How much is jade worth depends on the material, the colour, the work, and whether the piece has been treated, not on a celebrity headline that happens to share the name. Jade, in the gem trade, is an umbrella for two different materials, jadeite and nephrite. Photograph the piece clearly, then compare current public listings, and treat a lab report as necessary when the asking price is high.
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Example
Late Western Han jade bi disc, museum exhibit
Jade value depends on the material, work, age, and whether comparable listings exist
A carved jade bi disc in a museum case. Colour, translucency, carving, and whether a piece is treated or a later copy all move the price. A photo is a first look, not a substitute for an in-person specialist opinion on a high-value object. Photo: Late Western Han Jade Bi Disc.jpg by Gary Todd, released under CC0, via Wikimedia Commons. Photograph by Gary Todd, Jade Gallery, Aurora Museum, Pudong, Shanghai. See also photo credits.
Jewellery and carvings, not a celebrity query
This page is about jade jewellery and carvings. It is not about the net worth of a public figure named Jade. If you have a bangle, a cabochon, a pendant, a bead necklace, or a carved ornament, stay here. If you are trying to value gold or mixed jewellery that happens to include a green stone, start at how much is my jewelry worth as well, because the mount and the metal matter too.
Identify the material
The Gemological Institute of America treats jade as two gem materials: jadeite and nephrite. They can look similar in a casual photo, and both are used for jewellery and for carvings. GIA's jadeite quality discussion puts colour, transparency, and texture first, in that order. The finest jadeite is described there as almost transparent with a vibrant emerald-green colour, a look often called imperial jade. That is a quality description, not a price we will invent for your piece.
Marks on a mount, a dealer invoice, or an old lab report help, but a green stone in a gold-coloured setting is not automatically untreated jadeite. Glass, dyed quartz, serpentine, and other green materials are commonly offered as jade. Photograph the piece in daylight and under indoor light, including the sides, any carving detail, and the mount or hallmark. Not sure what you have? Snap those photos and the app reads the object so you can start the ID. A high-value piece still needs a qualified gem lab before you insure or sell it as untreated jadeite.
Colour, treatment and fakes
Treatment changes the market. In a classification system used in China, and explained in GIA's public FAQ, "A" jade refers to jadeite that is natural or polished with wax only, "B" jade refers to jadeite that has been bleached with acid and then impregnated with polymer resin, and "C" jade refers to dyed material. GIA also notes that jade can be dyed, bleached, heated, waxed, and impregnated. A photo cannot reliably sort those treatments. Do not accept a verbal "it's A goods" in place of a report when the money is serious.
Colour concentration along cracks or grain boundaries, unnaturally even dye, and a suspiciously low price are warning signs, not a home test you should treat as final. We will not invent a per-gram price, and we will not invent a bangle chart. A carving, a bead strand, and a fine cabochon are different markets even when they share a colour.
Listed versus sold
Jewellery-shop tags and auction headlines are not the same as a sold price for a comparable piece. Untreated jadeite, treated jadeite, nephrite, and simulants should not share comps. When we find enough listings, we show them so you can see the spread. If the match is weak, we label a rough estimate rather than inventing a precise number. See How we price. For the metal in a gold mount, see how much is my gold worth.
Where to sell
People sell jade through jewellers, specialist jade or Asian-art dealers, and auction houses for fine carvings or documented untreated jadeite. Everyday costume pieces and uncertain green stones often sell on eBay or in a local jewellery shop as "sold as-is." The app can draft a listing for eBay, Facebook Marketplace, or Gumtree. Describe the piece honestly, including any crack, chip, or missing bead, and do not claim an untreated status you cannot support.
Scan and list
- Photograph the piece in even light, including the sides, any carving, and the mount or clasp.
- Note chips, cracks, dye-like colour, and whether you have a lab report.
- Review the Worth about figure and the listed range when we find enough current public listings.
You can start with a free web scan in the box on this page. A scan is a first look at the object and at current listings, not a gemmological certificate. If a buyer is paying for fine jadeite, a recognised lab report is the document that belongs with the sale, not a screenshot of an asking price.
The app scans faster, keeps a history of your items and gives free weekly scans.
What makes How Much Is It Worth different
One photo is enough to start, and you can add up to two more angles. We identify the item first, you confirm or correct it, then we look up a Worth about figure and a listed range from current public marketplace listings. Those are asking prices, which can sit above what a piece finally sells for. You see the listings themselves when we find enough of them.
Coins and banknotes also draw on Numista. Trading cards use PokéWallet, with a source credit where that data appears. Gold and silver use a live metal price as a floor. If listings are thin, we show a clearly labelled rough estimate rather than inventing a precise number. The app can draft a listing for eBay, Facebook Marketplace, or Gumtree once you are ready to sell. For the short version of this process, read How we price.
FAQ
How much is jade worth?
Jade value depends on whether the piece is jadeite or nephrite, the colour, transparency, and texture, the type of object, and whether it has been treated. This page is about jewellery and carvings, not the net worth of a person named Jade. We will not invent a per-gram price. Compare current public listings, and use a lab report when the asking price is high.
What is the difference between jadeite and nephrite?
The Gemological Institute of America treats jade as an umbrella for two gem materials, jadeite and nephrite. They can look similar in a casual photo. GIA's jadeite quality discussion puts colour, transparency, and texture first. A photo is a starting point, not a laboratory identification.
What do A, B and C jade mean?
In a classification system used in China, and explained in a GIA FAQ, A jade refers to jadeite that is natural or polished with wax only, B jade refers to jadeite bleached with acid and then impregnated with polymer resin, and C jade refers to dyed material. A verbal claim is not a substitute for a report on a valuable piece.
Can I scan jade with the app?
Yes. Photograph the piece in even light, including the sides, any carving, and the mount. A scan is a first look at the object and at current listings, not a gemmological certificate.
Related guides
Sources
- Gemological Institute of America, “Jadeite Jade Quality Factors,” GIA, accessed 11 November 2026. Colour, transparency, and texture are described as the three most important jadeite qualities, in that order; the finest jadeite is almost transparent with a vibrant emerald-green colour, a look often called imperial jade. That is a quality description, not a price for a specific piece.
- Gemological Institute of America, “What is “B” jade?,” GIA FAQ, accessed 11 November 2026. In a classification system used in China, A jade refers to jadeite that is natural or polished with wax only, B jade refers to jadeite bleached with acid and then impregnated with polymer resin, and C jade refers to dyed material.
- Gemological Institute of America, jade buyer's guide, GIA, accessed 11 November 2026. Jade is an umbrella term for two gem materials, jadeite and nephrite; GIA also notes that jade can be dyed, bleached, heated, waxed, and impregnated.
Updated 11 November 2026. Written by Harris, who built How Much Is It Worth. Figures that we cite include a source and a date. They are not a certified appraisal. See How we price.
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