Tourism.com.hk

When you are travelling in Hong Kong, it is very common that you will come across many merchants who sell jade. This is a type of stone which is seen as a shiny green glass that is seen as an expensive accessory among the Chinese. Jades are historically known to be an emblem of a person’s status and financial background in the society and has been known to be matched with the value of gold. 

Jade accessories are made into earrings, pendants, bracelets and even onto clothing and hence these makes ideal souvenirs to bring home as they are unique, rare and valuable. If you are looking for a typical Chinese accessory, then jades make the best choices because they are synonymous with the culture.

First things first, if you are merely looking for a representation of the culture than any jade would do but you must be careful not to be ‘cheated’ as there are genuine and fake jades around. So unless you know how to identify the real ones from the fake, you might be cheated to pay more than the value of the jade is.

Hong Kong is one of the places where you can easily get jade apart from Taiwan, China and Malaysia. Buying genuine jade requires a bit of research so you must know your stuff so as not to buy any imitation stones. Be aware that jade need not be green in colour as they come in varying green colours and this include opaque and yellow.

Don’t be fooled to believe that the greener the stone is, the more genuine it is. That is a myth.
Shopping in Hong Kong always require a lot of bargaining and hence if one is selling you a ‘real jade’ at a cheap price, then you should start do doubt. Then chances are the jade is imitation.
The rule of thumb about jade is that they are somewhat scratchproof. Use your fingernails to scratch the surface and if you can see marks, then chances are it is not real.

Real jades are quite heavy and it should feel smooth. When you hold the stone, it would be cool as it is known to be.