The history of Chinese jade culture is long and rich. In the hearts of the Chinese people, jade has always symbolized purity, nobility, beauty, and steadfastness. Thus, China is the country that most esteems and loves jade worldwide.
China is unique in history for blending jade with human virtues. The ancients would liken a gentleman’s virtues to jade, using expressions like “A gentleman compares his virtue to jade” and “A gentleman is like jade” to describe a gentleman’s warm demeanor, graceful manners, and modesty in conduct.
Hetian jade has a history of at least 3000 years in China. It forms a significant part of Chinese jade culture, a precious heritage, and an artistic treasure in the cultural repository of the Chinese nation. Let’s delve into what Hetian jade is and its main types.
What is Hetian Jade?
Hetian jade is a single-mineral rock composed of microcrystalline aggregates with minimal impurity minerals. Its main component is tremolite. The renowned production site of Hetian jade is the Kunlun Mountains in the Hetian area of Xinjiang, China.
Originally, Hetian jade referred specifically to jade from Hetian, Xinjiang. Now, any nephrite with tremolite as its main mineral (over 98%) is called Hetian jade. Hetian jade can also be referred to as nephrite.
Besides Xinjiang, tremolite jade deposits exist in over 120 locations worldwide, distributed across more than 20 countries, including Russia, the United States, Brazil, Canada, Australia, Poland, New Zealand, South Korea, and North Korea.
What is Hetian Jade Made Of?
Hetian jade is a type of tremolite jade. Tremolite belongs to the amphibole mineral group, specifically the calcium amphibole subgroup, and is a member of the tremolite-ferroactinolite series. Its chemical formula is :Ca2(Mg,Fe2+)5[Si8O22](OH)2.
Four Characteristics of Hetian Jade
Let’s examine the characteristics of the minerals that make up Hetian jade.
- Tremolite minerals account for over 95% of Hetian jade. Tremolite is a hydrated calcium magnesium iron silicate.
- Impurity minerals are minimal, generally comprising 1% to 3%. Even a slight difference can significantly impact the quality of the final product.
- The mineral granules are extremely fine, often microcrystalline and cryptocrystalline, making them among the finest of their kind.
- The typical mineral structure is felt-like, with uniform granule size interwoven into a blanket-like texture.
Different Types of Hetian Jade
Hetian jade can be categorized based on different criteria. For instance, by origin, Hetian jade can be divided into Xinjiang Hetian jade, Russian Hetian jade, Qinghai white jade, Korean white jade, etc. This classification is straightforward and won’t be elaborated here. We will focus on the classifications based on the environment of formation and color.
Four Types of Hetian Jade Based on Formation Environment
Generally, Hetian jade can be divided into primary deposits (mountain material), secondary deposits (mountain stream jade, seed jade, Gobi jade). The environmental characteristics of each deposit vary, thus affecting the quality of the jade. Among the same grade, seed jade is the best and most valuable, followed by mountain stream jade.
1. Seed Jade:
Also known as seed jade, it refers to jade formed from primary deposits through weathering, glacial, mudslide, and river transport. It is characterized by small, often oval shapes with smooth surfaces.
2. Mountain Material:
Also known as mountain jade or canopy jade, it refers to primary deposits found on mountains. Mountain material is characterized by varying sizes and angular shapes, with quality often inferior to seed jade.
3. Mountain Stream Jade:
It refers to secondary deposits formed through natural weathering, mudslides, or rainwater. It is a transitional state between seed jade and mountain material. Its characteristics include proximity to primary deposits, larger sizes, slightly rounded edges, and relatively smooth surfaces.
4. Gobi Jade:
It refers to jade transported to the Gobi Desert by tectonic movements and formed by the impact of sandstorms, characterized by sheet-like shapes and wind erosion marks on the surface.
8 Colors of Hetian Jade
Next, let’s look at the popular classification method based on the color of Hetian jade.
Among Hetian jade, white jade is the most precious, with the best being mutton-fat white jade, which is top-grade jade. Mutton-fat white jade is characterized by its whiteness, translucency, fineness, and luster.
1. White Jade
This is the flagship brand of Hetian jade and the most valuable variety. In the industry, white jade generally refers specifically to Hetian white jade.
Traditional jewelry circles have different names for varying degrees of white nephrite, such as mutton-fat white, pear blossom white, snow white, ivory white, fish bone white, rough rice white, and chicken bone white, with mutton-fat white (like coagulated fat) being the best and unique to Hetian jade.
Mutton-fat White Jade: It has a grease-like white color, slightly tinged with blue or creamy yellow. It has a fine, moist texture, good luster, few cracks, and minimal stone flowers. Impurities are generally less than 10%.
White Jade: It is primarily white but may have shades of gray, yellow, or blue. It has a dense, fine texture with moderate luster and slightly more cracks than mutton-fat white jade.
