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Natural inorganic gem materials · Commercial / trade name · Natural identity; treatment status unknown
Tongtian Yu
A quartzose jade trade name, “Tongtian Yu”, listed in Table A.1 of Annex A of GB/T 34098-2017. The table puts it in one merged cell with other trade names and does not map it to a single basic name: quartzose jade, quartzite jade, chalcedony, agate or jasper.
Outside Table A.1, the standard does not mention this name again. 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 Tongtian Yu forms and what gives its colourFormation setting, process and timescale; where its colour and optical effects come from, each finding graded and sourced
- Caring for and wearing Tongtian YuDurability indicators and wearing advice
- Hardness, density and refractive index of Tongtian YuEach value with its source and check date
- Tongtian Yu 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 Tongtian YuWhere the name comes from
- Listing and disclosing Tongtian YuThe 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
Tongtian Yu is a commodity/locality trade name for quartzose jade whose parent material is quartz/chalcedony (SiO2). Quartz may form where silica carried in migrating solutions accumulates slowly and deposits in rock cavities and fractures; in many geodes, a chalcedony (cryptocrystalline quartz) rind at the base of the cavity transitions into macrocrystalline quartz crystals. A quartzose jade body is thus often built from banded chalcedony together with macrocrystalline quartz, its formation being the precipitation and void-filling of silica fluids, which the name alone cannot establish.
Scope: Applies to the origin of the underlying material of the quartzose jade (quartz / chalcedony) referred to by the trade name 'Tongtian Yu'; does not constitute an identification conclusion for a specific sample or locality.
Sources G&G Spring 1982 · G&G Spring 2017 · Handbook of Mineralogy +1
Where it forms
Rock cavities/fractures and volcanic geodes, where a chalcedony rind at the cavity base transitions into macrocrystalline quartz crystals
Sources G&G Spring 1982 · G&G Spring 2017
How it forms, step by step
Silica-bearing solutions migrate in rock cavities and fractures.
Silica slowly precipitates and accumulates, forming chalcedony (cryptocrystalline quartz) at the cavity base.
The chalcedony rind transitions outward into macrocrystalline quartz crystals.
Link to appearance
The massive appearance is determined jointly by banded chalcedony and macrocrystalline quartz; translucency and texture depend on the ratio of cryptocrystalline to macrocrystalline quartz, and color relates to chemical or particulate inclusions, not to the name.
Sources Handbook of Mineralogy · GIA Jade Description
Timescale
The sources give no absolute age for Tongtian Yu or its parent material.
Sources G&G Spring 1982 · G&G Spring 2017 · Handbook of Mineralogy +1
Related base materials
- Quartzose jade (quartz/chalcedony): Tongtian yu is a commercial/origin trade name for quartzose jade; the underlying material is quartz/chalcedony (SiO2), not an independent mineral species.
Supporting findings
Quartz may form where silica carried in migrating solutions accumulates slowly and deposits in rock cavities and fractures.
Evidence grade AScope: Generic formation of the parent material (quartz); not unique to the name Tongtian Yu.
In many geodes, a chalcedony (cryptocrystalline quartz) rind at the cavity base transitions outward into macrocrystalline quartz crystals.
Evidence grade AScope: A generic geode phenomenon of chalcedony-to-quartz transition; does not mean any Tongtian Yu specimen shows this texture.
Recorded localities
Authoritative sources name a single or principal locality.
Asia
- Tongtianshan area, Linwu County, Chenzhou, Hunan, ChinaNamed after the Tongtianshan area where it is produced
Sources China Mining News (China Geological Survey)
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.
Causes of colour and optical effects
Quartz color can come from chemical or particulate inclusions, ranging from colorless and white to rose-red, yellow, green, blue, brown, and black, and may be zoned or mottled.
Evidence grade BScope: Generic color mechanism of quartz; does not assert the specific colorant of any Tongtian Yu specimen.
