Waxed
Waxing applies colourless wax or a similar agent on or just below the surface of a gemstone or organic material. Waxing chiefly improves lustre and look. Waxed material must be disclosed.
On this page
Naming rule
- Naming rule
- Waxed [material name]
- Market differences and mutual recognition
- GB/T 16552 never names surface waxing: wax turns up only under filling, where colourless oil or wax counts as an optimization. AGTA's 17th edition codes it W but still puts wax worked into fissures under O, and JJA/AGL lists wax as item ③ of the treatments applied to natural stones.
Gem treatments compares how every treatment on this site is named and what each must disclose.
Where the treatment acts (schematic)
Applies colourless wax or a similar agent on or just below the surface of a gemstone or organic material, chiefly to improve its lustre and look.
- Polished jadeite (cabochon cross-section)
- Tiny surface pits (exaggerated)
- Heating (steaming)
- Wax flakes
- Wax (a thin surface film that also fills pits and fine fissures)
If you reuse this animation, please credit LumaLark Wiki and link to this pageLicense: CC BY 4.0
Scene-by-scene transcript (4 scenes, with sources)
The caption of each scene in the animation above (the first scene lists its three panel captions), with sources.
Scene 1Waxing (jadeite as the example)
Before: A polished jadeite surface still has tiny pits, fine fissures and coarse grain boundaries.
During: After polishing, a thin layer of wax is applied to the jadeite surface.
After: After waxing, the wax stays on and just below the jadeite surface, filling tiny pits and fine fissures, so the surface is smoother and its lustre and sheen improve.
Treated zone: on and just below the surface
Sources
- Li Hao-dong et al., "Study on the Fluorescence Spectral Characteristics of Waxing Jadeite", Spectroscopy and Spectral Analysis 43(3) (2023), pp. 883–889
- Identification of Bleached and Polymer-Impregnated Jadeite, by Emmanuel Fritsch et al. (Gems & Gemology, Fall 1992, Vol. 28, No. 3, pp. 176–187)
- CIBJO Blue Book — Official Gemstone Book (Coloured Stone Commission 2022)
- LMHC Information Sheet #11, Version 5, May 2025
Scene 2Process conditions
After polishing, a thin layer of wax is applied to the jadeite surface. A 2023 study describes two ways of waxing, steaming and boiling; in the steaming method the piece is heated by steaming, wax shaved into thin flakes is sprinkled on the surface to melt, and the piece is wiped with a towel, repeated several times. A 1992 paper notes that waxing is a common final step of polishing in much of Asia and that virtually all jadeite sold as untreated, rough as well as polished, is waxed before it enters the market.
Sources
Scene 3How it works
Melted wax runs into the surface pits, fine fissures and coarse grain boundaries and collects there, making the surface smoother on a microscopic scale and raising its lustre and sheen. More than one kind of wax is used: the 1992 paper names paraffin or other wax, and the 2023 experiments used two waxes common on the market (a 'high-quality wax' and 'Chuan wax') whose infrared spectra, and so compositions, differ; by the CIBJO definition, paraffin wax is a solid crystalline mixture of straight-chain hydrocarbons, solid at ordinary temperatures and of low viscosity when melted.
Sources
- Li Hao-dong et al., "Study on the Fluorescence Spectral Characteristics of Waxing Jadeite", Spectroscopy and Spectral Analysis 43(3) (2023), pp. 883–889
- Identification of Bleached and Polymer-Impregnated Jadeite, by Emmanuel Fritsch et al. (Gems & Gemology, Fall 1992, Vol. 28, No. 3, pp. 176–187)
- CIBJO Blue Book — Official Gemstone Book (Coloured Stone Commission 2022)
Scene 4After treatment and how it is detected
After waxing, the wax stays on and just below the jadeite surface, filling tiny pits and fine fissures, so the surface is smoother and its lustre and sheen improve. The 1992 paper describes a thin film of wax on the jadeite that also fills fractures and pits; CIBJO's definition of waxing is putting a colourless wax, or a product that does the same job, on a gem's surface or close beneath it. The LMHC information sheet states that light surface waxing need not be declared and that jadeite without indications of impregnation may be noted as known in the trade as 'A-jade', whereas bleaching followed by impregnation with wax or resin is described as impregnated ('B-jade' in the trade). The 1992 paper likewise notes that jadeite with only superficial waxing is often called 'A jade' in the trade.
When touched with a thermal reaction tester (hot point), residual surface wax may 'sweat' out: in the 1992 study some untreated jadeites did so, and infrared spectroscopy confirmed residual wax; but bleached, polymer-impregnated samples also melted on contact, so the reaction alone does not separate waxing from impregnation, and the study warns that the test can damage the stone and does not recommend it. That study's untreated samples all showed two sharp infrared bands at about 2920 cm⁻¹ and 2850 cm⁻¹ from wax residues left after polishing, varying widely in intensity; in bleached, wax-impregnated samples these bands were very strong, so the bands alone do not prove mere surface waxing. Ultraviolet fluorescence cannot decide it either: in the 1992 study most untreated jadeites were inert to UV, some white areas fluorescing faint to moderate yellow; in the 2023 experiments the A jadeite samples tested showed no fluorescence, and after waxing with the two waxes chosen showed weak to moderate blue-white fluorescence, its strength depending on the wax and how much was applied, close to that of some filled jadeite, so a UV lamp cannot separate waxed A jadeite from B or B+C jadeite.
