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UnderstandWhat it is, what people ask, how far this page goes
Natural inorganic gem materials · Rock / mineral aggregate · Natural identity; treatment status unknown
Quartzose Jade
A higher-level category name listed in GB/T 16552-2017 Table A.2 for jade materials composed mainly of quartz; products should be pinned down to Quartzite Jade, Chalcedony, Agate and so on. 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 Quartzose Jade forms and what gives its colourFormation setting, process and timescale, each finding graded and sourced
- How to identify Quartzose JadeIdentification points from the research literature
- Treatments and enhancements of Quartzose JadeThe enhancements and treatments the GB/T and JJA/AGL tables list
- Caring for and wearing Quartzose JadeDurability indicators and wearing advice
- Density and refractive index of Quartzose JadeEach value with its source and check date
- Quartzose 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?
- Name origin and history of Quartzose JadeWhere the name comes from
- Listing and disclosing Quartzose JadeThe listing name to use; what must be disclosed before sale
- Standard clauses that define Quartzose 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
Quartz-dominant jade is a GB/T category term for ornamental materials composed mainly of quartz-group minerals, not a single mineral or rock. Its underlying materials are quartz (SiO2) and cryptocrystalline chalcedony. Quartz crystals commonly fill vugs or fissures in volcanic rocks, precipitating slowly from silica-rich fluids, while chalcedony forms as fibrous microcrystals deposited in layers from the void rim inward, producing banding. Quartzite varieties may form by metamorphic recrystallization. Thus the underlying quartz material forms by hydrothermal precipitation, secondary enrichment, and metamorphic recrystallization.
Scope: Applies to the genetic description of the underlying quartz/chalcedony materials covered by the classification term quartzose jade; it is not treated as a single mineral species.
Sources G&G Spring 2017 · G&G Spring 1982 · G&G Fall 2013
- Causes of Iridescence in Natural Quartz (Gems & Gemology, Spring 2017, Vol. 53, No. 1, Lin & Heaney)
- The Natural Formation and Occurrence of Green Quartz (Gems & Gemology, Spring 1982, Vol. 18, No. 1)
- Agates from Morocco: Gemological Characteristics and Proposed Origin (Gems & Gemology, Fall 2013, Vol. 49, No. 3)
Where it forms
Low-temperature silica-rich fluid environments in volcanic vugs, fissures, and hydrothermal veins
Sources G&G Fall 2013
Quartzitic rock settings recrystallized under metamorphism
Sources G&G Fall 2013
How it forms, step by step
Silica-rich fluids enter vugs or fissures in volcanic rock.
Quartz slowly precipitates from solution and crystallizes into druses.
Chalcedony deposits as fibrous microcrystals in layers from the void rim inward, producing banding.
For quartzite varieties, the protolith recrystallizes under metamorphism to form quartzite.
Link to appearance
The mode of formation controls appearance: slowly precipitated coarse quartz may form transparent druses, while fibrous microcrystalline chalcedony appears translucent with a waxy luster, and banding records pulses of silica-rich fluids.
Sources G&G Fall 2013
Timescale
The source states that crystallization of comparable silica chalcedony (agate) can last millions of years and proceed in stages.
Sources G&G Fall 2013
Supporting findings
The underlying quartz in quartz-dominant jade commonly fills vugs or fissures in volcanic rocks, crystallizing by slow precipitation from silica-rich fluids.
Evidence grade AScope: Applies to the genesis of quartz crystals making up quartz-dominant jade; not site-specific.
Associated chalcedony/agate precipitates as cryptocrystalline silica in stages from the void rim inward, producing banded textures.
Evidence grade AScope: Describes cryptocrystalline chalcedony precipitation, not a single locality.
Silica chalcedony forms in silica-rich fluid environments within volcanic vugs and fissures, and can be influenced by Fe activity.
Evidence grade AScope: Describes the host environment; does not quantify P-T conditions.
According to the source, crystallization of comparable silica chalcedony can last millions of years and proceed in stages.
Evidence grade AScope: Timescale derives from a specific agate locality; extrapolation should be cautious.
Where the name comes from
The etymology given here belongs to the parent mineral quartz: the name quartz is of obscure origin, first applied in the Middle Ages to gangue in Saxony, Germany. This belongs to the parent mineral quartz, not to the trade category name “quartz-dominant jade”; the source gives no etymology for that name.
Evidence grade BScope: The etymology belongs to the parent mineral and does not establish the composition, locality, naturalness, or treatment of the material denoted by the trade name.
