FAQ

About Jade

Dipping your toes into the world of jade for the first time? Trust seree to answer any questions you may have. 

1. What kind of jade do we carry at seree?

We currently carry five types of gemstones including two types of jade, but the list is growing! Jade is a common family name of the gemstone and is further categorized into minerals: nephrite and jadeite.

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Jadeite: Jadeite is the rarer variety of the two. Rich emerald-green jadeite, known as "imperial jade," is the most highly valued. However, jadeite can be found in many colors and is well-suited for intricate carvings. Fun Fact - Myanmar produces the world’s highest quality jadeite. 

NephriteJadeite's sister. Often opaque, nephrite tends to come in darker green, white, and black shades. It is highly durable and can be used for both jewelry and art objects. 

Agate: Agate’s lovely translucent colors and banding patterns come from finely grained, microcrystalline quartz. This is our playful gemstone. Agates come in endless styles and patterns, with no two agates being the same (see our playground rings)!

Quartzite: Isn't it the same as quartz? Nope. While quartz is made using engineered stone, quartzite is produced au naturelle. Quartzite loves to show up in colors, including snowy white, grey, light pink, red, purple, yellow, orange, blue, and green.

Chalcedony: we had a hard time pronouncing it, too. You just need to know that the colors are simply pretty. This material is the darling of some jewelry designers because of its varied and ethereal blue and purple colors. Some pieces have a slight adularescence (cat-eye effect), like our moon bangle, that enhances their value.

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2. What defines a "good" jade?

We are just talking jadeite and nephrite here, btw.

Color: Jadeite's most important value factor. It should be as pure as possible, with strong saturation and a bright tone.

Transparency: The more light that can be seen through the stone, the more valuable it is. Semi-transparent jadeite has an alluring brilliance. It almost appears to glow, increasing the charm of its color.

Texture: When jadeite's structure is fine-grained, the gem has a smooth texture and high luster. Jadeite's interlocking crystals, also called grains, produce a tightly interwoven, compact mass that bonds together and resists breaking.

Carat weight: Jadeite is generally sold by the piece rather than by weight. For top-quality imperial jadeite, however, slight size differences can make large value differences. In most cases with nephrite, larger sizes do not drastically raise the value.

3. Is there such a thing as organic jade?

Not really, but jade can also be certified based on heat treatment or color enhancement in order to produce formidable gems at an affordable price. The best ones (“organic”, if you will) are free from any form of chemical treatment, such as dyed coloring or resin infusion.

4. Where do you source and produce your jade?

To ensure that our products are controlled with the highest quality and ethics standards, we source our jade in raw form directly through Myanmar and China's official channels. Almost all our pieces are made in villages in Zhenping, Henan — also known as the "Jade Capital of Asia."   

5. How do I take care of my jade jewelry?

We won’t judge you for being klutzy but avoid knocking it against hard surfaces. Jade pieces are brittle and will break when hit with hard objects. Make sure that you take off your jewelry before you go swimming in a pool or hot tub. We also recommend removing your jewelry if you're handing dirt and soil, as it’s abrasive to the stone. Avoid cleaning your jadeite with any acids or alcohol. All you need is water or water mixed with mild soap to get it nice and clean.

6. How do I take care of my jewelry made with gold?

Some of our jewelry, specifically in the Jade + and seree lab collections, are made with gold. What's the difference between gold plated and gold filled? Can I shower in my jewelry? etc., might be some of the questions you are asking. So we made a comprehensive care chart for the 4 main types of gold jewelry you can buy on the market. Read more here.

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