Jade Value - Why is Jade so Expensive?
What makes Jade so valuable and expensive? There are many different answers to this question – the beauty, the hardness and durability of the stone, the history; These are all true and partially correct, but when you break it down, the value is derived from jadeite jade’s scarcity and uniqueness, and below we’ll explain why.
Since jadeite jade is a natural mineral, there is a limited supply of it in the world. And like all other limited resources, as supply goes down as humans mine more and more of it each year, the value goes up. Indeed, miners often discover large “chunks” of jadeite, but only a small fraction of that piece will meet the standards needed to make high-end jade jewelry. Below is a quote from Jia Chen Choong, a director at DeGem Jewelry Group and expert on jade, that perfectly sums up why jade’s already high value, continues to increase.
“Overall, in the past 20 years, we have seen the prices of jadeite increase more than 10 times, because the demand is only getting stronger brought on by increasing buying power from the large mainland Chinese population, but supply-wise, the Burmese jade mountains are diminishing.”
In addition to being rare, every single piece of jade jewelry is truly unique. Each stone will vary in color, clarity, density, transparency, luster, number of inclusions, and more. Aside from the stone itself having so many variations, you must then consider all the different types of jade jewelry and objects that can be made from certified jade – earrings, necklaces, bracelets, brooches, pendants, décor pieces, statues, and more. The fact that no jade is the same and high-quality jadeite is carved and made into unique masterpieces, makes it even more appealing to passionate jade collectors around the world.
With all these factors lining up for jade, it is no wonder why the value keeps increasing! We’ll leave you with this small tidbit of information – in a recent 2021 article, Jadeite Jade was ranked the #2 of the most valuable gemstone in the world, only behind the super rare blue diamonds, but ranked ahead of regular diamonds, pink diamonds, and emeralds. Perhaps, this information will make you will consider jade the next time you are shopping for jewelry.
References:
https://www.chiangraitimes.com/learning/counting-down-to-the-most-rare-and-expensive-gemstone/
- Dahlia NY