April 26, 2018 is our Asian and International Fine and Decorative Arts auction and we have jade jewelry. Jade is a term used to describe two different stones: jadeite and nephrite. The two stones differ in chemical composition, crystal structure and hardness. There are also many stones that look similar to jade. Look at your jade in bright light and under at least a 10X loupe. Both nephrite and jadeite will have a crystalline structure that is fibrous like asbestos while stones such as chrysoprase are micro-crystalline and will appear homogenous.
