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Natural inorganic gem materials · Rock / mineral aggregate · Natural identity; treatment status unknown
Lantian Yu / Lantian Jade
A serpentinised marble, adopted as the basic name Lantian Yu in GB/T 16552-2017 Table A.2; it is not the same as Fei Cui / Jadeite Jade or Nephrite. 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 Lantian Yu / Lantian Jade forms and what gives its colourFormation setting, process and timescale, each finding graded and sourced
- Treatments and enhancements of Lantian Yu / Lantian JadeThe enhancements and treatments the GB/T and JJA/AGL tables list
- Hardness, density and refractive index of Lantian Yu / Lantian JadeEach value with its source and check date
- Lantian Yu / Lantian Jade 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?
- Listing and disclosing Lantian Yu / Lantian JadeThe listing name to use; what must be disclosed before sale
- Standard clauses that define Lantian Yu / Lantian JadeWhich clause defines it, each cross-checked
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
Under the GB/T nomenclature Lantian Yu is classified as "serpentinized marble" — a rock, hence a mineral aggregate whose composition changes from variety to variety, rather than one mineral species. Its genesis involves serpentinization, in which magnesium-rich ultramafic rocks containing olivine are hydrated at fairly low temperature, producing minerals of the serpentine group; where metamorphism is involved, calcite marble and serpentine may occur side by side, or the marble may itself be turned to serpentine. The presence of antigorite implies a higher metamorphic grade, exceeding roughly 320°C. Identification can rely on infrared absorbance peaks at 1432 cm⁻¹, 1080 cm⁻¹, 1525 cm⁻¹, 883 cm⁻¹, 553 cm⁻¹, 670 cm⁻¹ and 483 cm⁻¹.
Scope: Applies to the identity and genesis, as a rock, of "Lantian jade" (serpentinised marble) under the GB/T nomenclature system; composition varies by variety, no single-mineral-species assertion is made, and the full GB/T text is unavailable.
Sources G&G Spring 2016 · G&G Summer 2020
Where it forms
Serpentinization of ultramafic rock (relatively low-temperature hydration) and a metamorphic setting; the rock may consist of calcite marble coexisting with serpentine.
Sources G&G Spring 2016
The occurrence of antigorite indicates a higher metamorphic temperature of above about 320°C.
Sources G&G Spring 2016
How it forms, step by step
A body of ultramafic rock rich in olivine is emplaced.
Sources G&G Spring 2016
Water is taken up by the rock at fairly low temperature, and serpentine-group minerals appear through serpentinization.
Sources G&G Spring 2016
With increasing metamorphic grade, lizardite/chrysotile give way to antigorite (above about 320°C).
Sources G&G Spring 2016
Calcite marble coexists with, or becomes serpentinized into, serpentinized marble.
Sources G&G Spring 2016
Link to appearance
Serpentine-group minerals are green, blue-green or white, with colour variation from carbonates and minor quartz/chlorite. NOTE: identification requires laboratory data; appearance cannot establish variety or origin.
Sources G&G Summer 2020
Timescale
The sources give no absolute age for the serpentinization/metamorphism, only the low-temperature hydration and subsequent metamorphism.
Sources G&G Spring 2016
Related base materials
- Serpentine-group minerals (antigorite/lizardite): One of the main components of Lantian Yu
- Calcite marble: Carbonate matrix component of Lantian Yu
Supporting findings
When water reacts with ultramafic rocks rich in olivine at comparatively low temperature, minerals of the serpentine group are produced; the process is called serpentinization.
Evidence grade AScope: Applies to serpentine formation by hydration; not a locality for Lantian Yu.
Sources G&G Spring 2016
The high-temperature phase is antigorite. It grows from lizardite and chrysotile as metamorphism intensifies, becoming stable above roughly 320°C.
Evidence grade AScope: Describes the metamorphic PT setting; not a specific sample.
Sources G&G Spring 2016
Recorded localities
Authoritative sources name a single or principal locality.
Asia
- Lantian County, Xi'an, Shaanxi, ChinaMindat: named for Lantian County; lists Yuchuan jade quarry. Mindat calls it a nephrite variety (GB/T 16552: serpentinized marble); locality only
Sources Mindat: Lantian Jade
These are localities recorded by authoritative sources, not an origin finding for any individual piece. The CIBJO Gemstone Book (2022, §4.2.3) says a place of origin names where a gem was mined or harvested, is a matter of opinion, does not imply a level of quality, and that cutting, processing or exporting centres must not be used to imply origin. See the origin determination guide and the overview of recorded localities.
Other research findings
The mineral composition of Lantian Yu varies by variety; it is serpentinized marble (a rock/mineral aggregate), not a single mineral species.
Evidence grade BScope: Defines it as a rock aggregate with variety-dependent composition; GB/T full text unavailable.