2. Greenish-White Jade
It is formed by the oxidation of iron in white jade, giving it a base color of white tinged with green, blue, or gray. Common shades include pinkish-green, onion white, and gray-white. The distinction between greenish-white jade, white jade, and green jade is often based on experience, and sometimes multiple colors appear on the same piece of jade.
3. Green Jade
This is the most abundant type of Hetian jade, with shades of gray-green, blue-gray, and gray-blue. The difference from greenish-white jade and jasper lies in the color intensity, with lighter shades being greenish-white jade and darker ones being jasper.
Traditional Chinese “green jade” is dark green with gray or black undertones. Green jade is the hardest among nephrite, but its color is less appealing than white jade, making it less valuable.
4. Jasper
There are two types: one is relatively pure and fine, while the other has impurity spots due to minerals like iron, manganese, and graphite.
In simple terms, jasper has shades of green, dark green, and ink green, sometimes with black spots. The top-grade jasper is translucent and spinach-like in color, while lower grades have grayish-green hues. High-quality jasper resembles jadeite, and in ancient China, women often used jasper as head ornaments.
5. Yellow Jade
Yellow jade forms when white jade is oxidized and infiltrated by minerals like iron and manganese. It shares all the characteristics of Hetian white jade.
The different shades of yellow jade depend on the degree of oxidation and infiltration, ranging from pale yellow to deep yellow. The best shades are chicken oil yellow, beeswax yellow, and chestnut yellow.
Yellow jade generally has a pale color, with bright yellow being extremely rare. High-quality yellow jade rivals mutton-fat white jade but is not the same as the “yellow topaz” or “citrine” in gemstones.
6. Black Jade
Black jade forms when white jade contains coloring agents like graphite. The amount of graphite determines the intensity and distribution of the black color, resulting in fully black, clustered black, and spotted black jade.
Fully black jade is rare and expensive. High-quality clustered black jade has interwoven black and white patterns resembling ink wash paintings and can be used as ornamental jade.
7. Sugar Jade
Sugar jade forms when white jade, greenish-white jade, or green jade is oxidized and infiltrated by minerals like iron and manganese. It has red-brown, yellow-brown, or black-brown tones.
Based on the degree of infiltration, it can be further subdivided. If the sugar color part is less than 30%, it is called sugar-white jade, sugar-greenish-white jade, or sugar-green jade. If it exceeds 85%, it is called sugar jade.
8. Flower Jade
It refers to jade with multiple colors on a single piece, forming well-distributed patterns, such as “tiger skin jade” and “flower-spotted jade.”
Is Hetian Jade Valuable?
The Chinese often say, “Gold has a price, jade is priceless,” because unlike gold, Hetian jade cannot have a strict price or grading standard.
Each piece of Hetian jade is unique, with distinct textures and skin tones, making it impossible to quantify its price.
Among all origins, Xinjiang Hetian jade is the most expensive. The top-grade mutton-fat white jade costs between 20,000 to 30,000 yuan per gram, and even regular mutton-fat jade fetches over 10,000 yuan per gram.
Top-grade Xinjiang Hetian seed jade costs over 10,000 yuan per gram, second-grade about 4,000 yuan per gram, and regular Xinjiang Hetian jade under 500 yuan per gram.
The price of Hetian jade products varies greatly based on quality and type. Generally, a Hetian jade bracelet costs around 2,000 yuan, a pendant around 1,500 yuan, and Hetian jade artworks range from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of yuan.
How to Identify Genuine Hetian Jade
Hetian jade is cherished for its fine texture and warmth. However, as it becomes a sought-after collectible and people pursue it avidly, the market has seen an influx of counterfeit Hetian jade. Here are some rough methods to help you identify genuine Hetian jade:
1. Test Hardness with a Knife
Hetian jade has a Mohs hardness of about 6.5. Lightly scratch it with a knife; it shouldn’t leave a mark. If it does, it’s likely glass or a softer jade. However, many imitations now use hard jade stones, which also won’t leave marks.
2. Observe Transparency
Jade can be transparent, semi-transparent, or opaque, while Hetian jade is semi-transparent. In light, Hetian jade allows light through but not clear images. Hold the jade to a light source and move your hand behind it; real Hetian jade will show a shadow moving.
3. Listen to the Sound of Impact
Hetian jade has a thick, warm texture and dense veins, producing a crisp sound when struck. Compare the sounds of two similar jade pieces; a dull sound indicates it’s not Hetian jade, while a crisp sound, like metal, suggests it is.
4. Check the Luster
Hetian jade has a luster that is usually greasy or waxy, giving it a coagulated fat-like feel and a very tactile texture. Place the jade on your skin; it should feel cool, a sensation glass products lack.
Conclusion
I hope this introduction has given you a deeper understanding of Hetian jade. Xinjiang Hetian jade is an essential chapter in Chinese jade culture. If you want to learn more about Chinese culture, follow my blog, where I will regularly update posts related to Chinese culture.
