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Jade Misnomers
A “misnomer” is an incorrect name. In the gemstone trade many misnomers have been given to materials that look like a more popular or more valuable material even though that name is incorrect. The use of a misnomer can be innocent or derogatory, but the intent is often to associate a product with one that…
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Jade Types and Treatments
For thousands of years, the people who manufacture and sell jade objects have found many ways to improve their appearance. Heat, wax, dye, bleach, acid, polymer injection and other treatments have all been used to improve the color, luster and stability of jadeite and nephrite. Although many of these treatments are part of traditional jade…
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Jadeite, Nephrite, and Artisans
Chinese craftsmen have been producing jade objects for over 5,000 years. A few hundred years ago, master Chinese craftsmen who worked with jade daily recognized that some of the jade obtained from Burma (now the Union of Myanmar) was different. It was harder, denser, worked more easily, and produced a higher luster upon polishing. It gradually became…
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Jadeite, Nephrite, and Science
Jadeite and nephrite have distinctly different mineral compositions. Jadeite is an aluminum-rich pyroxene, while nephrite is a magnesium-rich amphibole. However, the two minerals have very similar physical properties in the eye of the average person. Only trained observers with significant experience are able to reliably differentiate them without mineral testing equipment. This is why jadeite and…
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Are All Jades the Same?
Originally, all jade objects were thought to be made from the same material. However, in 1863 a Frenchman, Alexis Damour, discovered that the material known as “jade” could be divided into two different minerals: jadeite and nephrite. Because these two materials can be difficult to distinguish, and because the word “jade” is so entrenched in common…
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What is Jade?
“Jade” is a cultural term used for a very durable material that has been fashioned into tools, sculptures, jewelry, gemstones, and other objects for over 5,000 years. It was first used to manufacture ax heads, weapons, and tools for scraping and hammering because of its toughness. Then, because some specimens had a beautiful color and could…
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Goldstone Rough
Rough goldstone is usually sold as broken chunks and as slabs suitable for cutting cabochons. The chunks range from small pieces used for rock tumbling to large pieces weighing over 50 pounds. Although goldstone is a man-made material, it varies greatly in quality, appearance, and suitability for use in making cabochons, tumbled stones and other…
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Goldstone History
The earliest known object made from a goldstone-like material is an amulet excavated in Iran and dated to be from the 12th to early 13th century. The beginning of modern aventurine glass production began in Murano, Italy during the 17th century. It has been produced there, with some interruptions, up to the present time. A…
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“Aventurine Glass” and Aventurescence
Before the name “goldstone” was used, the material was widely known as “aventurine glass.” That name is the source of three words that are commonly seen in gemology. Aventurine: A cabochon cut from a piece of quartz that contains an enormous number of tiny fuchsite inclusions. Fuchsite is a green chromium-rich mica that gives the quartz…
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What Causes Goldstone’s Glittery Appearance and Color?
The glittery appearance of goldstone is often attributed to “bits of copper” or “copper filings” that have been added to the glass. That simplistic description is incorrect. Reddish brown goldstone is made by heating molten glass to a temperature that is hot enough to dissolve granules of copper oxide that are added to the melt. After…