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[LynxSphynx]

Hey guys,


   I ran into a challenge and its called jade. I was lucky enough to finally score a haul, lots of jade, Montana agates, carnelian and some Thuelite. I'm very excited. I have never worked much jade and have found it's nature puzzling and a wee bit frustrating. I'm finding it really creates subfractures when it gets cabbed. I read that it needs to be cut along the grain for the best results. A few members have lots of experience and I was looking for direction for reading material or tips. I really want to learn how to read the grain so I can slab it first.
   Is the grain the direction it makes strange longways feather like fractures? Is it the direction that the clean fractures run? There seems to be a difference in the way it fractures and the natural clean fractures it naturally has. Any and all help is really appreciated as this stuff can end up with a dull luster despite my attempts. The material is incredible and must be from BC but I really do not know. I will post picks of some of the rough and some I've slabbed
   Thanks 

[LynxSphynx]

I don't know how much I have but I have a another 5 gallon bucket of fist size and smaller. The ones in the trough are rather big

[Debbie K]

Michael posted an excellent how-to on polishing jade on the old forum, here's the link http://gemstone.smfforfree4.com/index.php/topic,8486.0.html. It's really worth a look as he has worked with jade extensively and has excellent results.

Debbie K

[LynxSphynx]

I'll have a looksee thanks Debbie

[Redrummd]

Here is my latest tutorial -  I have it hosted at my Ebay store.

http://www.ebay.com/gds/Jade-How-to-cut-and-polish-Jade-/10000000178583902/g.html

How to work Jade is not easily explained in a thread such as this.  I have thousands of hours in working Jade and I am not close to understanding all of the possibilities associated with your questions....

[LynxSphynx]

 

[Jhon P]

Have you checked the hardness? Nephrite should be 6 to 6 1/2 moh
It's hard to tell by the pictures but it looks a little like serpentine? I haven't seen too much jade broken like that. If you can scratch it with a pocket knife it is not jade.
I am no expert but I like to work with jade. Micheals tutorials are very good and helpful.

[LynxSphynx]

I do believe there is some softer serpentine in the haul. It is somewhat easily differentiated from the harder greener rough. I did do a hardnes test and a knife does not scratch it, it just leaves metal behind on the stone. I just want to make sure I orient it well when cutting. Some slabs will break along fracture lines while cabbing. Some material is so green it looks black. I've tumbled some and the harder material always comes out shiner while the softer nephrite comes out dull. Frustrating so I want to learn more about working it

[Jhon P]

I will take a rough  rock and where there is a corner. Sand and polish three sides of the corner to see which side takes the best polish. Than cut it that direction. Some nephrite needs to be ground on a finer grit, 100 or 220. Or the vibration will cause it to splinter! Micheal goes into detail in his tutorial (that is where I learned to use a finer grit) in my limited experience the Canadian jade seams more prone to this
 I cut more California and Wyoming jade.