1. Color: The hues of Hetian jade predominantly span across shades of white and cyan, exhibiting a remarkably uniform tonality. The ethereal purity of white jade, particularly the creamy-white variety, is distinctive to Hetian jade. While Xiu jade and Nanyang jade also manifest in white, they lack the exactitude of color found in Hetian jade, sometimes presenting with impurities such as greenish tints. Cyan jade, on the other hand, occasionally blurs the line with verdant hues akin to jadeite or Xiu jade, necessitating a discerning eye to grasp its unique attributes, residing delicately between the spectrum of blue and green. Some Hetian jade specimens may also showcase a skin-tone layer, predominantly tinted in hues of sepia, albeit confined to localized areas.
2. Texture: Hetian jade boasts a dense and intricate texture, exuding a moist and supple quality that emanates an aura of both gentleness and resilience, with white jade epitomizing this trait. While other jade varieties may exhibit fine textures, none quite match the moistness and luster of Hetian jade.
3. Impurities: Renowned for its exceptional purity, Hetian jade is characterized by an extreme scarcity of impurities, typically limited to traces of iron and graphite. These impurities tend to aggregate around fissures, presenting in shades of brown or dark brown discernible to the naked eye, while graphite manifests as black specks within ink jade.
4. Hardness: Hetian jade registers a hardness scale ranging between 6.5 to 6.9, impervious to steel blades, placing it in proximity to jadeite, Nanyang jade, and jadeite. Jadeite records a hardness of 6.5 to 7.0, Nanyang jade between 6.0 to 7.5, and jadeite between 6.5 to 7, enabling differentiation based on other distinguishing features.
In the visual appraisal process, a comprehensive assessment of the aforementioned characteristics is imperative, eschewing singular focus in favor of holistic scrutiny, ideally benchmarked against Hetian jade specimens for meticulous comparison. Expertise gleaned from empirical observation is paramount in visual appraisal; thus, consultation with jade specialists is strongly advised.