Sources Handbook of Mineralogy
How it is identified
Quartz jade is an aggregate of quartz material, and it may resemble synthetic or treated quartz material in appearance, which the eye cannot reliably separate. Identification requires laboratory testing that pairs routine gemological work with compositional and spectroscopic instrumental analysis; the conclusion must come from an accredited body, and no do-it-yourself criteria are supplied here.
Evidence grade AScope: Quartz jade identification and treatment judgement require a professional laboratory; no self-identification basis.
Other research findings
Quartz has the composition SiO2 with traces of other elements and is one of the principal rock-forming minerals.
Evidence grade BScope: A mineralogical composition statement, not a specific jade sample.
Sources Handbook of Mineralogy
China's national standard for quartzose jade (GB/T 34098—2017, §6 b)) allows a piece to be named with a quartzose-jade basic name together with a trade name, but the trade name must not be used on its own; it may be added as a note in the quality document in the form 'trade name: …'. The trade names are listed in the standard's Table A.1.
Evidence grade AScope: Summarises the naming clause of the Chinese standard only; it applies to naming in China and is not legal advice for any item.
Sources GB/T 34098—2017
- GB/T 34098—2017 Quartzose jade — Classification and nomenclature
Limits of this research
- Research status: Formation, occurrence or other material-specific findings found in authoritative sources
- Quartz-dominant jade is a GB/T category label, not a single material, so this record documents the genesis of its underlying quartz/chalcedony material rather than a single formation process.
- The full text of GB/T 16552-2017 and GB/T 34098-2017 is not freely obtainable (the free national-standard preview covers only mandatory standards), so their clause wording and classification tables could not be verified; no clause numbers or tables are cited.
- The timescale derives from a specific agate locality, not a universal value for quartz-dominant jade.
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
- Quartz-based ornamental stone (state the specific variety)
GB/T 16552—2017 Table A.2 “Quartzose 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), Bleached (via parent material), Filled / Fracture-filled (via parent material), Heated / Heat-treated (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
"Quartzose Jade" is a market name rather than a mineral species name; before using it, verify: Industry-wide term that does not denote a single species.
Evidence
- GB/T · Table A.2, row 石英质玉 (Quartzose Jade)
What this means for you
Before buying, check the recommended listing name "Quartz-based ornamental stone (state the specific variety)" 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
- Industry-wide term that does not denote a single species.
- Suggested listing name
- Quartz-based ornamental stone (state the specific variety)
Care and wear
No care facts are recorded for this entry itself. Its parent material has care records: see Quartz.
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.
Toughness
Brittle; tough when massive
Cleavage
Rarely observable; poor on {1011}, {0111}, {1010}; rhombohedral parting
Daily wear
Mohs 7 (varying somewhat by direction and form), fairly wear-resistant with lower daily-wear risk; cleavage is rarely observable and poorly developed, but it is brittle, so a hard knock can still cause conchoidal fracture and rubbing with harder material can scratch it.
Care
Clean with warm water, mild soap and a soft brush, then rinse and dry; it tolerates water well, but if it contains fissures avoid aggressive ultrasonic/steam cleaning and sudden temperature change (basis: source records brittle tenacity, tough when massive, and poor cleavage).
General guidance: LumaLark's general guidance inferred from the material's properties (hardness, toughness, cleavage); not text from the cited source, and not a guarantee for any specific piece.
Scope: This field describes the general physical properties of quartz-dominant jade category as a material; it makes no durability or safety promise for any specific finished product. Durability of treated (e.g. filled, dyed, coated) or assembled/composite pieces must be assessed separately for the individual item.
VerifyNames, standards, technical facts, clauses and sources
Names
Standard and listing namesQuartzose Jade is a Chinese formal name listed in Table A.2 of GB/T 16552—2017, belonging to rocks and mineral aggregates; the suggested listing name is Quartzose Jade (state the specific variety). Names in four languagesNames are given in Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, English (Quartzose Jade) and Japanese; the Japanese name shown is the entry's own, and the GSJ (Japan) wording for it is not yet verified by this site. Institution usageChecking shows that the FTC and CIBJO texts on file contain no wording for Quartzose Jade, and GIA and Gem-A are unchecked; bodies without a recorded wording show the entry's own English name, which does not represent their position. Trade and mineralogical namesTable A.1 in Annex A of GB/T 34098—2017 gives a correspondence between basic names and trade names; the trade names for quartzite jade, chalcedony, agate and jasper share one cell across four rows in the original and are not matched one by one, and include aventurine quartz, Huanglong jade, Nanhong agate and others; a table note states that the trade names listed are not exhaustive. Trade names should not be used on their own but together with the basic name, and may be added in quality documents as a note in the form trade name followed by the name.
