How to Make Jade Jewelry?

There are five steps to take jade from a raw stone and turn it into a finished product:


• 1. Stone Cutting


• 2. Stone drawing


• 3. Jade Cutting, Rinsing, Rough Sanding and Smooth Sanding


• 4. Further Polishing


• 5. Wax Polishing

1. Stone Cutting
In the jade-cutting centers of Canton, China and Hong Kong, the raw material of jade is processed with carborundum and diamond powder. Since jade is, as a rule, not transparent, but has a fine luster, the cabochon is the form best suited to it.

Stone Cutting

Stone Cutting

2. Stone drawing
After the raw stone is cut, a craftsman will design the finished products according to its color and shape, the position of the flaws, the direction of the crackles, the color luster and the axial direction of the stone. The purpose is to get the most useful part out of a given stone.

Stone Drawing

Stone Drawing

3. Jade Cutting, Rinsing, Rough Sanding and Smooth Sanding
The third step is to cut the stone according to the drawings with an aluminum saw daubed with diamond powder, and then process the stone to become a rough jade. Craftsmen then repeatedly rinse and use a diamond mill to sand the rough jade into the designed shape. After that an emery mill is used to sand the rough jade until it is smooth and fine.

Jade Cutting

Rough Sanding

Smooth Sanding

4. Further Polishing
Sheepskin and some chemicals are used to polish the jade. In addition, plum juice and lime water are used to further polish the jade in order to remove the lipid and steps.

The science behind this step is plum juice is a kind of organic acid and it can get rid of the oil stains or lipid, while lime juice can effectively remove the carbide and stains tainted from the above-mentioned processing.

Further Polishing

Washing Jade with plum juice and lime water

5. Wax Polishing
The final process is to polish the jade with bee wax. This will fill the jade's natural surface pores and to improve the shine and aesthetic feel.



Learn more About Jade:

History of Jade
How Jade Differs
How to Make Jade Jewelry
How to Identify Jade Quality
How to Care For Jade Jewelry