Chapter 649 Chapter 017~019 He is the expert Zhang
Back in the BMW, Zhang Wufeng took Su Ru and followed behind Sun Feifei's car. He couldn't help but think of Zhang Zhengliang's past again.
Zhang Wufeng didn't want to think any more about Zhang Zhengliang, Zhang Zhengyou and the others. However, since they had booked lunch at the Fuye Hotel this time, it didn't matter.
What good would it do to these people to play tricks? They would still be trampled to death by him.
In his dreams, Zhang Wufeng might take Zhang Zhengliang very seriously, and feel extremely resentful and hateful, and even want to kill him as soon as possible.
But at this moment, he took it too lightly. However, he would still take revenge on the person who killed his father.
……
The Sideline Hotel was as luxurious and bustling as usual.
Here, even if Sun Feifei came, there was no sign of Zhang Zhengliang, and the manager's attitude could only be described as relatively good, which was a far cry from excellent.
In the hotel, Zhang Wufeng met Sun Rongrong and Sun Weiwei.
At this dinner, in addition to Lao Fang and Sun Feifei, Sun Weiwei was also present. Zhang Wufeng could only say that he was quite surprised.
"Zhang Wufeng, let me introduce you. This is Sun Rongrong, and this is Sun Weiwei. They are both my sisters."
"Yeah." Zhang Wufeng nodded. Seeing that the two of them ignored him, Zhang Wufeng didn't say anything more to them.
In the eyes of the other party, he is an outsider.
"This is Su Ru, my current girlfriend. I believe you know everything about me, so there is no need for me to say more." Zhang Wufeng said with a smile.
Sun Feifei was slightly stunned, then smiled.
"Hello Su Ru, my name is Sun Feifei."
"Hello, Sun Feifei. I'm Su Ru. Thank you so much for this time."
"You're welcome. If it weren't for Zhang Wufeng who understood these things, I wouldn't be able to make a big profit."
"Anyway, thank you very much."
"Suru, I understand that you once had, um, an issue with your face... where did you get treated?"
"Wufeng treated me. He studied acupuncture for a long time for me."
"Oh, I see. I didn't expect that he is not only good at gambling on stones, but also so skilled in acupuncture." Sun Feifei said, with a hint of surprise in her eyes.
"I don't know much, I am only relatively proficient in antiques, calligraphy and painting, chess, gambling on stones, acupuncture and other aspects."
Zhang Wufeng said this casually, and his words were considered quite humble.
"Oh, you are really boasting without thinking. Don't think that you know how to gamble on stones just because the bets are going up. I don't agree with you. How about you share some of your experience so that I can try it? I am very curious about how you know how to gamble on stones!"
"Haha, Rongrong, if you want to know, it's naturally not a problem." Zhang Wufeng said to her gently.
Sun Rongrong was stunned for a moment, feeling Zhang Wufeng's strange gaze. She paused for a moment and wanted to curse a few words, but unexpectedly stopped.
"Haha, since Brother Wufeng is willing to show us a way to make money, we are naturally all ears. Come, let's eat and talk at the same time."
"Okay, sit down, sit down..."
……
"Speaking of gambling on jadeite, the jadeite gambling stone is actually the raw material of jadeite.
Gambling on stones or goods refers to the fact that when jade is mined, it is covered with a layer of weathered skin, and it is impossible to know whether it is good or bad. Jade that needs to be cut is called gambling stone. Jade produced in old factories has skin, but water-stone jade produced in the riverbed is also old factory jade, and the skin is very thin or skinless. Most jade produced in new factories has no skin, but those produced in the slope accumulation layer have skin. The thickness of the skin mainly depends on the degree of weathering. The higher the degree of weathering, the thicker the skin. A piece of raw jade has a colored surface and a good surface. When the first cut is made, the green may be seen, but when the second cut is made, the green may disappear. This is also a common thing. Away from the jade mine, only one in ten thousand (referring to the color material) is gambled, and the chance of gambling in the jade mine is much higher.
