Yanni Jewelry Studio

How to Judge Natural Burmese Jadeite Quality

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Judging fine jadeite (what we call "Feicui") is an art, but we focus on a few key factors. For natural Burmese Jadeite, we often look at the "4 Cs + 1 T":

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1. Color (最重要的 - Most Important) This is the most valued factor.

 

We look at three things in the color:

· Hue: The best colors are pure, vivid green ("Imperial Green" is the rarest and most prized). But beautiful lavender, red, and yellow jade also exist.

· Saturation: How intense and rich the color is. Is it a pale green or a deep, electric green? Strong saturation is better.

· Tone: How light or dark the color is. The perfect tone is neither too dark nor too light.

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2. Clarity (透明度 - Transparency)

We call this the "crystal" quality. High-quality jadeite is semi-transparent to transparent, like a piece of fine glass. You can sometimes see light shining through it. The more transparent it is, the more valuable. We look for a clean, bright appearance with few internal flaws or black spots.

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3. Cut (切工 - Craftsmanship)

A good cut shows off the stone's best color and clarity. It should be symmetrical, well-proportioned, and have a smooth, polished surface. A great cut brings the jade to life!

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4. Carat (大小 - Size)

This is simply the weight and size. Larger pieces of high-quality (with great color and clarity) jade are much rarer and more valuable.

 

5. Texture (质地 - Texture)

This is unique to jade! Fine jadeite has an extremely smooth, fine-grained texture that feels oily or silky to the touch. You should not see visible grains or crystals. This is a sign of high quality.

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Most Important: All these factors work together. A large piece with poor color isn't valuable. A small piece with perfect "Imperial Green" color and high transparency is extremely precious.

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Because it's a natural stone, every piece is unique!