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UnderstandWhat it is, what people ask, how far this page goes
Natural inorganic gem materials · Commercial / trade name · Natural; treatment common (require certificate to distinguish)
Beige Marble
Also known asMi Huang Jade (not to be used as a name)
A traditional trade name containing the Chinese word for jade; the mainstream view is that it is a calcite carbonate rock, corresponding to "Marble" in GB/T 16552—2017 Table A.2, but the material still awaits identification. This page compares how the major standards and institutions name it, what must be disclosed when selling it, whether it can be worn every day, how it is treated and identified, and which source each conclusion comes from.
Price, rarity and origin are outside the scope of this wiki.
What this page can answer
This page covers
- How Beige Marble forms and what gives its colourFormation setting, process and timescale, each finding graded and sourced
- How to identify Beige MarbleHow far lab testing can go
- Treatments and enhancements of Beige Marble1 registered treatments: status, stability, how common they are and identification leads
- Caring for and wearing Beige MarbleCleaning, heat, chemicals and light, as the cited sources give them; durability indicators and wearing advice
- Mohs hardness of Beige MarbleEach value with its source and check date
- Beige Marble in English, Chinese and Japanese; national standard namesNames in four languages, the GB/T standard name and the suggested listing name; and: Has any of GIA, FTC, CIBJO or Gem-A put a name for it on record here?
- Name origin and history of Beige MarbleWhere the name comes from
- Listing and disclosing Beige MarbleThe listing name to use; what must be disclosed before sale
What we cannot conclude
- Whether one particular bead is natural, treated or synthetic — only a laboratory report can settle that.
- Geographic origin, unless an origin report accompanies the item.
- Price, rarity or investment value: this wiki covers naming and disclosure only.
Material research: formation, causes and history
What authoritative sources say about how this material forms, what causes its colour and optical effects, where its name comes from and how people have used it. Each statement carries an evidence grade and its sources; it describes the material in general, not any specific piece.
How it forms
Mihuangyu is a commercial/traditional material name for a carbonate rock (marble) composed chiefly of calcite and possibly dolomite. It is a polymineral aggregate (a rock), not a jade mineral species; GB/T 16552 Table A.2 maps it to 'Marble', and 'Mihuangyu' is not a GB/T variety name—its 'jade' character readily misleads readers into treating it as a jade material. Its formation is: carbonate sediment (limestone) is first deposited and consolidated in oceans or lakes, then recrystallized by heat and squeezing during natural rock-forming processes to form marble. Dolomite can form by diagenesis or hydrothermal metasomatism of limestone.
Scope: Applies to explaining the identity of mihuangyu as a carbonate rock (marble) and its rock-forming / metamorphic origin; not applicable to determining from the name that it is jade, or its specific variety or locality.
Sources Handbook of Mineralogy · USGS FAQ: limestone and marble
Where it forms
Sedimentary setting: limestone is deposited and consolidated from carbonate sediment on the floor of oceans or lakes.
Sources USGS FAQ: limestone and marble
Metamorphic setting: limestone is heated and squeezed so its grains recrystallize into marble.
Sources USGS FAQ: limestone and marble
How it forms, step by step
Carbonate sediment (with calcite and possibly dolomite) is deposited in oceans or lakes.
Sources Handbook of Mineralogy · USGS FAQ: limestone and marble
The sediment consolidates into limestone.
Sources Handbook of Mineralogy · USGS FAQ: limestone and marble
The limestone is heated and squeezed and its grains recrystallize, forming calcite-dominant marble (Mihuangyu).
Sources Handbook of Mineralogy · USGS FAQ: limestone and marble
Link to appearance
It appears beige, with interlocking calcite crystals that may contain coloured streaks of non-calcite minerals; but appearance cannot substitute for identification of the rock's composition.
Sources Handbook of Mineralogy · USGS FAQ: limestone and marble
Timescale
The cited sources give no absolute age or growth duration for Mihuangyu (marble).
Sources Handbook of Mineralogy · USGS FAQ: limestone and marble
Related base materials
- Calcite (CaCO3): Principal constituent mineral
- Dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2): Possible constituent mineral
Supporting findings
Marble is a metamorphic rock that forms when sedimentary limestone is heated and squeezed so that its grains recrystallize.
Evidence grade AScope: Describes the metamorphic genesis of marble (carbonate rock); not tied to a specific locality.
Sources USGS FAQ: limestone and marble
Limestone forms when carbonate material is deposited and consolidates in oceans or lakes, i.e. a sedimentary setting.
Evidence grade AScope: Describes the sedimentary end of the limestone-marble sequence.