There are two kinds of jade raw stones: mountain material and baby material.
The mountain material is mined directly from the jade mine. It has no outer skin, irregular shape, many edges and cracks, rough and loose structure, and poor quality, and is not a gambling stone.
Jadeite is gravel. It is formed when the rock of jadeite rolls down the hillside after being weathered and broken, and is carried into the ravine or stream by flood or river water. Among the jadeite, there are three types of jadeite, namely water jadeite, soil jadeite and water jadeite sand according to the quality of jadeite and the thickness of the surface. During the rolling and transportation process, the edges and corners of the jadeite ore fragments are rounded, and the original cracked or loose parts are worn away or collapsed. At the same time, the surface is weathered into a layer of outer skin of varying thickness, so that the jadeite fragments become gravels of approximately round or oval shape wrapped by the outer skin. The gravels are large and small, with the large ones weighing thousands of tons or even tens of thousands of tons, and the small ones are as small as a thumb.
The raw materials all have a layer of outer skin of different thicknesses, and this outer skin has different shades of color. This is because when the outer skin is formed by weathering and erosion on the surface, the impurities contained in each are different, and the external geological environment is different, so the color of the outer skin is also diverse. The basic colors of the outer skin of jade are white, yellow, red, brown, brown, gray and black. Generally, the color is light, and the color boundary is not obvious, and it often appears as: light white, grayish white, yellowish white, light yellow, khaki, beige, dark yellow, yellowish red, etc.
Most of the raw jade materials in the jade raw material trading market are young materials, that is, jade gravel. Because the surface of the gravel is covered by a layer of weathered skin, the internal situation cannot be seen. People can only infer the quality of the jade inside the gambling stone based on the characteristics of the skin and the "doors" opened locally, and rely on their own experience. This makes it quite difficult to identify the quality of jade raw materials in the jade raw material trading. Such transactions are quite similar to gambling, so people call jade raw materials with skin gambling stones, gambling materials or gambling goods, and this commercial behavior is also called gambling stones. Since it is gambling, no one is sure to win. Even experienced experts can inevitably make mistakes, which is quite risky. However, the excitement of gambling, the mystery of gambling and the fun of gambling for fun drive many people to engage in the gambling stone industry. Therefore, some people can become rich overnight, from street gangsters to millionaires in a blink of an eye; some people can go bankrupt in an instant, from millionaires to paupers. This kind of thing is not uncommon.
……
A piece of jadeite that has not been opened, except for its shape, weight and appearance, no one can tell what is inside. Only by cutting it open can we get a true conclusion. People who gamble on jadeite, based on their own experience and the appearance of the skin, repeatedly guess and judge. When two or more people put forward different opinions, a gamble is made. Cutting the stone is called "cutting the stone" or "cutting the stone" in the industry. If a good water-green color appears after cutting, it is called "rising", otherwise it is "falling". Gambling on jadeite is a concrete manifestation of gambling on financial strength, wisdom, courage and personality.
In my opinion, there are only a few categories for gambling on stones.
First, bet on fog. Fog is a membrane of varying thickness between the outer skin and the base. The fog should be thin and transparent. The main bets are white fog and yellow fog. If you bet wrong on the fog, you lose.
Second, the main thing to bet on is the venue, because the stones in each venue are different, and if you bet on the wrong venue, you may lose.
Third, betting on cracks mainly depends on whether the stone has cracks. If there are cracks, the bet will be lost.
Fourth, betting on the bottom means the bottom chapter, which is technically called the meat head. It mainly bets on the purity and coarseness of the bottom. If the bottom is coarse, black, and messy, you lose the bet.
Fifth, bet on the color inside the jade flesh of jadeite. If there is no color, you lose. The main bet is on pure green. The green must be emerald, abundant, and lively.
As for the methods of gambling, there are only three aspects.
