What Is the Difference Between Real Jade and Fake Jade?

Jade was once worn by royalty. There are many fake Jade gemstones on the market, and it is important to know how to tell the difference. What is the difference between real Jade and fake Jade? What does real Jade look like? 

Real Jade doesn’t have a perfect green color, while fake Jade is often dull and has bubbles. The planet Mercury and the heart chakra rule over Jade. Jade is great for prosperity, success, and health. Real or fake Jade can be tested by sight, touch, sound, light, scratch, and weight. 

I’ll teach you how to identify Jade based on appearance, texture, properties, varieties, and characteristics. 

What Does Real Jade Look Like?

Real Jade has a translucent or transparent texture and isn’t opaque. It also has a great depth of color and texture, resembling fabric. 

If the crystal in question has a perfectly homogenous color or look, it might be a fake. 

What does raw Jade look like? Rough, raw, or unpolished Jade stones have a rugged and opaque surface with a waxy sheen. 

Before we decode the secrets of how to identify authentic Jade, here are some important traits: 

Different Types of Jade

Jade is a silicate mineral that is hundreds of millions of years old. While it is available in various colors, there are two major varieties of Jade.

Nephrite Jade: Is Nephrite Jade real Jade?

The colors you can find Nephrite Jade in are green, gray, white, red, and black, with stripes of yellow or brown. This type of Jade has a resin-like coating or luster but has a smaller variety of colors compared to Jadeite. In comparison, Nephrite Jade is lighter than Jadeite. 

• MOHS Hardness: Lower than Jadeite at 6 to 6.5 

Jadeite 

Jadeite is more expensive compared to Nephrite Jade. Jadeite has a wide range of colors, such as bluish-green, pale green, and dark green. This variety of Jade can also be found in rare colors like pink, black, and purple. 

In comparison, Jadeite is stronger and more translucent compared to Nephrite Jade. 

• MOHS Hardness: Higher than Nephrite Jade at 6.6 to 7. 

Does Jade Glow in the Dark?

No, authentic Jade does not glow in the dark or under UV light. However, some varieties of treated Jade emit a soft, pale-blue glow under UV light. 

How to identify Jade? 5 Tests to Test your Jade 

Psychics call Jade the ultimate stone for good karma and health, and gemologists can’t stop appraising its beauty. However, all of that is a waste if you end up with false Jade. 

I’ll tell you five tests to determine if you have real Jade without leaving your home. 

The Touch Test

The easiest way to distinguish a fake Jade from a real one is by touching it. If your stone feels anything other than stone-cold, it’s not a genuine Jade crystal. 

Real Jades stay cold. They won’t warm up whether you hold them in your palm or rub your hands against them for a few seconds.

To do this test, pick up your Jade crystal and hold it in your palm for a minute or two. When you are done, compare the temperature of the Jade with a pebble or ordinary rock.

The Light Test 

Sometimes called the UV Test, this is a test to examine the inside of your Jade crystal for flaws, variations, and patterns. 

Real Jade crystals have blemishes with non-uniform patterns and dents on the surface. They also have a consistent coloration with vein-like fibers in them.

On the other hand, fake Jade crystals have impeccable coloration and show up with layering or bubbles. 

All you need to do is hold your Jade crystal under a UV light source and look for the veins.

The Weight Test 

Real Jade isn’t lightweight, while glass or lookalike Jade may be. In fact, genuine Jade feels heavy because it has a good density. Jadeite has a higher density than Nephrite Jade. 

To do this test, toss your Jade crystal upward and catch it to feel the weight of the stone. You can compare its weight by tossing and catching other stones or crystals of the same size.

The Sound Test 

When you strike a real Jade against another authentic Jade, it creates a soft, high, shrill, and resonant sound. 

On the other hand, glass and plastic fakes will make an echoing sound or a hollow sound.

The Scratch Test 

As the MOHS of Jade is under 7, real Jade doesn’t scratch easily.

You can check for authenticity by scratching a piece of glass, plastic, a pebble, a knife, a pin, or a needle on your crystal.  

Crystals with higher MOHs, such as Ruby, Pearl, and Topaz, will also scratch a real Jade. 

What does Fake Jade look like? How can you tell fake Jade from real Jade?

Fake Jade may look perfect, smooth, glassy, or dull, depending on what it is. I’ve seen fake Jade crystals in bleached colors like pale green, brown, emerald green, and yellow. 

A giveaway of unauthentic Jade is to look for a false name. Commonly, false Jade stones are marketed as Himalayan Jade, Chi Jade, Jade Dolomite, Mountain Jade, or Malaysian Jade. 

Stones that look like Jade (but they’re not)

Knowing how to pick an authentic crystal is crucial if you’ve set aside a lump sum to invest in real Jade. 

Here’s the list of “lookalike Jades” you should avoid: 

Real Jade vs. Fake Jade

Did you just buy a Jade crystal? Perhaps you want to check all the Jade crystals and jewelry in your collection. Whatever the reason, real Jade crystals are gorgeous and may cost $5 to $500 0000 per carat depending on their quality, cut, clarity, origin, size, and color. 

Here’s a complete summary of real Jade vs. fake Jade:

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