If you’re into exotic rocks or beautiful jewelry, then you will know about jade, a mineral regularly used to make nice-looking ornaments, as well as in necklaces and other fashion.
However, beautiful minerals like this are often worth a lot, given their uses in high-class decorations. So how much is Jade worth?
We’ve got the answers for you! In our informative guide below, you’ll find out all about jade and the prices that you can expect it to sell for.
On top of that, you’ll learn about the different types of jade and where it comes from.
How Much Is Jade Worth?
To begin with, let’s look at answering the key question. To put it simply, the price of jade depends.
Jade has lots of different variations, with some being more valuable than others, which means that some types will fetch a few dollars while others will fetch a few million dollars.
The rarer your type of jade, the more it will sell for.
For example, a common type of jade could sell for a couple of dollars a pound, while a rarer one of a slightly higher quality might sell for $100 per carat.
At the extreme end, an extremely rare variation of jade might fetch $1 million — Sometimes more than diamonds.
Which Type Of Jade Is The Most Valuable?
You’ll now be wondering what variation of jade is the most valuable.
The answer is Imperial Jade, which has a vibrant emerald green shade to it and is the finest quality jade known to humankind.
The green is beautiful and intense, which leads to its popularity.
It is so popular, in fact, that China’s royal court once had a continuous order for all available materials like this.
It has recently been known to cost about $31.3 million for some combined pieces.
How Much Is Jade By The Pound?
As you can guess, this all depends on what variations of jade you’re dealing with. The rarest ones will cost an awful lot by the pound.
By contrast, the most common jade can sell for just $2 by the pound in an unfinished state.
What Is Jade More Expensive Than?
Diamond?
We hinted earlier that the rarest types of jade could be worth more than diamonds, and that’s true.
Due to popularity and high demand from China, the Imperial Jade is the world’s most expensive variation of jade and is worth more than diamonds.
Gold?
Some types of jade can also be more expensive than gold.
Fine quality jade has gone up in popularity recently, which means that supplies are tighter and the prices are much higher.
The finest types of jade can sell by the ounce for up to $3000, which makes them quite a lot more expensive than gold.
Emerald?
As with diamond and gold, the finest and rarest types of jade will be worth more than emerald.
However, it goes without saying that the more common and cheaper varieties of jade (especially “unfinished”) will cost less than emerald does.
It’s always about type, rareness, and quality.
What Is “Unfinished” Jade, And Why Is It So Affordable?
The jade we wear in our jewelry is a highly refined mineral, the product of a long honing process in which they’re cleaned, cut, and finished.
This course transforms them from grubby, rough hunks of crystal dug from the Earth, to the smooth, angular, and arresting stones we love to show off on our fingers, necks, and wrists — consider it a sensational gem glow-up!
However, most of the jade we humans dig up isn’t all that rare or useful, so this time-consuming (not to mention expensive) refinement process just isn’t feasible, which is why plenty of jade is sold unfinished.
This simply means that, by jewelry or traditional display standards, the gem isn’t presentable, bringing its price way, way down.
This sort of Jade may not look as brilliant and polished, but many prefer the natural look, and considering the price tag, it’s no surprise!
Where Does Jade Originate From?
With all these different variations and rarities of jade in the world, you might be wondering where they are actually found in the first place.
Like a lot of rocks, jade is mined, but in many different countries around the world. Jade comes in two main categories.
Jadeite is the harder and rarer variety of jade, and it is often found in places like China, Russia, and Guatemala (in Central America).
Nephrite can also be mined in those places, which is the common and cheaper category of jade.
On top of these locations, different types of jade have also been found in New Zealand, as well as the cold alpine areas of Switzerland.
What Is Jade For?
We’ve already mentioned that jade is often used for different jewelry and ornamental decorations, but it has (and has had) other uses.
For example, it has been used in tools and weapons, because it can be extremely tough. Additionally, it is good for making sculptures.
How Expensive Are Different Colors Of Jade?
Red Jade
Though less expensive than Imperial Jade, red jade is still expensive. In fact, its natural forms are quite rare, down to them being difficult to find and mine.
As you would expect, red jadeite is more expensive than red nephrite, because it is rarer and harder.
Black Jade
If you’re looking for some black jade, then the price will again differ depending on whether you’re going for… jadeite or nephrite.
A black nephrite can be fairly cheap, costing anywhere between $100 and $1000 for a pound of it.
However, if you want black jadeite then it’s going to break the bank.
This is to be expected, given that jadeite is the harder and rarer of the two, and is, therefore, more expensive.
A carat of black jadeite can cost about £3 million!
What Colors Can You Get Jade In?
As you’ve seen so far, there is a good variety of colors that you can get jade in.
We’ve mentioned shades like green, black, red, white, and yellow — but there are even more! In addition to those, you can get jade in pink, violet, and brown.
You will sometimes see in certain jade types that there are different, subtle colors.
In cases such as these, the colors overlap each other, creating an even more beautiful mineral overall.
Final Thoughts
The cost of jade depends not only on whether it’s jadeite or nephrite, but also on its color, rarity, and quality.
You could pick up some chunks of common, unfinished jade for a song, but if nothing but the best of the best will satisfy, prepare your bank account for a dire hit!