The first step is to rub the stone. Rubbing the stone is an ancient rule, which is effective and safe. If you cut without finding the right part, it will be easy to lose the bet if you do it blindly. The main thing to rub the stone is the fog, the bottom and the color. Because there is a rubbed edge, you can shine a light and look inside to judge the depth, width and intensity of the green. The order of rubbing the stone is: 1. Rubbing the rough, 2. Rubbing the dry, 3. Rubbing the ringworm, 4. Rubbing the loose flower. There is only one purpose for rubbing the stone, which is to find the real green color.
The second is stone cutting. In the stone cutting industry, it is said that rubbing does not count as an increase, only cutting does. Stone cutting is the most critical step in gambling on stones. The conclusion of winning or losing can only be determined after the stone is split open. Some stone gambling merchants will sell the stone as long as it rises after rubbing it, so that others can continue to gamble. Because continuing to rub or cut with a knife will be more risky, and the increase and collapse are only a slight difference. It can be seen that stone cutting is very important. One is the original cutting method, which is to use a bow saw to press sand and slowly saw the stone open. If it is found that the cutting cannot continue, it is convenient to take rescue measures. Another method is to use a jade cutting machine to cut with a diamond sand layer on the blade, which is accurate and fast to cut, but it is not easy to see the cutting process when the fixture clamps the stone in oil or water. Only when it is completely split can you know the win or loss. The first thing to do when cutting stone is to find the right position. Generally, the knife is cut from the rubbed edge or from the hollow. You can also cut from the loose flower or along the crack. When no color is seen after the first cut, you can try the second and third cuts. As the saying goes: one cut makes you poor, one cut makes you rich, which refers to this principle.
The third is the grinding stone. The grinding stone is for polishing, to fully show the transparency, so that people can see its good color or water quality. There are two ways to bet on the grinding stone. One is dark betting (hazy betting), the stone has no traces of rubbing or cutting, and no natural fracture. The other is half-clear betting, that is, there are knocks and rubbings on the stone, or small gaps, and the color or bottom water of part of the stone can be seen, but other parts are still unknown and have greater betting potential.
......"
"So how do we specifically check the crystallization of the leather?" Sun Rongrong asked curiously.
"Generally speaking, the coarse skin of jadeite gravel has large crystals, soft structure, low hardness and poor transparency, and is the lower grade of jadeite; the fine skin has small crystals, compact structure, fine texture, high hardness and good transparency, and the ones with black or black-red shiny skin are the best. This kind of material is called "dog shit eggs" in the jargon, and most of them are medium and upper grade jadeite; the properties of sand skin material are between the first two, and the quality varies greatly, but there are also good materials among them, so it has the strongest "gambling nature".
In addition to visual inspection, you can also use water to check the crystal size of the leather material. The method is to wet the jade gravel in water and then take it out to check how fast the water on the surface dries. If it dries quickly, it means that the crystal is coarse, the structure is loose, or there are many cracks and pores, and the texture is poor. On the contrary, it means that the crystal is small, the structure is dense, and the texture is good.
The other thing is to check the green.
The amount of green and the quality of the color determine the quality and value of jadeite. Therefore, it is important to observe the various signs of the green part inside the gravel on the surface to infer the condition of the green inside. The amount of green is related to the shape and distribution characteristics of the green part.
The green part of jadeite is more valuable when it is concentrated in clusters and stripes. Such green is often clustered or linear when it is exposed on the surface, and sometimes it is flake-shaped. When green appears in large flakes on the surface, it is mostly epidermal green, and there is often no green inside; when green appears in linear or clustered form on the surface, especially when the green lines exposed on the surface are symmetrically distributed, the green will extend to the inside and even run through the entire gravel. The latter is naturally more valuable than the former, so there is a saying in the industry that "it is better to buy a line than a piece". The color quality of green is related to the mineral components that present green. Generally speaking, the color quality of jadeite is better than the green color quality presented by diopside, hectopyroxene and nepheline. Jadeite has high hardness and strong weathering resistance. Therefore, on the outer skin, most of them are relatively protruding, while other minerals are relatively concave. The former is more valuable than the latter, so there is a saying in the industry that "it is better to buy a drum than a barren one". 'Gu' means that the green color appears in the bulging part, and 'qi' means that the green color appears in the concave part.
