jade, clink it against the stone in question. If it sounds like plastic beads, then the stone in question is probably fake.
  

[*] Should be cold and stay cold for a bitHold the piece of jade in your hand. It should feel "cold, smooth and soap like to the touch".^[4] It should take a while to get warm if it is real. However, this is very subjective, and most helpful when you can compare it to real jade of a similar shape and size.

[*]Wind a strand of hair around the piece. then hold it over an open flame, such as a match or a lighter, for about a second. If the hair burns away, the piece is not real. But if it stays intact, the piece should be real.

[*]Perform a scratch test. Jadeite is very hard; it will scratch glass or even metal. Nephrite, however, can be much softer, so performing a scratch test improperly may damage a genuine piece. Use the blunt end of a pair of scissors and gently press down and draw a line on an area on the jade piece that is not visible (bottom or end of the piece). Avoid any weathering surfaces because these are much softer and can be easily damaged. If the scratch makes a white line, gently wipe it off (it might be metal residue from the scissors). Is there still a scratch? If so, it's probably not authentic jade.^[5] If it scratches glass or steel, it could still be many of the alternatives to jade as well, including the various forms of green quartz and prehnite.

• Perform this test at your own risk. The piece may be very valuable, even if it's not made from jade, and can lose significant value if scratched.
  

[*]Look for other deceptive practices. Even if you have real jade in your hands, it can still be treated by dyeing, bleaching, use of stabilizing polymers, and creating jade doublets and triplets. Jade is divided into three categories based on these possibilities:

• Type A - natural, untreated, undergoes a traditional process (plum juice washing and polishing with beeswax), no "artificial treatments" (e.g. high temperature or high-pressure treatments), "true" color.^[6]
  
• Type B - Chemically bleached to remove impurities, injected with polymer with the use of a centrifuge to enhance translucency, covered with hard and clear plastic like coating, subject to instability and discoloration over time because polymer gets broken down by heat or household detergent, still 100% real jade with 100% natural color.^[6]
  
• Type C - chemically bleached, dyed to enhance color, subject to discoloration over time due to reaction with strong light, body heat or household detergent.^[6]
  

http://' target="_blank">

Density Test

1. Gather the Things You'll Need as outlined below.
   
2. Use crocodile clamps to grasp the jade item. If the scale doesn't come with crocodile clamps, wrap the tested jade with a piece of string, a rubber band or a pony tail holder.
   
3. Lift the spring scale by its top handle and write down the weight of the jade item in air. (Note this should be a scale based on grams and therefore measuring force in dynes - c.g.s system)
   
4. Gently place the jade item completely into the water bucket and write down its weight in water. The clamp can touch the water; it shouldn't significantly affect the weight. If you're concerned, however, use one of the alternatives described above. Since the test is based on the difference in weight, as long as the string, band or pony tail holder remains on the jade both in the air and in the water, the difference will be the same.
   
5. Calculate the volume of jade item: weight in air then divide by 1000 (or 981 if you have a calculator handy) minus weight in water divided by 1000 (or 981 if you have a calculator handy). This gives the mass in grams in air and the apparent mass in water. Subtract the in water value from the air value, this gives you the volume in cc.
   
6. Calculate the density of the jade item: mass in air divided by volume. Jadeite has a density of 3.20-3.33 g/cc, while nephrite has a density of 2.98 - 3.33 g/cc.