Anyone jewelry enthusiast who loves green also loves emerald and jade. If you are also a jewelry lover having a special place for jade in your heart, this article is for you.
If taken care of well, jade can last not only years or decades, but centuries. This is the reason why it is considered as a key heirloom piece in many cultures, especially in Asia. You can keep them safe by following some basic care while storing and wearing the piece. Apart from storing these precious stones, you must be aware of the proper way to clean it, and to also know the dos and don’ts for a jade.
You might be aware of the 2 dazzling varieties, jadeite (the lustrous emerald green stone) and nephrite (the one used for carving). The article discusses in detail how to take care of jade jewelry to get the best out of it. Let’s get started.
Does jade jewelry break when dropped?
Yes, it is possible for jade to break if it is dropped. However, it is not certain and it may not always break. It depends upon a few factors:
- Hardness of the surface: If jewelry falls on a tile or marble, it has a greater probability of breaking. On the contrary, if it falls on grass or on sand, or on a carpet, it might be completely safe.
- Thickness of the stone: Thicker stones are less prone to breakage when compared to thin counterparts.
- Setting of the stone: If the stone is set in a softer metal like real gold or silver, the setting can help safeguard the stone. If the edges of the stone are nicely covered, it is the metal that absorbs the impact from the fall. Thus, preventing the impact to reach the stone, keeping it safe. If the edges of your jade are exposed, the chances of breakage are higher.
- Quality of the stone: Natural jade can be brittle. Different quality of jade may have different susceptibility to breakage.
- Cut of the stone: If the stone is cut in such a way that it has vulnerable points or points of less thickness, the stone may break at these weak points.
- The height from which the piece falls: More the height, higher the chances of the stone breaking.
- If the stone is treated: Treated stones are more likely to break in comparison to natural, untreated stones.
- Chemical Composition of the stone: Jadeite is harder than Nephrite. Consequently, if you own Jadeite, the chances of it breaking when dropped are lower in comparison to the probability of breaking a Nephrite stone.
Can you wear jade jewelry in the sun?
No. It is recommended to keep your jade jewellery away from direct sunlight. This is because jade jewelry is sensitive to the sun, and if exposed to direct sunlight, its color might fade away.
Therefore, it is advisable to store jade jewelry in a dark place away from bright light. Soft Lights are appropriate to store jade jewelry.
How do you care for jade jewelry?
Jade is the most adored gemstone and is considered a lucky one. And so, it is imperative that your jade jewelry should be properly cared for. Taking care involves cleaning, and some suggest wearing it often to get the most luck out of Jade jewelry.
The three ways to clean it are as follows:
Preparing the solution
- Take warm water and mix it with gentle liquid soap but try not to make it soapy.
- Never wash jade jewelry with a jewelry solution as they contain certain chemicals which are harmful to jade.
Cleaning process
- Do not immerse the jade in the soapy solution.
- Dip a soft cloth into the solution and clean with it.
- Do not scrub it as it will cause scratches on the surface.
Polishing and drying
- Do not rinse it.
- Dry your jade with a new soft cloth ensure to remove every particle of a soap solution.
- Polish it with a polishing cloth to maintain its luster.
- To polish, you may use some amount of castor or almond oil on the cloth. Clean the stone with a little amount of oil on a muslin cloth, let it rest for 15-20 minutes and then remove access.
Additional precautions to keep in mind
- Never use ultrasonic jewelry cleaning devices.
- Minimize the exposure of jade jewelry to water.
- Do not expose your jade jewelry to hot water too much.
- Remove your jade jewelry before taking a shower or swim.
- Do not involve in gardening or any other work that involves dirt as it might be abrasive.
WEARING IT THE RIGHT WAY
Can jade jewellery be worn every day?
Yes, you can wear jade jewelry every day. In fact, it is common in a lot of cultures to be wearing a piece of jade jewelry for many years or even decades. Some encourage wearing jade daily for getting positive vibes in everyday life. The benefits of wearing a jade every day are as follows:
- It enhances the look
- It comes in a wide variety of colors which allows jade jewelry to go well with different clothing.
- since jade pieces are normally understated, they do not overpower your clothing or other pieces of jewelry.
- It has special powers that protect the wearer.
- It is also believed to bring prosperity in many Asian cultures
- It helps wearer in balancing their yin and yang as per Chinese beliefs
- It helps in maintaining blood pressure as the stone is believed to have a calming effect.
Can you shower with jade jewelry?
