gems, jade, pyroxene jade, jadeite, fei cui, synthetic jadeite, synthetic fei cui, simulants, HPHT

Fei cui, known mineralogically as “sodium jadeite” and sometimes incorrectly referred to as “hard jade,” has the chemical formula NaAlSi₂O₆. It is a dense aggregate composed of countless interwoven fine fibrous crystals, forming what is known as a “felted texture,” which makes it exceptionally strong and tough. As one of the most precious types of jade, jadeite is deeply loved by the Chinese people and by communities across Southeast Asia. The finest jadeite comes from the Myitkyina region in Myanmar; to date, no jadeite deposits have been discovered in China. Classified as a high-grade gemstone, the most valuable jadeite resembles emerald in color—transparent, extremely fine-grained, and with a vivid, evenly distributed green tone. Its price rivals that of top-quality emeralds. According to legend, Empress Dowager Cixi of the Qing dynasty had a particular fondness for jadeite, and among the burial items interred with her was a jadeite Vajra clutched in her right hand, considered to be of the highest grade. As recorded in the book The Case of the Theft of Treasures from Cixi’s Tomb, “The Vajra was a richly vivid green, transparent, purer than crystal, and able to reveal objects through it—truly a supreme treasure!” However, such high-quality jadeite is extremely rare in nature and cannot meet growing societal demand, creating a stark supply–demand imbalance. Based on the general principle that synthetic gemstones can sometimes surpass natural ones in quality, researchers have attempted to create high-grade synthetic jadeite. Our own work in this field was conducted under this guiding idea.