- GSJ (Japan) formal name
- 石英質玉 (not yet checked for this body — the entry's own Japanese name is shown)
- Chinese formal name
- 石英质玉 (GB/T 16552—2017 Table A.2)
- Mineralogical name
- Quartz-dominant jade/ornamental-stone category under GB/T
Four-language names
- 简体中文
- 石英质玉
- 繁體中文
- 石英質玉
- English
- Quartzose Jade
- 日本語
- 石英質玉
GB/T 34098 trade names
GB/T 34098-2017, Annex A (informative), Table A.1 pairs the basic names of quartzose jade with trade names:
This table scrolls sideways on narrow screens.
| Basic name | Trade names |
|---|---|
| Quartzite jade, chalcedony, agate, jasper (one cell shared by the four rows; the original does not match names to rows) | 东陵石 Dongling Shi, 黄龙玉 Huanglong Yu, 南红 Nanhong, 密玉 Mi Yu, 阿拉善玉 Alashan Yu, 通天玉 Tongtian Yu, 台山玉 Taishan Yu, 大别山玉 Dabieshan Yu, 贺州玉 Hezhou Yu, 鸡血玉 Jixue Yu, 金丝玉 Jinsi Yu, 南红玛瑙 Nanhong Manao, and others |
| Silicified asbestos (silicified jade) | 虎睛石 Hujing Shi, 鹰睛石 Yingjing Shi |
| Silicified wood (silicified jade) | 树化玉 Shuhua Yu |
| Silicified coral (silicified jade) | — (no trade name listed) |
Table note: the list is not exhaustive.
The body text names two more links: clause 5.1 allows quartzite jade showing aventurescence to be called Dongling Shi; clause 5.5 allows yellow-toned silicified asbestos to be called tiger’s eye and blue-toned material hawk’s eye.
Naming rule (clause 6 b)): a trade name is not used on its own; it goes with the basic name and may be noted in the quality document as “trade name: …”.
See also: Misleading and prohibited trade names · Supplementary name index
Classification
- Origin
- Natural materials
- Material domain
- Natural inorganic gem materials
- Browsing family
- Quartz and chalcedony materials
- Identity tier
- Rock / mineral aggregate
- Mineral chemical class
- Silicates
- Construction or treatment status
- Natural identity; treatment status unknown
Treatments listed by standards
For the optimizations and treatments of Quartzose Jade in GB/T 16552—2017 Annex B, Table B.1, this site applies three rows, “Quartzite jade”, “Chalcedony (agate/jasper)” and “Silicified jade (silicified asbestos/petrified wood/silicified coral)”: under the quartzite jade row, dyeing is listed as treatment, and bleaching and filling as treatment; under the chalcedony row, heating is listed as optimization, dyeing as optimization, and filling is defined by grades; under the silicified jade row, dyeing is listed as treatment and filling is defined by grades. What Table B.1 notes and how the filling grades are defined are explained on the Gem treatments page.
GB/T 16552-2017, Annex B, Table B.1
- Under the “Quartzite jade” row of Table B.1: Dyeing Treatment; Bleaching and filling Treatment. The full row, with the effect column, is on the Quartzite Jade page.
- Under the “Chalcedony (Agate/Jasper)” row of Table B.1: Heating Optimization; Filling Graded — see §5.4.1, Table 1; Dyeing Optimization. The full row, with the effect column, is on the Chalcedony page.
- Under the “Silicified Jade (Silicified Asbestos/Silicified Wood/Silicified Coral)” row of Table B.1: Dyeing Treatment; Filling Graded — see §5.4.1, Table 1. The full row, with the effect column, is on the Silicified Jade 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
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”.
Definition
Quartzose Jade: a naturally occurring mineral aggregate made up mainly of quartz that meets the requirements of lapidary work; it ranges from phanerocrystalline to cryptocrystalline.
GB/T 34098—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
Source & check 2026-09-17
- Source
- GB/T 34098—2017 Quartzose jade — Classification and nomenclature (GB/T): §3.1 (Terms and definitions, quartzose jade) (locator checked 2026-09-17)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-17
Quartzose Jade — composition (chemistry): predominantly quartz; may contain minor hematite, goethite, mica, kaolinite, opal and organic matter.
GB/T 34098—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
Source & check 2026-09-17
- Source
- GB/T 34098—2017 Quartzose jade — Classification and nomenclature (GB/T): §3.1 (locator checked 2026-09-17)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-17
Structure
Quartzose Jade — structure (overall): It is a mineral aggregate whose crystallinity ranges from phanerocrystalline to cryptocrystalline. The dividing line is whether single mineral grains can still be told apart at 10× magnification. For the great majority of grains that line falls at a grain size of 20 μm.