No. You must not wear jade while showering as extensive exposure to water can loosen the jade gemstone from your jewelry. Also, it is not recommended to swim while wearing jade jewelry. This is because chlorine can be abrasive and can damage the jade stone.
Exposure to extensive water loses its stone so, avoid wearing jade jewelry near swimming pools. For cleaning like any other gemstone, wash it with warm water and gentle or mild soap along with a soft-bristled brush.
CLEANING YOUR JADE JEWELRY
What do you clean your jade jewelry with?
Clean your jade jewelry with lukewarm water. Mix it with a mild liquid soap solution and use a soft-bristled brush to gently rub on it. Avoid any use of chemicals as they will damage the jade. Here is a list of what to avoid in treatment with jade.
- Avoid scrubbing, as it causes scratches on the surface.
- Never treat the jade with steam or ultrasonic treatment.
- Avoid exposure to the sun as excessive heat is harmful.
- Do not wear jade while swimming due to the chlorine in the pools is harmful to jade.
How do you oil your jade jewelry?
Oiling helps to retain the shine and lustre of the gemstone. Oiling every week helps to re-polish the surface of the jade.
- For porous jade, polish it with canola oil.
- Use a paper towel to rub the canola oil onto the gemstone.
- Wait for five-ten minutes until the oil soaks into the porous jade.
- Try to do oiling every week.
How do you take care of high-end jade jewelry?
Jade is a unique gemstone, and so it needs proper care to stay in top condition. Here are some ways you can take care of expensive jade jewelry.
- Avoid harsh chemicals
Never use chemical cleaners for your jade jewelry. These cleaners contain harsh chemicals that might be abrasive for a delicate, fragile gemstone like jade.
- Oil it regularly
Almost all jade is porous, so it’s hard to retain oil or any wax that adds shine. So try oiling it once a week. Dip a paper towel onto odorless oil and gently rub it all over the stone. Leave it for 5 to 20 minutes and then wipe off with a dry paper towel to remove the oil, leaving the shininess behind.
- Polish it
Use a microfiber cloth and gently wipe the stone. This gives a sheen, smooth look.
- Keep it separately
Do not store your jade jewelry with other gemstones, as it might leave scratches and can make your jade look dull.
The last thing you want is to see your jade shatter into pieces. Even if not broken, it can leave scratches on your precious stone, making it less shiny.
How to know whether a jade is real or fake?
The ways to differentiate can be inclusive, that may impact the appearance or appeal of the stone. However, the most commonly used ways are non-inclusive, where you can tell by different means, without impacting the stone. Let’s look at both below:
Non-inclusive or Non-destructive:
- Real jade will always feel dense in your hand and have considerable weight. If it feels light, it means it is not real jade.
- Real jade boasts of a lustrous emerald green color. If your jade is not colorful it means it is not jade.
- The last one is particularly for the jadeite to know if it is real, test its noise. And if it has a high pitch noise, it means it is real; otherwise, it is fake jadeite.
- Real jade is cold to touch initially. It is a good conductor of heat, so it would eventually become warm from body heat when worn.
- Shine light through the edge, you should see some light passing through the stone. This is because real jade is translucent.
- When you throw light on the stone, the light should reflect from the stone such that the stone appears watery.
- Real jade does not get a scratch that easily. The hardness level of variants of jade lies from six-seven so, if a scratch is made easily, then it is fake jade. However, this method cannot always be used as you cannot always afford to scratch the stone.
Thus, with the help of the above-stated points, it is easy to tell which jade is real and which is fake.
How to differentiate between Jadeite and Nephrite?
The difference between the variants of jade stone will give a better understanding of which variant of jade you are using. The points or factors that states the difference between the two are as follows:
- Availability: Jadeite is rare to find while Nephrite is easy to find.
- Color: Jadeite is available in almost every color from green it comes in pink, lavender, dark blue etc. among all the most valued is the imperial green. Nephrite is also available in different colors, from dark green to light green to others like black, yellow and white.
- Texture and feel: Nephrite is much more softer than Jadeite.
- Metaphysical properties: Both jadeite and nephrite are known as good luck charms. Green is a symbol of cash that attracts wealth. They both attract positive energies and dispel negative energies.
Let us learn the variants of jade stone and seek more information on how to store them for the long term by knowing about ways they deteriorate and how to counter the same with the reference of the table given below:
Final Words
Jade is a gemstone with healing properties like other gemstones thus requires care like any other gemstone. To preserve it for the long term, you should take all the measures that are stated above.
