After wearing jade for so many years, is it ”Jade“ or ”Stone“ in your hand? An article about HeTian jade
The difference between Hetian jade and jade and other jades. Although Hetian jade, emerald and other common jades on the market belong to the same ”jade“ family, they are very different in appearance, composition, texture or cultural connotation. The following is a detailed disassembly for you:
1. The composition is very different from the essence.
Hetian jade (soft jade): The main component is permeable, and the mineral structure is intertwined with fibers, which makes its texture extremely delicate and dense. The hardness is about 6.0 - 6.5. Although it is called ”soft jade“, it is actually quite strong.
Jade (hard jade): The main component is sodium aluminum pyrosite, which is as hard as 6.5-7, which is harder and crisper than Hetian jade, so it is called ”hard jade“, and the sound is crisper and louder when tapped.
Other jades (such as Nanhong, Dushan jade, Kunlun jade, etc.): the composition is different, but the overall texture, oiliness and structure are usually far inferior to Hetian jade.
2. Luster and texture: warm vs glass light
This is the most intuitive difference between the two:
Hetian jade: It presents oily luster, and the touch is warm and delicate, like a piece of fine sheep fat, with a sense of ”restraint and subtlety“. The light is a soft diffuse reflection, which will not be dazzling.
Jade: It presents glass luster (or rigid light), bright and eye-catching, with high transparency. When the light penetrates, there is a clear ”firefly“ and ”glue“ effect, which is visually more beautiful.
Other jades: the luster is usually dim or stone, and lacks the warm and moist texture of Hetian jade and the fierce texture of jade.
3. Color orientation: restrained vs fresh
Hetian jade: mainly white, blue, turquoise, sugar color, ink color, the highest level is ”mutton fat white“ - white like fat, with a slightly warm tone, seeking ”white as cut fat“. The overall color is soft and calm, and I don‘t want to be bright.
Jade: colorful, the most precious are imperial green, sunny green, bright emerald green, full of green, and the value of water. At the same time, there are also violet, red phi, yellow phi, etc., with bright and dazzling colors.
Other jades: most of them are single or dark gray, lacking the beauty of jade and the purity of Hetian jade.
4. Transparency: translucent and opaque
Hetian jade: Most of them are opaque to translucent. Even the top sheep fat jade is mainly ”slightly transparent“, which is better than oily than transparent.
Jade: Transparency is an important indicator, which is divided into ”glass species, ice species, glutinous species, bean species“, etc. Glass jade is crystal clear, like ice cubes, and has a strong visual impact.
Other jades: the transparency is generally low, and there are few ”water heads“ like jade.
5. Cultural status and aesthetic differences
Hetian jade: It is the first of ”China’s four famous jades“. It carries the Confucian philosophy of ”gentlemen are more virtuous than jade“. It has the deepest historical roots, from Hongshan culture, Liangzhu culture to the collection of the Forbidden City. Hetian jade is a totem of Chinese civilization, symbolizing morality, etiquette and imperial power.
Jade: It was first introduced to China after the Ming Dynasty, and it first shined from the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty to the period of Empress Dowager Cixi. He represents more wealth and luxury, and his aesthetics are enthusiastic and popular, which is deeply sought after by the court and the modern jewelry market.
Other jades: The cultural status is usually limited to locality or literary circles, and the cultural roots are not as far-reaching as the former two.
6. Price and rarity
Hetian jade: Top sheep fat white jade is extremely rare and expensive, but the market is still dominated by medium and low-priced blue and white jade and jasper, and the entry threshold is relatively low. Pay attention to the Kunlun jade and Russian jade pretending to be Hetian jade in the market.
Jade: High-end jade (glass is full of green) can be called the ”king of jade“, and the auction price has repeatedly reached sky-high prices, even more than 100 million Hong Kong dollars. However, ordinary bean seeds and glutinous jade are relatively affordable, and it is up to people to be thrifty.
Other jade: the overall price is much lower than the above two, and it is mainly circulated as jewelry or handicrafts.
Comments