Sources Handbook of Mineralogy
Where the name comes from
The origin of the trade name "Tongtian Yu" itself is not given in the cited sources. The etymology below belongs to the underlying mineral quartz: its name is of obscure origin in the Middle Ages, first applied to gangue in Saxony, Germany. This etymology belongs to the underlying mineral, not to the name "Tongtian Yu" 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.
Sources Handbook of Mineralogy
Other research findings
Tongtian Yu is a trade/locality name and does not constitute an independent mineral or material identity; the word 'jade' has historically been misapplied to many jade-like materials.
Evidence grade BScope: Distinguishes the name from material identity; not specimen identification or provenance.
Sources GIA Jade Description
Limits of this research
- Research status: Formation, occurrence or other material-specific findings found in authoritative sources
- GB/T 34098-2017 and GB/T 16552-2017 are recommended (non-mandatory) national standards whose full text is not freely obtainable; the official free preview does not cover them. This record could not verify their clause text, so it makes no assertion about the specific classification, entry, or table position of this locality trade name in those standards.
- The sources give no absolute age for Tongtian Yu or its parent material.
- Quartz formation, geode texture, and color mechanisms are generic parent-material facts; the sources do not attest a Tongtian Yu locality or specimen specifically.
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
- Quartzose jade (trade name: Tongtian Yu)
GB/T 34098—2017 Table A.1, §6 b)
Construction or treatment status
Natural identity; treatment status unknown
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
"Tongtian Yu" is a market name rather than a mineral species name; before using it, verify: Trade name rather than a mineralogical species name. Actual material is unverified.
What this means for you
Before buying, check the recommended listing name "Quartzose jade (trade name: Tongtian Yu)" 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
- 2026-09-26
Trade-name ruling
- Trade name rather than a mineralogical species name.
- Actual material is unverified.
- Suggested listing name
- Quartzose jade (trade name: Tongtian Yu)
Care and wear
No institutional care guidance is registered for this material yet; below are its durability indicators and general guidance.
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
tough when massive
Cleavage
Cleavage very rarely observable; poor on {1011}, {0111}, {1010} and others; rhombohedral parting
Daily wear
Hardness 7 resists scratching by ordinary metal and grit, and massive material has good toughness, so it is relatively durable for daily wear; however a hard impact can still chip it, and sudden temperature changes should be avoided to prevent cracking.
Care
Warm water with mild soap and a soft brush suffices; rinse and dry with a soft cloth. For dyed, resin-impregnated or fractured treated material, avoid ultrasonic/steam cleaning and acid washes, and avoid prolonged heat or sunlight.
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 material's general properties and is not a finished-product durability promise; it gives no warranty of any specific piece's durability or safety, and the durability of treated (filled, dyed, coated) or composite/assembled material must be assessed separately.
VerifyNames, standards, technical facts, clauses and sources
Names
Trade and mineralogical namesTongtian Yu is listed in GB/T 34098—2017 Table A.1 as a trade name for quartzose jade; Tongtian Yu is not used on its own: the basic name must first be determined by identification and then used together with it, with the note "trade name: Tongtian Yu" added in the quality document; Table A.1 uses a merged cell, and the original does not say whether Tongtian Yu is quartzite jade, chalcedony, agate or jasper. Recommended listing nameThe suggested listing name is quartzose jade (trade name: Tongtian Yu). Names in four languagesNames are given in Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, English (Tongtian Yu) and Japanese (to be checked). Institution usageOn authority wording, the FTC and CIBJO texts contain no wording for this name (checked), while GIA and Gem-A are unchecked, and bodies without a recorded wording show the English name registered on this site, Tongtian Yu, which does not represent their position; the wording used by GSJ (Japan) is not yet verified by this site, and the Japanese name registered on this site is to be checked. The full comparison table and naming rules are on the Quartzose Jade page.