Sources
- CIBJO Blue Book — Official Gemstone Book (Coloured Stone Commission 2022)
- LMHC Information Sheet #11, Version 5, May 2025
- Identification of Bleached and Polymer-Impregnated Jadeite, by Emmanuel Fritsch et al. (Gems & Gemology, Fall 1992, Vol. 28, No. 3, pp. 176–187)
- Li Hao-dong et al., "Study on the Fluorescence Spectral Characteristics of Waxing Jadeite", Spectroscopy and Spectral Analysis 43(3) (2023), pp. 883–889
How the naming authorities record it
This table scrolls sideways on narrow screens.
| Column | Value |
|---|---|
| Description | Applies colourless wax or a similar agent on or just below the surface of a gemstone or organic material, chiefly to improve its lustre and look. |
| GIA code | No GIA code for this treatment in the GIA material on file on this site (other GIA documents not checked) |
| LMHC number / note | W (CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022 Annex B, clause 7.2: Surface waxing); LMHC Information Sheet #12 covers wax only as an organic filler in fissures and cavities, not surface waxing |
| GB/T category | Optimization (GB/T 16552-2017 §5.4.1 Table 1: filling with colourless oil or wax is classified as optimization; the standard has no separate entry for surface waxing, and wax appears only in its definition of filling; representation method at §5.4.2.1). |
| CIBJO disclosure requirement | CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022 §5.88 defines Waxing (§5.87 defines Wax). CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022 §4.2.5.2 sets out the disclosure method (trade code W per Annex B, clause 7.2; described as “Waxed”). |
| FTC regulatory citation | §23.24 general rule: disclosure is required if the treatment is not permanent (a), creates special care requirements (b), or has a significant effect on value (c). §23.24 names no individual treatment, so Part 23 does not say which of (a)–(c) waxing meets. |
| RAL / German declaration | No public source text: RAL 560 A5 is a paid document not on file on this site, so no RAL/DGemG wording is shown (unchecked) |
| JJA/AGL (Japan) treatment disclosure | JJA/AGL 2025 §1-2-1 lists wax (item ③) among the treatments applied to natural stones; §2-1-1: the treatment is to be stated to the extent it can be known. |
| AGTA code | W — waxing of the surface or just below the surface of a gemstone (GIM 17th ed., Aug 2026, p.V); wax worked into surface-reaching fissures falls under O (p.V). Consumer disclosure must be in plain language; codes alone are not sufficient (p.III). |
| Gem-A position | The Gem-A By-Laws have no waxing-specific rule. §7.e.iii: before purchase the buyer should be told if the stone is known to have been treated and, where relevant, how that may affect its durability; §7.b: CIBJO guidelines and definitions are taken as best practice. |
| Naming rule | Waxed [material name] |
| Disclosure requirement | Must be disclosed. CIBJO's care annex counts wax among the treatments that are not permanent, so the matching care must also be passed on to the buyer: keep it away from solvents, household chemicals and heat. |
| Typical materials treated | Nephrite, azurite, marble, pink coral, amazonite, lapis lazuli, serpentine, turquoise |
| Market differences and mutual recognition | GB/T 16552 never names surface waxing: wax turns up only under filling, where colourless oil or wax counts as an optimization. AGTA's 17th edition codes it W but still puts wax worked into fissures under O, and JJA/AGL lists wax as item ③ of the treatments applied to natural stones. |
Materials on which it is recorded
How lab reports word it, by material
The standard report wording (LMHC) for this treatment is set out on these entries and sections:
The laboratory testing page's LMHC index lists every LMHC information sheet on report wording.
Care after this treatment
The CIBJO Gemstone Book §6.2 names this treatment in its special care: special-care code k.
CIBJO definitions
- Wax
Wax is of two general types: (i) paraffin wax in petroleum distillates and (ii) microcrystalline wax in petroleum residua. Paraffin wax is a solid crystalline mixture of straightchain (normal) hydrocarbons ranging from 20 to 30 carbon atoms per molecule, and even higher. It is distinguished by its solid state at ordinary temperatures (25°C, 77°F) and low viscosity (at 99°C, 210°F) when melted.
CIBJO Blue Book — Official Gemstone Book (Coloured Stone Commission 2022) (CIBJO): §5.87, p.28
- Waxing
the application of a colourless wax or similar products to, or near, the surface of gemstones and organic substances, see clause 4.2.5.2.