Sources G&G Summer 2020
Infrared spectra of serpentinized marble show diagnostic absorbance peaks at 1432 cm⁻¹, 1080 cm⁻¹, 1525 cm⁻¹, 883 cm⁻¹, 553 cm⁻¹, 670 cm⁻¹ and 483 cm⁻¹, useful for identification.
Evidence grade AScope: Describes IR features for identification; not a single-item verdict.
Sources G&G Summer 2020
Limits of this research
- Research status: Formation, occurrence or other material-specific findings found in authoritative sources
- Under GB/T nomenclature Lantian Yu denotes serpentinized marble, a rock; its composition varies by variety and no single-species claim is made.
- The full text of GB/T 16552 could not be obtained (as a recommended standard it is not in the free preview), so the conclusions that depend on it cite no specific clause.
- No source for a specific Lantian Yu deposit was available; no origin claim is made.
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
- Lantian Yu (serpentinised marble)
GB/T 16552—2017 Table A.2 “Lantian Yu,Lantian Jade” · CIBJO Gemmological Laboratories Book 2024 7.1.4
Construction or treatment status
Natural identity; treatment status unknown
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
Lantian Yu / Lantian Jade is Serpentinized marble under GB/T nomenclature; use "Lantian Yu (serpentinised marble)" for listings, and disclose any known treatments.
Evidence
- GB/T · Table A.2, row 蓝田玉 (Lantian Yu / Lantian Jade)
What this means for you
Before buying, check the recommended listing name "Lantian Yu (serpentinised marble)" and any disclosed treatments on this page, and ask the seller for a grading report if in doubt.
Known uncertainty
- Last reviewed
- 2026-09-01
Treatments and identification leads
One row per treatment, with three standards side by side: how often it occurs and how stable it is (CIBJO), its category in GB/T 16552—2017 Table B.1 (this site's paraphrase) and how the JJA/AGL 2025 table lists it. Each CIBJO value links to its entry under “Testing and market”, where the wording and source are given in full.
This table scrolls sideways on narrow screens.
| Treatment | Market frequency (CIBJO) | Stability (CIBJO) | GB/T 16552 category | JJA/AGL listing | Identification leads |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dyeing | — | — | Treatment | — | — |
| Filling | — | — | Graded — see §5.4.1, Table 1 | — | — |
| Coating | — | — | Treatment | — | — |
“—” means the cited source gives no value for that item, not “none”. Source: 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
VerifyNames, standards, technical facts, clauses and sources
Names
Standard and listing namesThe formal name of Lantian Yu / Lantian Jade is Lantian Yu, as given in GB/T 16552—2017 Table A.2; the suggested listing name is Lantian Yu (serpentinised marble). Names in four languagesNames are given in Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, English (Lantian Yu / Lantian Jade) and Japanese. The entry has its own Japanese name, and the wording used by GSJ (Japan) for this name is not yet verified by this site; the wording of GIA, FTC, CIBJO and Gem-A for this name is also not yet verified by this site, and the entry's own English name, Lantian Yu / Lantian Jade, does not represent the position of these four bodies. Trade and mineralogical namesUnder the GB/T naming system, the mineralogical name is serpentinised marble.
- GSJ (Japan) formal name
- 藍田玉 (not yet checked for this body — the entry's own Japanese name is shown)
- Chinese formal name
- 蓝田玉 (GB/T 16552—2017 Table A.2)
- Mineralogical name
- Serpentinized marble under GB/T nomenclature
Four-language names
- 简体中文
- 蓝田玉
- 繁體中文
- 藍田玉
- English
- Lantian Yu / Lantian Jade
- 日本語
- 藍田玉
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
- Rock / mineral aggregate
- Mineral chemical class
- Mixed / composition-dependent
- Construction or treatment status
- Natural identity; treatment status unknown
Treatments listed by standards
Lantian Yu / Lantian Jade is not listed directly in GB/T 16552—2017 Annex B Table B.1; this site applies the marble entry of Table B.1: the treatments obtained this way are dyeing, filling and coating, with dyeing listed as a treatment, filling marked as graded, and coating listed as a treatment. The effects of each treatment are explained in the marble entry; the notes to Table B.1 and the definitions of the filling grades are on the treatments page.
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
The composition (phase) of Lantian Yu / Lantian Jade is serpentinised marble; structure, hardness, cleavage, density, optical character, refractive index, birefringence, pleochroism and lustre are written in the cited GB/T 16553—2017 for marble as a whole class and are not measurements of Lantian Yu / Lantian Jade alone. For marble as a whole class: the structure is a crystalline aggregate, often granular or fibrous; Mohs hardness is 3; cleavage is usually not visible in the aggregate; density is 2.65–2.75 g/cm³, with the limits derived from the cited clause's value of 2.70 and its tolerance of ±0.05; optical character is an anisotropic aggregate; refractive index is 1.486–1.658; birefringence is not measurable for an aggregate; in the untreated state, pleochroism is not measurable for an aggregate, lustre is vitreous to greasy, and it effervesces with hydrochloric acid. Chemical composition, fluorescence, UV-visible spectrum, infrared spectrum and magnification are likewise written in the cited clause for marble as a whole class and are not listed again on the Lantian Yu / Lantian Jade entry; see the material facts on the Marble entry.