The next step is to check for cracks. In addition to observing the skin, identifying the inside and identifying the color, when evaluating jade raw materials, you should also pay attention to the development of cracks (commonly known as fissures). Of course, the fewer cracks, the better. In the jade raw material market, in order to show the texture and color of jade, jade merchants often cut off a small part of the outer skin and grind the cut surface flat and polished. This cut surface is called "door" in the jargon. In order to make more money, jade merchants try their best to open the door in the place that can best show the texture and color of the gambling stone. Therefore, when evaluating the door, you must carefully check the door and the surrounding conditions, conduct a comprehensive comparison and analysis, and remember not to overestimate the green color displayed by the door.
Among them, we must be careful to guard against counterfeiting. Because jade has obvious unevenness, its color and texture have great changes and differences, and it is difficult for ordinary people to grasp its authenticity and quality. The value of the quality is very different. In addition, the raw material transaction is very "gambling". Some unscrupulous merchants often use any means to fake the raw jade in order to make huge profits. For example, if the texture and green color shown after cutting the door are not ideal, they will use a good piece of jade to stick in the door to deceive the buyer, etc. "
"Then Wufeng, how do you tell the difference between real and fake gambling stones?" Su Ru couldn't help but ask.
Zhang Wufeng picked up a piece of beef and put it into Su Ru's mouth, then took a sip of beer, and then smiled and said, "Many old pit species often have a layer of skin on the surface. Due to oxidation, the skin has become brown-red, brown-black or other various colors. Generally, you can't tell its true face from the appearance. Even with the prosperity of science, there is no instrument today that can quickly judge whether it is a "precious jade" or a "rotten cotton" through this outer shell. Buyers of jade must judge the value of the jade from the original stone covered with skin (sometimes a "window" is opened on the skin, which means wiping off a small piece of skin to reveal the jade). This buying and selling process is the process of buyers and sellers competing with each other for a piece of jade with skin.
After gambling on the stone, the jade merchants usually dare not be present when the stone is cut and processed, but burn incense nearby and pray for the gods' blessing. If the cut stone contains a lot of clear and translucent emerald green, they can become rich overnight, which is called "gambling up"; if the gambling stone is cut and the essence is a piece of gray sand with green outside and white inside, they will lose everything overnight, which is called "gambling down" in the industry.
Since the Qing Dynasty, jade has become a high-end jade loved by the Yunnan people. It is also since the Qing Dynasty that various jade counterfeits, such as those that are dyed, dyed, and baked, have begun to appear on the market. Therefore, the saying "there is no expert in jade" not only explains the complexity and diversity of jade varieties, but also reveals the sophistication and variety of various counterfeiting techniques. In particular, the development of modern science has made some counterfeits so real that even experts sometimes fail.
Speaking of counterfeiting, the first is raw stone counterfeiting. Because the raw materials are often gambling goods, which are exciting and risky, and the raw stones have skin, the counterfeiting methods are often hidden and difficult to identify. In summary, there are the following types:
The first is to create skin! The texture of jadeite is often judged by the skin window. Some lawless people take advantage of this feature, grind some jadeite materials into sand powder, mix it in special "glue", glue it to some jadeite with rough texture, or even cut to prove that it is low-grade stone, and disguise it as natural raw material black sand, yellow salt sand, etc., to make huge profits. The second is dyeing and coloring. There are many ways to dye and color. One is to chemically treat the whole piece of raw material, dye it with green dye, so that its skin color turns green, so as to improve the grade of jade. Some stones are also partially faded after dyeing to create the appearance of uneven color or not particularly good, but in fact, this has also improved the grade a lot. The second is to diagonally drill holes in some jadeite with good water head but poor color, inject green dye, and then seal it, and open a "door" (window) on it, so that buyers can see from the window that the inside of the jade is very green, with great potential value, thereby increasing the selling price.
