Our articles about stones

Jade, Jade, Serpentinite, or Who Should Know It

Let me add another "human" blog about stones, these beautiful greenery are on the line.

Jade, Jade, Serpentinite … we're pretty confusing, so I can bring some light into the darkness of the names of these beautiful stones.

Serpentinite

Serpentinite or also Serpentinite is a relatively variable mineral. As you can see in the photo, it really has many forms. She is beautiful, pleasant, becoming, and usually makes people very good. But with true jade it has nothing in common except green color. (I decided not to get tired of your chemical formulas, you can't see them with your eye).

Serpentinite is very soft in comparison with jade, it is easy to work with, and its price is not staggering. - That's the first clue. If you take the shard and dig into it (if you can) it is clear that jade will not be… so it is better to say “ Jade serpentine ” sounds nice, and the customer does not lie. (bottom row)

The top row is Indian serpentinite, the second is Australian "zebra serpentinite" with asbestos, the third is the rare Norwegian "Lizardit" and Peruvian serpentinite (similar to Russia). In the lower row, the so-called jade serpentines from North Korea are used as a cheap jade reed.

We have just discovered the beautiful Czech serpentines at Marianske Lazne, the Germans used to make them nice paperweights and ashtrays.

Serpentinity sold in our shop can be found here.

Right jade

If you've dropped a thousand from a small piece of white, yellow, greenish, or purple milky translucent stone, there's some hope that you have a real jade here.

Because Jade, and I mean the true jade, is a very expensive and precious stone found mainly in Burma, Bangladesh, and one site is in the Alps. It is incredibly tough, so it can make filigree fine carvings that can withstand rough handling, with shine like lightning… The photo with jewelry above and below is from Munich, (through glass). All China believes in its mystical power, so if a piece of jade occurs,finds himself in Chinese (Honkogn, Thai-wan…) hands. Jade is usually white green, white, yellow or even violet. The more translucent the more expensive it is when it contains chromium, it has a bright green color and its price is astronomical. Jade pricing is, however, almost incomprehensible to a European in general. And you won't meet him at every corner. (unfortunately) Opaque jades that do not have a bright green color are affordable for Europeans when they get hold of them.

Burmese jade is sold in raw boulders from the river with polished surfaces on the surface, so you almost never know what you are buying. The Chinese consider it a kind of lottery, when sometimes a poor man can buy an incredibly precious stone. So, a couple of times a year they buy raw Burmese jade. See photo

Burmese jade cobble

same cobble of cheaper jade with abraded surface

And this is what the Alpine jade looks like. (it's not Top Quality), but it's Jade, and I have not experienced anything so tough, and grinding the bruise resisting.

Another attraction is stone (rock), which contains a considerable amount of jade and chromite - Maw-sit-sit. is very beautiful, and of course rare. (the extra green slider on the right)

The real Jade sold in our shop can be found here.

Nephrites

And finally Jade . Jadeit resembles its toughness, but chemically quite different. Nephrites are usually dark green, slightly translucent (if thin), exceptionally pure white. Sometimes, some fibrous pieces have the effect of a cat eye.

Jade - Russia

Jade - Canada

Most often you can meet nephrites from Canada, Russia, New Zealand and Polish Jeseník. They are more expensive than serpentinity, and much more. Because they are mined in quarries, they are not as expensive as rare jade. With a clear conscience, you can put them in bracelets and rings, because they won't be scratched immediately, nor will they be fragile on impact. (Serpentinite has a significantly higher risk of rupture).