Jade earring pricing depends on four factors that experienced buyers always evaluate.
Jadeite vs Nephrite
Both are real jade but different minerals. Jadeite (硬玉), primarily from Burma, is the material most fine jade earring buyers want — it scores 6.5–7 on Mohs, allows greater translucency, and shows the vivid greens and lavenders associated with high-end pieces. Nephrite (软玉), including Hetian jade from China, has a softer, oilier luster, scores 6–6.5 on Mohs, and shows mostly white, cream, and spinach green tones.
For earrings specifically, jadeite is almost always preferred because the small surface area means translucency creates a noticeable luminous quality when light catches the stone — something you want on the highest-visibility position on your body.
What Is Type A Jade?
Type A jade is natural, untreated jadeite that has only been polished. No bleaching, no resin injection, no dye. This is the only grade that holds and gains value over time — and the only category BMjade sells.
Type B has been bleached with acid then injected with polymer resin. It looks bright initially but yellows and degrades within 5–10 years.
Type C has been dyed and the color fades.
When a seller doesn't specify the grade, assume it's not Type A.
Color Varieties in Jade Earrings
- Imperial Green — vivid emerald-like saturation, the most valuable jadeite color
- Apple Green — fresh, lighter green tone, popular for daily wear
- Spinach Green — deeper, slightly muted green with a sophisticated character; especially popular in nephrite earrings
- Lavender — soft purple, rare and increasingly collected
- Icy Blue — high-translucency cool tone, modern and ethereal
- White (Hetian Mutton Fat) — buttery cream nephrite, traditional and elegant
Translucency for Earrings
Because jade earrings sit beside light-catching points on the face — near windows, under indoor lighting, in photo flashes — translucency dramatically affects how the stone reads. A high-translucency jadeite cabochon will appear to glow from within when light passes through it, while a fully opaque stone will look the same in any light. This is why translucent jadeite earrings often command 3–5x the price of opaque pieces of identical color.
For a complete deep-dive into all four major Chinese jade varieties, read our Ultimate Guide to Chinese Jade Varieties.