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”.
Chemical composition, luminescence, UV-visible spectrum, infrared spectrum, magnification: these whole-class features are given in the cited clause for marble (the whole class), so they are not repeated on the Lantian Yu / Lantian Jade page; see the material facts on the Marble entry.
Items below that name the class they cover give the cited clause’s value for that whole class, not a measurement of Lantian Yu / Lantian Jade (how to read class-level values).
Definition
Lantian Yu / Lantian Jade — composition (phase): serpentinised marble
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.2.18 Mineral (rock) name · Lantian jade (locator checked 2026-09-28)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Structure
Lantian Yu / Lantian Jade — structure (overall): crystalline aggregate, usually granular or fibrous
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- marble (the whole class)
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.2.18 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Durability
Lantian Yu / Lantian Jade — Mohs hardness: 3
GB/T 16553—2017
Reference points on this site: Talc 1–3, Fluorite 4, Apatite 5–5.5, Orthoclase 6–6.5, Topaz 8, Diamond 10 (Source: GB/T 16553—2017); Gypsum 1.5–2, Calcite 3, Quartz 7 (Source: Handbook of Mineralogy); Corundum 9 (Source: GIA Gem Encyclopedia (care guide))
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- marble (the whole class)
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.2.18 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Lantian Yu / Lantian Jade — cleavage: generally not seen on an aggregate
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- marble (the whole class)
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.2.18 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Lantian Yu / Lantian Jade — stability: effervesces on contact with hydrochloric acid
GB/T 16553—2017
- Treatment state
- untreated
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- marble (the whole class)
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.2.18 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Physical properties
Lantian Yu / Lantian Jade — density: 2.65–2.75 g/cm³
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- marble (the whole class)
- Qualification
The clause we cite gives 2.70, with a stated tolerance of ±0.05. The range shown here is worked out from that.
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.2.18 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Optical
Lantian Yu / Lantian Jade — optic character: anisotropic material
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- marble (the whole class)
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.2.18 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Lantian Yu / Lantian Jade — refractive index: 1.486–1.658
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- marble (the whole class)
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.2.18 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Lantian Yu / Lantian Jade — birefringence: not measurable on an aggregate
GB/T 16553—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- marble (the whole class)
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.2.18 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Lantian Yu / Lantian Jade — pleochroism: not measurable on an aggregate
GB/T 16553—2017
- Treatment state
- untreated
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- marble (the whole class)
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.2.18 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Quality factors
Lantian Yu / Lantian Jade — quality factor (lustre): vitreous to greasy
GB/T 16553—2017
- Treatment state
- untreated
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- marble (the whole class)
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.2.18 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Each row's “Source & check” expands to the full source; the date beside it is the fact check date.
This material (RI / SG midpoints): 1.572 / 2.7; Closest values: 1Shoushan Stone 1.56 / 2.7, 2Scapolite 1.558 / 2.67, 3Qingtian Stone 1.565 / 2.77, 4Aquamarine 1.58 / 2.79, 5Iolite 1.563 / 2.61
Show the full chart (330 registered materials)
Outside the full chart's range, drawn as triangles at the edge (RI / SG midpoints): Hematite 3.045/5.12, Synthetic Rutile 2.76/4.26, Rutile 2.753/4.23, Synthetic Moissanite 2.67/3.22
Clause-level definitions
At clause level, Lantian Yu / Lantian Jade is registered under the term Lantian Yu / Lantian Jade, the clause being GB/T 16552-2017 Annex A, and the definition is recorded as “for the full description, see Table A.2 ‘Lantian Yu, Lantian Jade’ in GB/T 16552—2017”. The cross-check shows that GB/T lists the name directly, while no standalone CIBJO entry under the same name was found.
This table scrolls sideways on narrow screens.
| Term | Clause | Definition | Cross-check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lantian Yu / Lantian Jade | GB/T 16552-2017 Annex A | For the full description, see Table A.2 “Lantian Yu,Lantian Jade” in GB/T 16552—2017. | Listed directly by GB/T; CIBJO carries no standalone entry under the same name. |
Evidence and sources
Authority basis and clause sources
Sources
- CIBJO – The World Jewellery Confederation. Gemmological Laboratories Book (Blue Book), Gemmological Commission 2024-1.
- CIBJO – The World Jewellery Confederation. The Gemstone Book (Blue Book), 2022.
- SAMR / SAC (China). GB/T 16552—2017 Gems — Nomenclature.
- RRUFF Project, in partnership with the IMA – International Mineralogical Association. IMA Mineral List.
- Geological Survey of Japan, AIST (Japan). Museum mineral specimens, browse by classification.
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.
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| 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 Lantian Yu / Lantian Jade 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; clause-level definitions also carry a cross-check result. The entry exists so that buyers and sellers can check naming, disclosure and material facts item by item.