Type A Jadeite Explained: Grades, Certificates & How to Verify

Type A jadeite is jadeite that is completely natural and untreated — no acid bleaching, no resin filling, no dye. It is the only grade of jadeite worth buying for value, and the single most important term to understand before you spend money on jade. Here is exactly what it means, and how to verify it.

The A / B / C grading system

The letters describe treatment, not quality. They were introduced by the Hong Kong jade trade and are now used worldwide:

• Type A — natural jadeite, mechanically polished only. A thin colourless surface wax (a traditional finish) is accepted. Structure, colour and durability are all intact.
• Type B — soaked in strong acid to bleach out impurities, then impregnated with polymer resin to restore transparency. Looks impressive at first; the resin yellows and the weakened structure can crack within a few years. Near-zero resale value.
• Type C — artificially dyed. The colour sits in surface fractures rather than the stone itself and fades with wear and sunlight.
• Type B+C — bleached, resin-filled and dyed. The most common treatment found in tourist-market "bargains".

Type A is about treatment — not quality

A common misunderstanding: "Type A" does not mean "top grade". It only certifies the stone is natural. Within Type A, quality still ranges from opaque utility jade to glassy imperial green worth millions. Judge a piece on two separate axes: is it natural (Type A)? And how good are its colour, translucency and texture? Our guide on how to choose jadeite covers the quality side.

What a real certificate contains

An independent gemological lab certificate for jadeite typically states:

• Identification — "natural jadeite" (天然翡翠 / 翡翠 A货). Wording like "treated", "polymer detected" or "dyed" means it is not Type A.
• A photo of the exact piece, plus weight and dimensions you can match against what is in your hand.
• A unique certificate number and QR code that can be looked up on the lab's official website.
• Test methods — usually infrared spectroscopy, which detects polymer resin reliably.

Respected labs operate across mainland China, Hong Kong and Singapore (for example NGTC in China, or Hong Kong's HKJSL). What matters most is that the lab is independent from the seller and its certificates are verifiable online.

How to verify a certificate in 3 steps

1. Scan the QR code (or type the certificate number into the lab's official site — not a link the seller gives you). The record should show the same photo, weight and result.
2. Match the piece — compare weight to 0.01 g if you have a scale, and dimensions to the millimetre. Certificate swapping (real certificate, different stone) is a known trick.
3. Check the wording — it must say natural jadeite with no treatment remarks. "Jadeite (treated)" is Type B or C, no matter how official the paper looks.

Red flags when buying

• A "certificate" printed by the shop itself, with no lab website to verify on.
• Prices that are too good — a glassy, vividly green bangle for $100 is treated or fake, full stop.
• Sellers who refuse to state "Type A / natural, untreated" in writing.
• Unnaturally even colour, or colour concentrated in surface cracks (dye). Our guide to spotting fake jade shows the visual checks.

How we handle certification

Every piece we sell is natural, untreated jade — jadeite and nephrite alike — and every fine piece ships with an independent lab certificate from recognised labs in China, Hong Kong or Singapore. Origin is labeled on every listing (Guatemalan or Burmese for jadeite; Russian, Qinghai or Xinjiang for nephrite), so you always know exactly what you are buying. As an authorized China Gold (中国黄金) partner, authenticity is the foundation of our business — browse the jadeite collection or ask us for the certificate of any piece before you commit.