Question
jade jade
Hi Melinda,
I went to an antique store a few yrs ago and fell in love with jade. i have no experience in jade collecting but one of the owners and i started becoming friends. Well one day she told me she had 2 jade carvings. 1 she gave to her sister and the other she wanted to give to me but she mentioned it was broken in serveral spots but recommended i could get it repaired. i was excited to have my first piece of jade which i still have no clue on authenticity. Anyways, i was wondering if i should have it fix or can it be melted down to become a piece of jewelry? thank you. im sending images of this carving.
AnswerAngie,
If you like the carving, some jewelers epoxy could probably repair it well enough to enjoy it. Here is a link to a good epoxy: http://www.riogrande.com/Product/G-S-Jewelerrsquos-Cement-Crystal-Cement-with-Hy
Whether or not it is truly jade (short for Jadeite) is difficult to tell. These are some of the green gems that are typically cut as carvings: jadeite, dyed jadeite, nephrite, dyed chalcedony, and glass. They are difficult to identify even to a trained gemologist because many of them are similar in appearance. When finished, they often have poor polish, so it might be difficult to get a refractive index reading with gemological equipment. Size might help you get closer to an identification. A large ornamental carving probably won't be made of an expensive material like jadeite. Instead, it might be a less expensive material like serpentine or soapstone, or unfortunately, could even be a completely man made substance or composite.
If it is jadeite (or any other gemstone), it cannot be melted down. Depending on its size, it could be cut into smaller pieces and faceted differently by a trained lapidary (gem cutter).
See if you can find a Graduate Gemologist in your area that could take a look at it and help you identify the material and then once you decide if you'd like to keep it as a carving or transform it into a piece of jewelry, you would need a jeweler that works with a lapidary to help you with that.
Good luck and enjoy the beginning of what I hope is many years of admiring jadeite and other gemstones.
