From collectibles to cars, buy and sell all kinds of items on eBayWelcome! Sign in or register.
aAdvanced Search

Reviews & Guides

Write a guide

Guidelines to Buying Jade on eBay

by: silvermane48( 993Feedback score is 500 to 999) Top 5000 Reviewer
145 out of 151 people found this guide helpful.
Guide viewed: 8315 times Tags: Jade | Green Jade | Antique Jade | Jade carving | Imperial jade


Unfortunately, the majority of green jade on eBay is polymer treated, this is especially true of that coming from China.  Regardless of what the seller says, no one can realistically sell "Imperial" quality jade for the prices offered, unless it is treated.  Recently we purchased two items guaranteed as being untreated and natural color, subsequent lab testing resulted in both pieces, a $300.00 bead necklace as being dyed quartz and a $750.00 bracelet as being polymer treated.  Both pieces were being sold from locations here in the US.  Both sellers refunded the money without question.  Additionally, a seller who has a large number of green jade pieces cancelled our purchase of six pieces when we notified them that we were going to have them lab tested.  He offered no explanation just refunded the money.  With 35 years of experience buying and selling jade in San Francisco, I no longer try to buy quality jade on eBay.  This is not to say that there are no ethical sellers, it is just that the buyer has to be extremely careful.  Feedback is not an indication of authenticity, most buyers cannot afford or do not have access to the testing that is available to the trade so they accept the guarantee of the seller as gospel.  The problem is that if they attempt to sell the piece or have it appraised for insurance purposes they may have unhappy situations arise.  This glut of misrepresented jade as well as that purported to be antique is a shame and should be addressed by eBay and civil authorities but is obviously too huge a market to control, therefore the buyer must use common sense when buying such items.  Remember, fine quality green jade is extremely rare and expensive, so if someone is offering you Imperial quality at peasant prices then something is wrong, if it was real it could sell at auction or privately for much more.  Also, it should be obvious that antique jades were not made in vast numbers, so that if you see the same piece repeated or similar pieces selling over and over, a red flag should go up and the buyer should realize that it cannot be what it is said to be by the seller.  At the same time, if the buyer wants a fake, like a cubic zirconium, then they should enjoy the dyed or fake pieces, however, if you want quality jade, you really should look elsewhere or buy only from sellers you absolutely trust.    

Guide ID: 10000000000848049Guide created: 04/07/06 (updated 10/10/08)

 
Was this guide helpful? Report this guide

Ready to share your knowledge with others? Write a guide



 


eBay Pulse | eBay Reviews | eBay Stores | Half.com | Reseller Marketplace | Austria | France | Germany | Italy | Spain | United Kingdom | Popular Searches
Kijiji | PayPal | ProStores | Apartments for Rent | Shopping.com | Skype | Tickets


About eBay | Announcements | Security Center | eBay Toolbar | Policies | Government Relations | Site Map | Help
Copyright © 1995-2008 eBay Inc. All Rights Reserved. Designated trademarks and brands are the property of their respective owners. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of the eBay User Agreement and Privacy Policy.
eBay official time