The third is grafting. The first method is to cut some high-quality jadeite, take out the essence, fill it with inferior scraps, glue it together again, and plant fake skin. The second method is to cut some inferior materials from the middle or any position, put or sandwich a small piece of green jadeite or green glass, glue it together again, plant fake skin, and then open a window near it to create the illusion that the material has high color.
The fourth is to pass off fake jade as genuine jade. Other low-grade jades such as Malay jade, Dushan jade, Qinghai jade and even marble are used for surface treatment and then passed off as top-grade jadeite.
The above are just a few of the fraud methods. There are many variations in reality. The most important and effective way to avoid being deceived is to be cautious and not pretend to be an expert.
Of course, it is still necessary to master some skills.
First of all, for any raw material with skin, you need to carefully examine the skin of the entire jade. If it is natural stone skin, the color, crystallization, and structure of each part will be different. Even if the difference is tiny, such as cracks and flaws, it will definitely be different. If the skin is extremely uniform, you need to be careful.
You may want to gently tap the skin of the jade (with the seller's permission). If it is real leather, it will generally fall off in the form of powder; if it is fake leather, it may fall off in flakes.
When buying jade, you can't just look at the window, which is generally the best part of the jade. In addition to the window, you must also look at the state of the nearby surface and whether there is any adhesion.
Secondly, carefully observe the color of the entire piece of jade. Natural gemstones rarely have a uniform green color throughout. You can carefully observe the green in the window by shining light and using a Chelsea filter. If the green turns red under the Chelsea filter, it is a color-infused or color-staining material.
It would be best if you can ask the seller to show you the cut window cover for comparison. However, it should be noted that as dyeing methods become more and more sophisticated, materials that do not turn red under a color filter do not necessarily mean they are natural.
If the green on the surface of the jade is distributed in the shape of silk or caterpillar claws, it is mostly colored stone. Again, carefully observe the texture of the jade. If the jade is extremely fine, without any stone flowers or crystal flashes (fly wing-like), be careful whether it is a fake such as Malay jade.
Now that we have talked about counterfeiting, let’s talk about choosing real jade.
If it is real jadeite, how do you judge its value? Because the formation conditions of jadeite are complex and diverse, and the skin and quality of jadeite vary from pit to pit, there is no magic weapon to distinguish it. You can only rely on experience and luck.
Some of my personal experience is that if a large piece of jade has a small window, it usually contains many cracks, so you need to be careful.
Second, for those with many cracks and defects, you should observe whether they are connected. If so, there must be cracks inside. A large piece of material can only be counted as two or several small pieces at most.
The third is to pay attention to some traditional jargon, which naturally makes sense. "It is better to buy a line of green than a piece of green." This means that a line of green (visible on both sides of the stone) is often more promising than irregular patches of green. The reason is that if this line of green passes through both sides, it means there must be green inside, but irregular patches of green do not necessarily mean there is green inside. It is possible that the green is only distributed near the surface and may disappear inside the stone.
Fourthly, the rough skin material is called 'pine skin', which is generally rough inside. However, this kind of material from some pits sometimes has high green color, which is the so-called 'high green comes out of dog shit land'.
The material with tight skin is finer in structure, and generally has better water head and ground. It is worth noting that experience is often the general situation. It is not easy to achieve "hit the mark every time". Practice and careful observation are extremely important, especially since some jades from certain factories often have their own characteristics. Trying to master these characteristics is crucial to whether you can buy good jade.
Also, in terms of technique, the skin is crucial in my opinion.
Jade skins are almost always in color, such as purple, black, white, dark green, etc., which are closely related to the interior, while red, brown, brown, etc., have no direct relationship with the interior. Because the shape and color of sand are often similar to some substances in nature, people call them sand shells with the same name. For example, if there are patches of water rust on the sand shell, people call it water-turned sand.