Sources USGS FAQ: limestone and marble
Where the name comes from
The origin of the trade name "mihuangyu" itself is not given in the cited sources. The etymologies below belong to its constituent minerals: calcite traces to Latin calx, meaning burnt lime, hinting at a significant industrial application; dolomite honours the French geologist and naturalist Déodat Gratet de Dolomieu (1750-1801). These etymologies belong to the constituent minerals, not to the name "mihuangyu" itself.
Evidence grade BScope: The etymology explains only the origin of the name; it does not establish the material's composition, locality, naturalness, or treatment.
Other research findings
Mihuangyu is a commercial/traditional material name for a carbonate rock (marble) composed chiefly of calcite and possibly dolomite; it is a polymineral aggregate (rock), not a jade mineral species; GB/T 16552 Table A.2 maps it to 'Marble'.
Evidence grade BScope: A naming/identity-boundary judgement; the full text of GB/T 16552 could not be obtained, so the related conclusion could not be checked against it.
Sources USGS FAQ: limestone and marble
Calcite's composition is CaCO3 (forming a series with rhodochrosite) and it is the main rock-forming mineral of limestone/marble; dolomite is CaMg(CO3)2.
Evidence grade BScope: Formulas of the constituent minerals; does not assert the calcite/dolomite ratio of any specific Mihuangyu sample.
Limits of this research
- Research status: Formation, occurrence or other material-specific findings found in authoritative sources
- Mihuangyu is a rock (carbonate rock/marble), not a jade mineral species; its 'jade' name character readily misleads.
- The full text of GB/T 16552 could not be obtained, so the conclusion on variety and naming could not be checked against it.
- No specific locality, authenticity or value is confirmed.
Methodology
- Origin determination and its limits
- Quality grading and value factors
- How gemmology became a technical discipline
Evidence grades
- A
- Standards bodies, government geological surveys, peer-reviewed research and museum records
- B
- Institutional educational material
- C
- Specialist databases or cautious readings
A statement is never graded above its strongest source.
This section is LumaLark's own factual restatement of public authoritative sources, credited item by item; it contains no verbatim excerpts, images or third-party logos.
DecideListing name, disclosure, care and treatments
- Suggested listing name
- Mihuangyu (carbonate rock/marble; material subject to testing)
GB/T 16552—2017 Table A.2 “Marble” · CIBJO Gemmological Laboratories Book 2024 §7.2.1.160 “Onyx”
Construction or treatment status
Natural; treatment common (require certificate to distinguish)
Treatments recorded for this material: Dyed (via parent material), Filled / Fracture-filled (via parent material), Coated (via parent material)
Related:Disclosure and cautions
This page cannot answer
Natural? · Origin · Price
A lab report settles these; this wiki covers naming and disclosure.
Related:What this page can answer
Answer at a glance
"Beige Marble (Chinese trade name: mihuangyu; material unverified)" is a market name rather than a mineral species name; before using it, verify: Actual material is unverified.
Evidence
- GB/T · Table A.2, row 大理石 (Marble)
What this means for you
Before buying, check the recommended listing name "Mihuangyu (carbonate rock/marble; material subject to testing)" and any disclosed treatments on this page, and ask the seller for a grading report if in doubt.
Known uncertainty
- This entry's exact material identity is not fully settled.
- See “Disclosure and cautions” above
- Last reviewed
- 2026-09-01
Trade-name ruling
- Actual material is unverified.
- Suggested listing name
- Mihuangyu (carbonate rock/marble; material subject to testing)
Care and wear
Normal care for every gemstone (CIBJO Gemstone Book §6.1), in brief:
- Handle it gently.
- Store pieces apart when not worn, so they cannot scratch each other.
- Clean with warm soapy water and a soft brush.
- Use ultrasonic cleaners only with caution.
The §6.1 wording and the full list of §6.2 special-care letters cited on this page are on the general gem care page.
Care
Mihuangyu beige marble — care (cleaning): Some stones are susceptible to damage from ultrasonic cleaning. Do not expose them to ultrasonic cleaning.
CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022
CIBJO Gemstone Book §6.2:special-care code j
- Treatment state
- any treatment state
Source & check 2026-09-25
- Source
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-25
Mihuangyu beige marble — care (chemicals): porous, so do not let it come into contact with coloured fluids; particularly susceptible to attack by acids, so keep it away from acids.
CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022
CIBJO Gemstone Book §6.2:special-care code c, special-care code h
- Treatment state
- any treatment state
Source & check 2026-09-25
- Source
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-25
Mihuangyu beige marble — care (chemicals): Treatments with dye, oil, resin, wax or plastic are not permanent; keep it away from all solvents (including dish-washing liquids), chemicals and heat.
CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022
CIBJO Gemstone Book §6.2:special-care code k
- Treatment state
- treated
Source & check 2026-09-25
- Source
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-25
Mihuangyu beige marble — care (wear): Some stones are prone to scratching due to low hardness. Wear them with care.
CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022
CIBJO Gemstone Book §6.2:special-care code a
- Treatment state
- any treatment state
Source & check 2026-09-25
- Source
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-25
Each row's “Source & check” expands to the full source; the date beside it is the fact check date.
Common care questions and matching entries
The CIBJO Blue Book — Official Gemstone Book (Coloured Stone Commission 2022) records care conclusions for Beige Marble, taken from the parent material marble. Whether treated or not, beige marble must not be cleaned ultrasonically; whether treated or not, it is porous, so keep it away from coloured liquids, and it is particularly sensitive to acids, so keep it away from acids. If beige marble has been treated with dye, oil, resin, wax or plastic, the treatment is not permanent; keep it away from all solvents (including dish-washing liquids), chemicals and heat. WearOn wear, whether treated or not, beige marble is soft and scratches easily, so wear it with care.
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| Question | Matching entries |
|---|---|
| Can it go in an ultrasonic or steam cleaner? | care (cleaning) |
| Contact with acids, alkalis and household chemicals | porous, so do not let it come into contact with coloured fluids; particularly susceptible to attack by acids, so keep it away from acids; Treatments with dye, oil, resin, wax or plastic are not permanent; keep it away from all solvents (including dish-washing liquids), chemicals and heat |
| Wearing limits (knocks, settings) | care (wear) |
Care entries by treatment state
The same entries grouped by the treatment state each applies to; each links to its full wording and source. Letters are CIBJO special-care codes, explained on the gemstone care page.
any treatment state
- care (cleaning) §6.2 j
- porous, so do not let it come into contact with coloured fluids; particularly susceptible to attack by acids, so keep it away from acids §6.2 c, h
- care (wear) §6.2 a
treated
Durability and wearing
Numbers in curly braces, such as {111}, are crystallographic face symbols (Miller indices): each marks a set of crystal faces or cleavage planes. They are reproduced as written in the cited source.
Mohs hardness
3
Toughness
Brittle
Cleavage
{1011} perfect
Treatments and identification leads
Registered treatmentsThe registered treatment for Beige Marble is surface waxing. Stability and frequencySurface waxing has the status treated, its stability is “unstable” and its prevalence is “common”. Values not givenIts identification leads and source are both shown as “—”, meaning the cited source gives no value, not “none”.
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| Treatment | Market frequency (CIBJO) | Stability (CIBJO) | GB/T 16552 category | JJA/AGL listing | Identification leads |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| surface waxingStatus: treated | commonly | unstable | — | — | — |
| Dyeing | — | — | Treatment | — | — |
| Filling | — | — | Graded — see §5.4.1, Table 1 | — | — |
| Coating | — | — | Treatment | — | — |
Where each treatment acts (schematics): Waxed
“—” means the cited source gives no value for that item, not “none”. Source: CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022; GB/T 16552—2017 Table B.1 (row for Marble)
Whether a treatment has to show in the name differs between the two rule sets (this site’s paraphrase):
- GB/T 16552—2017: a method classed as treatment has to be stated in the name itself — the method put before the name, or added in brackets after it; a method classed as optimization does not need to appear in the name, though one marked “Optimization (annotation required)” still has to be noted in the quality documents. Source: §5.4.2.1 a), b); §5.4.2.2 a)
- CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022: no longer splits treatments into ones that need specific disclosure and ones that need only general disclosure: every treatment is to be disclosed, and the seller tells the buyer which treatment was used and what special care it calls for. Source: §4.2.5 Note 2, §4.2.5.1, pp.14–15
What this table covers
What this page can give
- Registered treatments, their stability and how often they occur (see the table above)
- Identification leads for each treatment, for use when sending a stone for testing
VerifyNames, standards, technical facts, clauses and sources
Names
For Beige Marble, "Mi Huang Jade" must not be used as a name (GB/T 16552—2017 Table A.2 “Marble”; 16 CFR Part 23 §23.25(a)); one further name in a non-Latin script is listed in the name register below (1 with no restriction recorded on use as a name).
Chinese standard nameThe national-standard naming counterpart for Beige Marble is marble (GB/T 16552—2017 Table A.2); this name itself is not listed in the GB/T 16552—2017 text. Trade and mineralogical namesThe mineralogical name is carbonate rock (marble), and it is not a jade. The common market name is beige marble. Sub-names and unacceptable namesMi Huang Jade uses "jade" to describe a carbonate rock, which runs into the FTC rules; it is an unusable name and serves only as a misuse search term. Recommended listing nameThe suggested listing name is Beige Marble (carbonate rock/marble; material pending identification). Names in four languagesThe four-language names cover Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, English (Beige Marble) and Japanese. Institution usageOn authority wording, the FTC and CIBJO texts have no wording for this name (checked), and GIA and Gem-A have not been checked; the English Beige Marble is the entry's own English name, carrying a qualifier stripped from the title (Chinese trade name mihuangyu, material not verified), and does not represent the position of bodies without a recorded wording. Japanese namesThe GSJ (Japan) wording has not yet been verified by this site; the entry's own Japanese name is shown.