CIBJO Blue Book — Official Gemstone Book (Coloured Stone Commission 2022) (CIBJO): §5.88, p.29
the application of a colourless wax or similar products to, or near, the surface of a pearl.
CIBJO Blue Book — Pearl Book (Pearl Commission 2024-1) (CIBJO): §5.208, p.46
the application of a colourless wax or similar products to, or near, the surface of coral.
CIBJO Blue Book — Coral Book (Coral Commission 2024) (CIBJO): §5.100, p.21
The books word this differently; each wording is given with its source.
- Natural colourless wax
the use of a natural colourless wax is used to protect the surface of the coral. The wax can be of vegetable, animal and mineral (paraffin) origin. The use of a natural colourless wax at the surface level is considered as a normal lapidary practice (5.69) - and not a treatment. Therefore, neither specific nor general information is required for natural colourless waxing.
CIBJO Blue Book — Coral Book (Coral Commission 2024) (CIBJO): §5.67, p.18
Definitions are quoted verbatim from the cited CIBJO Blue Book; […] marks an excerpt, and the full definition is at the cited clause.
JJA/AGL table entries relating to this treatment
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| Gem name | Colour | As written in the table | Entry on this site | Page |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coral | pink, red | colouring (including coloured wax) | Coral, Pink Coral | p.13 |
| Jadeite | white, green, yellow, brown, red, orange, violet, grey, black | no indication of waxing | Fei Cui / Jadeite Jade | p.13 |
| Jadeite | white, green, yellow, brown, red, orange, violet, grey, black | waxing | Fei Cui / Jadeite Jade | p.13 |
| Turquoise | blue, greenish blue, bluish green, green | waxing | Turquoise | p.14 |
Other treatments
Sources
This table scrolls sideways on narrow screens.
| Authority | Document | Version | Clause | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB/T | GB/T 16552-2017 | 2017 | §5.4.1 | Source |
| GB/T | GB/T 16552-2017 | 2017 | Table 1 | Source |
| GB/T | GB/T 16552-2017 | 2017 | §5.4.2.1 | Source |
| CIBJO | CIBJO Gemstone Book | 2022 | §5.88 | Source |
| CIBJO | CIBJO Gemstone Book | 2022 | §5.87 | Source |
| CIBJO | CIBJO Gemstone Book | 2022 | §4.2.5.2 | Source |
| CIBJO | CIBJO Gemstone Book | 2022 | Annex B, clause 7.2 | Source |
| FTC | 16 C.F.R. Part 23 | §23.24 | Source | |
| LMHC | LMHC Information Sheet #12 | version 5, January 2023 | Organic fillers (oil, resin, wax) in fissures and cavities | Source |
| JJA/AGL | JJA/AGL definitions and nomenclature for gems (Japanese-language document, no official English title) | issued January 2015, revised November 2025 | §1-2-1 | Source |
| JJA/AGL | JJA/AGL definitions and nomenclature for gems (Japanese-language document, no official English title) | issued January 2015, revised November 2025 | §2-1-1 | Source |
| AGTA | AGTA Gemstone Information Manual | 17th edition, August 2026 | p.V (W) | Source |
| AGTA | AGTA Gemstone Information Manual | 17th edition, August 2026 | p.V (O) | Source |
| AGTA | AGTA Gemstone Information Manual | 17th edition, August 2026 | p.III | Source |
| Gem-A | Gem-A By-Laws §7 Code of Practice (Gem Code) | 2009 revision | §7.e.iii | Source |
| Gem-A | Gem-A By-Laws §7 Code of Practice (Gem Code) | 2009 revision | §7.b | Source |
What the eye can and cannot tell
What the eye can flag is limited: the wax sits on or just below the surface, so it may not show at all. On turquoise, AGTA's chart notes that oil or wax is used to enhance or even create colour, so a deep, even blue by itself says nothing about treatment.
What to ask for on the report
Ask whether the report or invoice says the piece is waxed: CIBJO's buyer-facing word is simply “Waxed”. Wax found in fissures or cavities is a different finding, reported under LMHC Information Sheet 12 on organic fillers.
Before you buy: what to check
Work through these in order before paying. None of them replaces a laboratory report; they decide whether you need one.
- What the eye can flag is limited: the wax sits on or just below the surface, so it may not show at all. On turquoise, AGTA's chart notes that oil or wax is used to enhance or even create colour, so a deep, even blue by itself says nothing about treatment.
- Ask whether the report or invoice says the piece is waxed: CIBJO's buyer-facing word is simply “Waxed”. Wax found in fissures or cavities is a different finding, reported under LMHC Information Sheet 12 on organic fillers.
- Must be disclosed. CIBJO's care annex counts wax among the treatments that are not permanent, so the matching care must also be passed on to the buyer: keep it away from solvents, household chemicals and heat.
Questions about this treatment?
Disclosure practice for this treatment differs between authorities and markets, and a report does not always say what was done.