- GSJ (Japan) formal name
- 通天玉（待核） (not yet checked for this body — the entry's own Japanese name is shown)
- Trade name listed in the GB/T standard (not used on its own)
- 通天玉 (GB/T 34098—2017 Table A.1; basic name not specified in the original — identify the material first)
- Mineralogical name
- Quartzose jade sold under the trade name Tongtian Yu (GB/T 34098 Table A.1)
Four-language names
- 简体中文
- 通天玉
- 繁體中文
- 通天玉
- English
- Tongtian Yu
- 日本語
- 通天玉（待核）
GB/T 34098 trade names
- Position in Table A.1
- 通天玉 Tongtian Yu sits in the cell shared by quartzite jade, chalcedony, agate and jasper; the original does not say which one
- How to name it
- The original gives no basic name: identify the material first, then add the note “trade name: 通天玉 Tongtian Yu”
The full table and naming rule are on the Quartzose Jade page.
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
- Commercial / trade name
- Mineral chemical class
- Silicates
- Construction or treatment status
- Natural identity; treatment status unknown
What it is and how it's identified
Among the registered material facts for Tongtian Yu, Mohs hardness, density and refractive index all take the values for quartzose jade as a whole class and are not measurements of Tongtian Yu alone. As the cited clause writes it for quartzose jade as a whole, the Mohs hardness of Tongtian Yu is 6–7; GB/T 34098—2017 notes that it can sometimes fall below 6–7, to as low as 5.5, and this site notes that hardness alone does not amount to any everyday wearing advice. As written for the whole class, the density of Tongtian Yu is 2.53–2.72 g/cm³; GB/T 34098—2017 notes that density can sometimes fall outside 2.53–2.72 g/cm³, as low as 2.48 g/cm³ or as high as 2.95 g/cm³, and this site notes that the registered figure is the main range and cannot be used as a threshold for establishing the material's identity. As written for the whole class, the refractive index of Tongtian Yu is 1.53–1.55. Whole-class features such as chemical composition are written in the cited clause for quartzose jade as a whole and are not listed again on the Tongtian Yu entry; see the material facts on the Quartzose Jade 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: these whole-class features are given in the cited clause for quartzose jade (the whole class), so they are not repeated on the Tongtian Yu page; see the material facts on the Quartzose Jade entry.
Items below that name the class they cover give the cited clause’s value for that whole class, not a measurement of Tongtian Yu (how to read class-level values).
Durability
Tongtian Yu — Mohs hardness: 6–7
GB/T 34098—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
- quartzose jade (the whole class)
- Qualification
GB/T 34098-2017 §3.1 notes that hardness may sometimes fall to 5.5. Hardness alone does not support any everyday-wear advice.
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 34098—2017 Quartzose jade — Classification and nomenclature (GB/T): §3.1 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Physical properties
Tongtian Yu — density: 2.53–2.72 g/cm³
GB/T 34098—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- quartzose jade (the whole class)
- 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 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 34098—2017 Quartzose jade — Classification and nomenclature (GB/T): §3.1 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
- Fact checked on
- 2026-09-26
Optical
Tongtian Yu — refractive index: 1.53–1.55
GB/T 34098—2017
- Does this standard apply
- applies to this entry
- What this covers
- quartzose jade (the whole class)
Source & check 2026-09-26
- Source
- GB/T 34098—2017 Quartzose jade — Classification and nomenclature (GB/T): §3.1 (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): 1.54 / 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
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.
- AQSIQ / SAC (China). GB/T 34098—2017 Quartzose jade — Classification and nomenclature.
- SAMR / SAC (China). GB/T 16552—2017 Gems — Nomenclature.
- eCFR (United States). 16 CFR Part 23 — Guides for the Jewelry, Precious Metals, and Pewter Industries.
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 (Tongtian Yu) 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
Sub-entries (9)
- 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 |
| Related articles | To be added (placeholder) | Planned |
Who maintains this page
The material facts in the Tongtian Yu 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.