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Canadian (BC) Jade is thought to be a non-Jade, according to many Chinese who looked at the carvings made from this Jade, Nephrite, which is being carved in China, for tourists in other parts of the world. On the other hand, larger BC Jade carvings are also made by the Chinese, and are considered to be good investments. Many people bought blocks of BC Jade in the south-western part of BC. Although touted to be jade, many of those blocks were Serpentine. The Nephrite blocks were rejects, which the Jade carvers could not use because of too many asbestos inclusions, fractures, or just unwanted colours. Some of the higher Nephrite grades from BC, the Yukon and Alaska have been sold as Oriental Jade. Very fine American/Canadian made modern carvings, especially the ones made by Mr. Lyle Sopel, who lives in BC, fetch very high prices world wide.
Another point to make, BC mutton fat Jade is Feldspar. I have tested a few samples.
Ernest

While it is true that in general many Chinese do not feel that B.C. jade looks like "jade" (comparing with jadeite mostly) due to its color and appearance and may not buy them due to this reason. However, it still does not prevent the fact that it is indeed nephrite. It is strange that if large jade carvings that are made by the Chinese using BC jade which is nephrite, but the smaller jade carvings made by them are simply not nephrite although they were supposedly also made by BC jade as another forum jade expert claimed. Does it mean that there are actually two types of BC jade, one is truly nephrite and the other one is serpentine as this message seems to suggest? However, many of these so called smaller modern-fake Hongshan style jade carvings found on eBay were indeed made of nephrite. So therefore were they really made of BC jade as the forum jade expert claimed or were they made of something totally different such as serpentine? You simply cannot have it both ways - in claiming that those smaller Hongshan style fakes were made of BC jade but BC jade is not nephrite.

I do not believe the "B.C. Nephrite Report, 2004" posted on the Friends of Jade will lie about BC jade:

http://www.friendsofjade.org/current-article/2004/3/29/bc-nephrite-report-2004.html

B.C. Nephrite Report, 2004

“B.C. continues to have the only operating nephrite mines in the world, and it remains the main source of nephrite production. New Zealand mining has all been closed down because of the “jade settlement” with the Maoris. Nephrite deposits in Siberia are being worked sporadically but no mine exists, and much of the material now in the market is from old Soviet-era production. However, with much lower operating and environmental costs than Canada, the Siberian deposits could soon replace Canada as the major producer. Infrastructure problems remain a major hindrance to the Russian jade industry. The very nice “Vitim” white jade deposits near Lake Baikal continue to produce jade, but pure white has become very rare so prices have soared. The bulk of the production is off-white or brown jade exported to South Korea. Most of the good white is exported directly to China.”

“China has started to produce green nephrite, but to date the quality remains well below the carving grade produced in Canada. The exception is white jade still produced above Khotan, in far western China, but again the price has soared, and little, if any, is available for export.”

“Demand for the unique properties of this jade has allowed prices to escalate to meet the high costs associated with this mining operation. Cassiar jade will be available in limited quantities at prices from $20-$50/kg for bulk exports to China, more than double what it sold for before the asbestos mine closed. Expect smaller amounts available to lapidary and small market users as well as prices about $20-$50 per US pound (not kilos).”

It is also clear that most of the BC nephrite are exported to China:

http://mmsd1.mms.nrcan.gc.ca/minerals/Min/jade.htm
“Ninety per cent of Canadian production is sold to China, while the remaining ten percent is sold to Taiwan and New Zealand. During a short summer mining season, Jade West Resources Ltd. annually mines 100 tons of jade for export to China.

The price of jade varies according to quality and quantity, ranging from $10 to $100 per kilogram (USGS).”

While it is all right to simply express one's opinions however when such opinions were meant to be presented as facts or "expert opinions" then such "opinions" should be supported by evidence and not just personal feelings.

Not too long ago, another expert who tried to prove that there are indeed large amount of nephrite still being found in China by quoting the example of the largest jade Buddha in the world in Anshan, Liaoning, China was being carved from a large piece of "nephrite" boulder. Upon my researches, it was found that the large "nephrite" boulder was indeed a serpentine jade boulder. I listed all the sources and scientific figures for the serpentine boulder to back up my conclusion.

It is unforunate that we cannot discuss jades in scientific and intellectual manners like true academians and if any new theories are bought up by jade novices like me, it will be rapdily trounced and ignored. If this is indeed the case, how can anybody expect to learn the truth in this forum?

Bill

Thank you for the interesting information!
Have you had the opportunity to test any of the synthetic jades? Which I would guess attributes to a large number of reproductions which can be found on Ebay for such cheep prices. :-)
Like what can be found at: http://www.jackygems.com/en_cpzs.asp?flid=154

Cheers!
Jim

" Does it mean that there are actually two types of BC jade, one is truly nephrite and the other one is serpentine as this message seems to suggest?"
Bill, how can it be, it's either Nephrite or Serpentine. Mind you, there are Jade mountains in the south of BC , with an extreme low quality of Nephrite..which in fact makes some Serpentine look good.
Jim, thanks for the link.. normally I look at colours, and if in doubt, I check with a loupe. Those stones remind me a little of Malaysian jade, clear quartz, dyed.
Ernest

Please provide documentations and references in referring to "there are Jade mountains in the south of BC , with an extreme low quality of Nephrite..which in fact makes some Serpentine look good. "


Please define low-quality nephrite and high-quality serpentine.

Thanks.

B

Jim:

It probably takes as much time and effort to make synthetic jade than just using cheap jade-like material such as serpentine to make cheap jade carving. There are indeed a few fake jades made of "jade dust" but they cannot be carved and had to be molded. A piece of synthetic jade will be exposed by either or both hardness and specific gravity tests. They simply cannot pass both. Please refer to another link where I saw you had also posted a reply regarding the "jade" statue posted there. Almost everybody else on this thread had posted a message there. Read every message and you will find who is the one who had really done some researches in jade material.

It is not that hard to tell a piece of real nephrite even with pictures only. I have so much practice that in my recent purchase of 48 pieces of carvings that I believed were made of nephrite from their pictures alone, after testing I found 46 pieces were indeed nephrite, on the two lots I missed one was made of unique dark green serpentine and the other one is a lot of four slits that were made of green jasper (with a hardness of 7 and beautiful weathering).

I am not arguing that some of those smaller eBay Hongshan style jade pieces cannot be fakes, I just do not believe they can be made modern and sell so cheaply. I believe they were made much earlier when both material and labor costs were much cheaper. A few pieces were actually very old. I suggest you should buy a very few good looking one (without white patina)from eBay and study them yourself. (*If you need tips as what to buy, send me an e-mail. I do not want to tell too many people.) Only then you will understand what I meant. I am not going to urge anybody to obtain anything from eBay any more because I do not want any competitions from them, fakes or no fakes, let them believe what they will. They simply cannot tell good nephrite from bad nephrite. Most of them will regret in a few years' time.

Bill

good day to you,i looked at a mall selling jade approximately a dollar per bead.how can i tell if its real or synthetic?what are probable chances that i am buying genuine jade?is it true reaal jadeite or nephrite are heat or fire resistant?

Yes. Jadeite and Nephrite are stone and, thus, won't burn. If the material melts or you can insert a red hot pin into it, it is plastic or a composite.

Cheers,
Stan

Take good close-up pictures and post it. Otherwise I can't give you any info.
Ernest

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