Name register
Every name recorded for this entry, with how it is classified, whether it may be matched to this entry automatically, whether it may be used as a product name, and the clause it rests on.
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| Name | Type | Matching | Use as a name | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| no restriction recorded (1) | ||||
| 米黄大理石Simplified Chinese | market name | matched automatically | no restriction recorded | editorial ruling (no clause cited) |
| not to be used as a name (1) | ||||
| Mi Huang JadeEnglish | market name | matched automatically | not to be used as a name | GB/T 16552—2017 Table A.2 “Marble”; 16 CFR Part 23 §23.25(a); Note: English product name; kept only as a search term for the misuse. |
How each authority words this name: see Names › Authority wording.
- GSJ (Japan) formal name
- ベージュ大理石（米黄玉） (not yet checked for this body — the entry's own Japanese name is shown)
- GB/T naming counterpart (this name is not in the standard)
- 大理石 (GB/T 16552—2017 §5.1.1 c))
- Mineralogical name
- Carbonate rock (marble), chiefly calcite and possibly dolomite; a polymineral aggregate, not a jade
- Trade names and synonyms
- Not to be used as a name: Mi Huang Jade (market name)
Four-language names
- 简体中文
- 米黄玉
- 繁體中文
- 米黃玉
- English
- Beige Marble (Chinese trade name: mihuangyu; material unverified)
- 日本語
- ベージュ大理石（米黄玉）
Qualifiers stripped from the headline name
See also: Misleading and prohibited trade names · Supplementary name index
Classification
- Origin
- Natural materials
- Material domain
- Natural inorganic gem materials
- Browsing family
- Rocks and polymineral aggregates
- Identity tier
- Commercial / trade name
- Mineral chemical class
- Mixed / composition-dependent
- Construction or treatment status
- Natural; treatment common (require certificate to distinguish)
Treatments listed by standards
GB/T 16552-2017, Annex B, Table B.1
Under the “Marble” row of Table B.1: Dyeing Treatment; Filling Graded — see §5.4.1, Table 1; Coating Treatment. The full row, with the effect column, is on the Marble page.
What Table B.1 is, and how the “see 5.4.1” grades are defined: see the GB/T 16552: optimization vs treatment page.
What it is and how it's identified
Among the registered material facts for Beige Marble, the durability item states that surface waxing of Beige Marble is a treated state and that the stability of the waxing effect is “not stable”. Because Beige Marble is a marble, the durability conclusion is taken from the parent entry Marble, sourced from the CIBJO Blue Book Gemstone Book 2022. The durability item describes only whether the surface waxing is stable, not how durable Beige Marble itself is; this site also notes that a complete durability conclusion cannot be assembled for Beige Marble.
Registered material facts
Each row carries its own source and check date and can be cited on its own; “—” means the cited source gives no value, not “none”.
Durability
For Mihuangyu beige marble, the stability of surface waxing is “unstable”.
CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022
- Treatment state
- treated
- Treatment
- surface waxing
- Qualification
This says how well the treatment holds up, not how durable Mihuangyu beige marble itself is.
- General note
- no durability verdict here
Source & check 2026-09-25
- Source
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-25
Each row's “Source & check” expands to the full source; the date beside it is the fact check date.
Testing and market
How far testing can go
For Mihuangyu beige marble in trade, the reported frequency of surface waxing is “commonly”.
CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022
- Treatment state
- treated
- Treatment
- surface waxing
Source & check 2026-09-25
- Source
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-25
Each row's “Source & check” expands to the full source; the date beside it is the fact check date.
Evidence and sources
Authority basis and clause sources
Sources
Further reading
Related entries and topic cluster
Parent entry and related pages on this site. Rows marked “Planned” are suggested new content and have no link yet.
Related-entry tree for Marble on this site: 2 entries listed by this site's parent-entry links; synthetic, treated and similar entries carry their recorded state after the name; this page (Beige Marble) is marked.
- Marble
Sub-entries (1)
- Beige Marble
This table scrolls sideways on narrow screens.
| Page | Content | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Browsing family | Rocks and polymineral aggregates | Live |
| Treatments recorded for this material | Dyed (via parent material), Filled / Fracture-filled (via parent material), Coated (via parent material) | Live |
| Related articles | To be added (placeholder) | Planned |
Who maintains this page
The material facts in the Beige Marble entry are maintained by the LumaLark wiki and matched one by one to the standard clauses or institutional sources they cite: every fact carries its source (with a clause or page locator) and a check date, so it can be traced back to the original. The entry exists so that buyers and sellers can check naming, disclosure and material facts item by item.