What you’ll learn in this episode:   The difference between jadeite and nephrite, and why both are known as jade Why Chinese artisans have chosen to carve jade for thousands of years Why jade can be purchased at dramatically different price points How to spot a pseudo jade that has been dyed or polymer treated Why a healthy sense of skepticism is the most important thing a new jade collector can have   About Eric Hoffman   Eric Hoffman is an aficionado of Chinese jades for over 40 years. He is the owner and operator of Far East Gallery, which is dedicated to lovers of Chinese arts, antiques, antiquities, and—most especially—jades and snuff bottles. A member of the worldwide organizations Friends of Jade and the Association for the Study of Jewelry and Related Arts, jade consultant to the Chinese Cultural Relics Association, and contributing editor to Adornment magazine, Prof. Hoffman has written many articles and reviews on this fascinating subject.   Additional Resources: Website Introductory Articles on Jade: http://hoffmanjade.com/Adornment_Jade.pdf https://asianart.com/articles/hoffman/index.html   Photos available on TheJewelryJourney.com   Transcript: Jade is a popular gemstone that even the most avid jewelry collectors often know little about. Much of the confusion stems from the fact that two distinct stones share the same name. Enter Eric Hoffman, a jade dealer and author who is an expert on identifying different types of jade. He joined the Jewelry Journey Podcast to talk about jadeite jade vs. nephrite jade; why jade can either be extremely valuable or basically worthless; and how new collectors can find quality pieces. Read the episode transcript here.  Sharon: Hello, everyone. Welcome to the Jewelry Journey Podcast. This is the second part of a two-part episode. If you haven’t heard part one, please head to TheJewelryJourney.com. Today, my guest is Eric J. Hoffman, who’s extremely knowledgeable about jade. Eric is the owner of Far East Gallery and HoffmanJade.com. He is a seller and a buyer, and he knows a lot about what makes jade valuable. He’s also an author. Welcome back.    But you said there’s a white jade that’s a nephrite, and then there’s another kind of white jade that’s a jadeite, right?   Eric: That’s right. When you’re talking about white jade, it makes a big difference whether it’s nephrite or jadeite. White nephrite is very desirable. White jadeite is kind of a waste material. In fact, it’s often dyed or polymer-treated to make it look like something it’s not.   Sharon: When you say something it’s not, what do you mean? Is it to try and fool people? Why do carvers value white jade so much?   Eric: Again, you have to distinguish between the two types of white jade. The nephrite is desirable to carvers because it can be carved thin and it’s not going to break on them while they’re carving. The jadeite is generally valued for jewelry, and people don’t want a white stone ring. They want the nice, imperial green, apple green jadeite. Back in the late 80s, around 1989, someone figured out how to polymer treat and dye white jadeite to make it look like the imperial green, desirable jadeite.   Sharon: Wow, there’s a lot to learn when it comes to stone. The white nephrite that’s called jade, when it comes to carving, it’s harder to carve. Am I right?   Eric: All carving is hard, but at least the nephrite’s not going to break on you. It’s not going to crumble. It’s not going to cleave like some minerals like fluorite, for example, might do. There are carvings in jadeite as well. It’s a little less tough and a little bit harder.   Sharon: But jadeite is what was in Burma. Maybe I’m getting confused. I’m trying to keep it straight. When you talk about the Chinese, that’s more of the nephrite jade, and when you talk about the Burmese, that’s more of the jadeite, right?    Eric: In terms of where they come from, but there’s not much of an industry in Burma carving jadeite. The jadeite comes out of the ground