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How to Identify Real Jade

‘Jade’ is a term that is applied to two different rocks called Naphrite and Jadeite, there are many different types of jade, colours vary from green, white to blue and pink, with them appearing in many different shapes are forms it can be very difficult to identify whether jade is real or not. Admittedly we are never going to be experts in this field but we have come up with a quick guide to help you determine whether you have genuine Jade or a fake that has appeared on the market due to the value of the stone.

Treatments to real Jade

Even if you were to have real jade you would have to keep in mind whether or not it has been adjusted in any way, for example by removing marks or enhancing the colour. The types of Jade are separated into three categories:

• Type A- Natural Jade, has been treated traditionally with plum juice and beeswax for polish, but no chemical treatments, so the stone remains its original colour.
   
• Type B- Chemically bleached to remove impurities and injected with polymer to enhance the translucency. Protected with a clear coating for protection, but sometimes the colour is faded due to the polymer. The stone is still its natural colour
   
• Type C- Chemically bleached and dyed to enhance the colour, most likely discoloured over time. 
   

Specific Gravity Test

Personally we always prefer to do a ‘specific gravity’ test to identify the rock, because this is tends to be the most accurate, though we will always undergo other tests alongside this just to be 100% sure.

Specific gravity is a measurement that determines the density of minerals, this test determines how heavy it is by its relative weight to water. At first this all sounds a little confusing, but this is a fairly simple test.

1. Weigh your stone on normal scales (measured in grams)
2. Fill a measuring jug (ml) with cold water (ideally around 4 degrees C) until it is half full (dependent on the size of the stone)
3. Record the height of the liquid
4. Carefully place your stone into the water and measure the height of the water again.
5. Now calculate how much the water level has increased e.g 5ml1ml of water= 1 gram
6. Next divide your original weight (from the scales) with the weight of displaced water. You can also use this specific gravity calculator
7. Next you will need to use your number against this table to determine what mineral is the closest to your weight.

View Table

Scratch Test

A simple way of finding out if your Jade is real or not is performing a scratch test, we prefer not to do this test due to the chance of damaging the rock, so will use it as a last resort.

Jadeite is an extremely hard mineral, it will scratch glass and metal so you should not be able to leave a scratch on the rock. No scratch= Real Jadeite. Though you have to keep in mind that just because your stone may be able to scratch glass its not necessarily real, it could be an alternative to jade such as prehnite or quartz.

Meanwhile Nephrite (form of Jade) is quite soft, so you must be careful when performing this test so that you don’t damage a genuine piece. Use a blue piece or metal, for example the blunt end of some scissors and gently draw a line onto the stone (preferably on an area of the piece that is less visible). If the scratch leaves a white line, gently wipe it off (may be residue from the metal) is there is still a scratch then its probably not authentic jade.

Examine the stone

If you hold genuine jade up to a bright light and look very carefully you should be able to see small granular/ fibrous intertwinings (looks like asbestos or felt).
Meanwhile is you see something resembling layers, then this may be multiple thin layers of jade covering a different stone.
Real jade will not be perfect, when examining the rock, look for imperfections such as marks and slight variations in colour.

Cold Test

Jade should feel cold, smooth with a soap-like texture, if you were to hold the stone, it should take quite a while to warm up. This test is most accurate when you have a piece of real Jade of a similar shape and size for comparison.

http://ashtonmillauctions.com/news/how-to-tell-if-jade-is-real/

Golden Jubilee Edition Vogue 1916-1966

An interesting piece that has caught our attention is this golden jubilee edition of Vogue published in October 1966. It’s fascinating to travel back in time looking at the articles from the previous decades ranging from 1916-1966, reprinted exactly as published. This magazine alone shows how vogue has progressed from simple, black and white illustrations to large fashion prints taken by notable photographers such as David Bailey, Anthony Armstrong Jones, Tessa Treager, Norman Parkinson and many more. It is also nice to see many period advertisements and testimonials about shops and brands we still see today, Harrods, Revlon, Harvey Nichols, L’Oreal and Gucci just being a few. 

Model Donna Mitchell is featured on the front cover, photographed by David Bailey, whilst on the back is a similar styled illustration by George LePape from the cover in February 1919. This magazine was priced at 4 shillings and today this would be perfect for anyone interested in fashion and art!

View on eBay

www.ashtonmillauctions.co.uk

Shabby Chic Restored Furniture

Over time furniture can start to look worn and old, but rather than sell them off quickly we have decided that the best thing to do for some pieces is to give them a little care and restore them. 

We have decided to restore a range of furniture in a 'Shabby Chic' style where the added paint has been rubbed down to create a distressed look, giving the pieces a little character and making them very unique.

Each item has been restored with eco-friendly paints from the Little Greene range and finished with a non-toxic wax. Creating a nice light feature for any type of room. 

There are some beautiful pieces out there and this is a style that we adore! 

To see some more of our shabby chic furniture visit our

 Ebay store 

We are happy to consider offers on our items as we are looking for good homes for each and every one!

A Vintage Steiff Mohair Tiger

This cute Tiger was made by Steiff in the 1950s, a German company that is well known for its high quality. It began in 1880 by Margarete Steiff, who started by making elephant pincushions and developed into creating many animal themed toys for children. 

Steiff toys are mostly hand-made, this particular toy having been made from mohair and whilst looking slightly worn and missing its tags, it is still a lovable toy! 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/A-LOVELY-VINTAGE-STEIFF-MOHAIR-TIGER-VERY-CUTE-INDEED-/131482129741?

Raphael Tuck & Sons 'Zag Zaw' Vintage Puzzle

We have been lucky to come across a set of Raphael Tuck & Sons 'Zag Zaw' puzzles, these are very challenging interlocking puzzles made from plywood hand-cut into very interesting shapes.

This particular puzzle, No.7 The Election of Eatanswill, was made in the 1930's from the artwork of Ludovici. There is a great deal of history about the founding company, which started in 1866 selling pictures and greeting cards and became famous for their postcards in the late 1800's. They started making hand-cut puzzles for adults when the first puzzle craze started in 1908 and the 'Zag-Zaw' line in 1909 which was produced until the start of WW II when their plant was destroyed in the german blitz of London. This limited period of production has meant that the interlocking puzzles are an unusual and nice find, even though they take us ages to complete to take photographs!

This particular puzzle is now up for sale and more will be listed in the future;

View on Ebay  Visit Ebay store for more items

To see more puzzles from Raphael Tuck & Sons visit http://www.oldpuzzles.com/node/1429

1930's Vintage 'Little Joe' Iron Cast Mechanical Money Bank

This interesting cast iron mechanical money bank was made by John Harper & Co. Ltd in Whillenhall England. Cast iron money banks were produced from the 1870's through to the 1930's and were very popular by both children and adults, bought to encourage money saving during the mid 19th century.

This money bank in particular is called 'Little Joe' and was made in the 1930's, you place a coin in his hand and press the lever on his back, he will then roll back his eyes, retreat his tongue and swallow the coin. He still has his original factory paint which is now quite faded in areas, but due to the amount of reproductions of this item, the original toys like this one are rare collectables!

We have placed this one up for auction on Ebay Click here to check it out!