The Straits Times

The Other Hot Stones

Ms Achillea Teng, co-founder of Singapore-based jewellery brand Caratell, says:

- Jade is tough, crystalline structure that is also regarded as positive and significant in Chinese culture.

- It is generally not cut in a brilliant, faceted way like other gemstones and is known for its durability.

- Jade varieties consist of jadeite jade, nephrite jade, omphacite and kosmochlor (known as black jade).

- The colour green is most associated with jadeite, but it also comes in lavender, red, orange, yellow, brown, white, black and grey.

- The finest quality jadeite is known imperial jade because the royal court of China used to have a standing order for the material.

- Shoppers should first identify whether a jade is Type A (no treatment), Type B (bleached) or Type C (dyed or coloured).

- They should also check if the jade is of imperial, commercial or utilities grade by examining the colour, translucency, clarity, cut, size and texture.

- A top piece of jadeite will have an evenly distributed vivid emerald green colour, be highly translucent and solid (no cracks and not hollowed), cut into cabochons (rounded), have a fine texture and valued according to size.

- Good jade should also be accompanied with a third party gemological certificate to verify its quality.