[Jewelry making - Article 00204] - Re: [Orchid] Yellow Turquoise

[The Doctor]

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>             I don't recall all the critera for a stone to qualify as
>     jade, but one of them is hardness. Consequently, jasper or quartz
>     may be called jade in that language. Then the translator comes
>     along and maybe doesn't know English as well as a native English
>     speaker, and, behold, a new stone name is born. I really don't
>     think the untruth is always intended to deceive, although I'm sure
>     it is sometimes. 

    There are two criteria for a material to be called jade. It's
    chemical composition must be NaAlSi2O6 for jadeite, and
    Ca2(Mg,Fe)5Si8O22(OH)2 for nephrite. The other characteristics, such
    as hardness, toughness, specific gravity, crystal structure, etc.,
    are inherent in those chemical formulae. None of those
    characteristics qualify a material as jade, quartz or leaverite,
    chemical composition, along with the other characteristics does.
    Everyone in the gem industry, including the Chinese, know this.
    Translators have nothing to do with it. The businesses who market
    gems under misnomers know it, too. They also know that serpentine,
    maw-sit-sit and other materials are less valuable than jadeite, and
    constantly invent new misnomers that include the word "jade",
    typically in quotes, for the express reason of making a less
    valuable gem SOUND more valuable to the layperson or consumer. 

    I agree that many dealers, retailers and resellers are unaware of
    the problem and don't use misnomers to deceive, but that lack of
    awareness is through ignorance. But the originators of the misnomers
    know exactly what they are doing, and prey on this ignorance. The
    only way to prevent being taken is to protect yourself with
    knowledge. The Orchid Group has been an incredible source of it for
    me. 

James in SoFl

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