GB/T 34098—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
Source & check 2026-09-17
- Source
- GB/T 34098—2017 Quartzose jade — Classification and nomenclature (GB/T): §3.1, §3.2, §3.3 (locator checked 2026-09-17)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-17
Physical properties
Quartzose Jade — density: 2.53–2.72 g/cm³
GB/T 34098—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- Qualification
GB/T 34098-2017 §3.1 notes that values may sometimes fall to 2.48 or rise to 2.95 g/cm³. The registered range is the main range, not a cut-off for identifying the material.
Source & check 2026-09-17
- Source
- GB/T 34098—2017 Quartzose jade — Classification and nomenclature (GB/T): §3.1 (locator checked 2026-09-17)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-17
Optical
Quartzose Jade — refractive index: 1.53–1.55
GB/T 34098—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
Source & check 2026-09-17
- Source
- GB/T 34098—2017 Quartzose jade — Classification and nomenclature (GB/T): §3.1 (locator checked 2026-09-17)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-17
Each row's “Source & check” expands to the full source; the date beside it is the fact check date.
This material (RI / SG midpoints): 1.54 / 2.62; Closest values: 1Charoite 1.554 / 2.66, 2Changhua Stone 1.56 / 2.6, 3Balin Stone 1.56 / 2.55, 4Shoushan Stone 1.56 / 2.7, 5Bamboo Coral 1.57 / 2.65
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
The term for Quartzose Jade is Quartzose Jade, against GB/T 16552-2017 Annex A, and the definition points to the full description of quartzose jade in GB/T 16552—2017 Table A.2; the cross-check result is listed directly by GB/T, with no standalone CIBJO entry under the same name.
This table scrolls sideways on narrow screens.
| Term | Clause | Definition | Cross-check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quartzose Jade | GB/T 16552-2017 Annex A | For the full description, see Table A.2 “Quartzose 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.
- AQSIQ / SAC (China). GB/T 34098—2017 Quartzose jade — Classification and nomenclature.
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 Quartz on this site: 74 entries listed by this site's parent-entry links; synthetic, treated and similar entries carry their recorded state after the name; this page (Quartzose Jade) is marked.
- Quartz
Sub-entries (57)
- Agate
Sub-entries (1)
- Amethyst
- Ametrine
- Aventurine Quartz
- Aventurine Quartz / Green Aventurine
- Banded Agate
- Black Agate
- Bloodstone / Heliotrope
- Blue Lace Agate
- Carnelian
- Chalcedony
Sub-entries (2)
- Chrysoprase
- Citrine
- Clear Quartz / Rock Crystal
- Coated Quartz
- Colourless to White Quartz (brand name: Azeztulite)
- Crazy Lace Agate
- Dendritic Agate
- Dyed Agate (Treated: dyed)
- Elestial Quartz / Skeletal Quartz
- Eye Agate
- Flower Agate / Cherry Blossom Agate
- Green Quartz
- High-clarity quartz with golden needle-like inclusions
- Included Quartz
- Jasper
Sub-entries (1)
- Madeira Citrine
- Malachite Agate
- Morion / very dark Smoky Quartz
- Moss Agate
- Moss Chalcedony
- Multi-inclusion Quartz
- Onyx (banded chalcedony)
- Phantom Quartz
- Prase
- Prasiolite / Green Quartz
- Quartz Cat’s-eye
- Quartz claimed to be from the Himalayas
- Quartz Crystal
- Quartz with dark needle-like inclusions
- Quartz with fine fibrous inclusions
- Quartz with flower-like inclusions
- Quartz with golden needle-like inclusions
- Quartz with green needle-like inclusions
- Quartzite Jade
- Quartzose Jade
- Red Agate
- Rock Crystal
- Rose Quartz
- Rutilated Quartz
- Sard
- Sardonyx
- Silicified Asbestos
Sub-entries (2)
- Hawk’s Eye
- Tiger’s Eye
Sub-entries (1)
- Smoky Quartz
- Smoky Quartz (brown variety)
- Strawberry Quartz
- Yellow-green Quartz
- Agate
This table scrolls sideways on narrow screens.
| Page | Content | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Browsing family | Quartz and chalcedony materials | Live |
| Treatments recorded for this material | Dyed (via parent material), Bleached (via parent material), Filled / Fracture-filled (via parent material), Heated / Heat-treated (via parent material) | Live |
| Related articles | To be added (placeholder) | Planned |
Who maintains this page
The material facts in the Quartzose 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.