GemRight Jadeite Jade Reporting - An Update

Since 15 April 2026, GemRight Gemology has begun issuing the revised version of their jadeite jade reports based on consultations with our partnering research universities, feedback from the dealers both in Singapore and overseas and observations from the trade in the past and now.

Section 1 is the key testing results that forms the basis of any transaction of the item - identification, treatment detection and geographical origin.

More importantly, from our years of proprietary data collection and also data shared with our partnering research universities overseas, we are able to, rigorously, determine a jadeite jade item’s origin. We are probably the only research gemological laboratory able to do so in Singapore, and probably the only handful worldwide with the gemological capability to provide this service.

This has been a key focus for our work, especially in the past few years, because of the pervasiveness of the Guatemalan jadeite jade entering the market, the large price difference between jadeite jades from the 2 locales and the uncertainty in the market in separating the 2 materials.

Section 2 informs the users the quality grades that the trade is already familiar with, but now scientifically and methodologically measured for evaluation consistency.

Focus 1 demystifies the concept of texture 种水 in the trade through the use of 2 factors: Transparency and Grain Size. Having measured more than 1500 jadeite jade pieces in the market based on this metrics, we are now able to reliably and independently give a classification of the texture of an item using familiar terms. Most will be acquainted with the concept of transparency associated with texture, but it is largely insufficient by itself given the existing trade practice of carving certain parts thinner to improve transparency (also known as 调水 or literally to adjust the water (transparency)). Hence, we searched for another metric to evaluate and decided that grain size has the largest association affecting texture.

Focus 2 borrows how the trade assesses colour through the 4 factors - 正(any secondary colour?) 阳 (is it too light or dark?) 浓 (is it a saturated colour?) 匀 (is the colour even?). These 4 factors are matched to how GemRight already conducts comprehensive colour grading for other coloured gemstones but matched to the right terms understood by the trade and to a reliable method of measurement. A combination of these factors will produce a classification again using terms that the trade will be familiar with.

This revision is to help the trade find a scientific and measurable way to grade jadeite jade in a familiar way that will inform their pricing. This is also an intentional step away from specially named jadeite jade report but in essence provide no information of better value to the users. Without such standardisation, much of the evaluations between the sellers and buyers today remains highly subjective. The independence of GemRight Gemology as a research gemological laboratory not involved/interested in the buying and seller of gemstones or jewellery reinforces the objectivity in our grading.

Participants in our jadeite jade grading course will also learn to do their own grading based on these factors which we believe will be the way forward for this mythical and culturally significant gemstone.