The rough skin is called rough skin stone, the fine sandy shell is called fine skin stone, the sand like salt is called salt sand skin, and the green skin like frog is called frog skin. As for the more common ones, I will talk about them appropriately.
Elephant skin, similar to old elephant skin, light gray, wrinkled, and prickly to the touch, which is a typical manifestation of weathering. This kind of skin has a better stone type, which is a native sand shell. After cutting, a translucent glass bottom is often seen, which is the best among the skin shells.
Old bark, similar to tree bark, yellowish brown, brown and wrinkled, rough to the eye, and prickly to the touch. After cutting, white water bottom is often seen, and most of them contain true color, which is highly gambleable. This kind of bark is mostly produced in the Damakan area. Because there is a tree called Denaika in Shien, and the bark is very similar to this kind of bark, people also call it Denaika bark.
White sand skin, the sand on the skin is like salt, the stone is old, and there is white fog under the skin. It is mainly produced in the old field area Mana field and some fields in the new field area. Other white salt sand has no fog under the skin, the sand grains are not distinguished by coarseness and fineness, and the hand feel is weak. It is common to remove the white sand and get yellow sand, which is an example of the symbiosis of secondary sand shell and primary sand shell. If there is green under the primary sand shell, it is mostly sunny and not shady, and the emerald color is rich and bright.
Yellow sand skin, sand grains are like salt, dark yellow, and the stone is old. It is mainly produced in the old field. Other fields also produce it. The most important difference is that the sand must be well turned over and have a strong three-dimensional sense. After cutting, the white water bottom is often seen, and the color is emerald and sunny. It is a top-grade and beautiful product. If the sand grains on the skin are chaotic and uneven, and there is no regular arrangement, such yellow sand skin has no fog layer, and it is mostly glutinous or bean bottom.
White lime skin, the sand grains are covered with a layer of lime powder. Brushing off this layer of white powder will reveal white sand. This is a manifestation of surface weathering. It is mostly produced in old producing areas, and most of them have glass bottoms after cutting.
Peeled sand skin, this is a double-layer sand shell, a typical variety of primary sand shell and secondary sand shell symbiosis. After peeling off one layer, there is still another layer, the color is mostly white on one layer and yellow or red on the second layer.
Old stone species, the main mining site is Dongguo. After cutting yellow sand, it is mostly white water bottom, with a yang bean color. After cutting red sand, it is mostly seen that the bottom is pounded, with a positive color, but dark.
Black Wusha skin: grayish black in color, with three types of sand grains: coarse, medium and fine. Coarse ones are mostly coarse bean bottom, fine ones are mostly fine bean bottom, only medium ones have glutinous bottom, after cutting, some have true color and some have off-color, some have strong white cat stool flavor, some have too much blue flavor. If it is Wusha skin from Shida or Houquan field, most of them have fine bean bottom, with strong green and yellow flavor; Mohan and Nanqi fields have mostly glutinous bottom, green is blue. Wusha from these four fields has wax shell, and black Wusha from other fields rarely has wax shell.
Rust skin: Rust skin is black and yellow, it can appear on sand shells of different colors, with strips of varying widths, some in the form of flakes, and some in the form of blocks. If the sand grains of the rust shell are moderate, and it is turned over vigorously and regularly, the base and color will be good after cutting. We are not afraid of a gray base, but only of colorlessness. Once it is colored, the color must be green and watery.
Iron sand skin: Iron refers to the sand is tight, mostly earthy white, after cutting, it has a fine bean bottom or glutinous bottom. This is a rare old variety.
Water-turned sand: It is mostly old stone, with black, yellow and gray colors, but the sand is generally not very good, because the field where this kind of water-turned sand is produced is relatively messy, the bottom water is average, and the main distinguishing point is whether there is water rust on the skin. The representative ones are the Pingpi water-turned sand in Mamu Bay and Huika.
Red sand shell: The color is similar to bayberry red, also known as bayberry sand. There are many places producing this kind of sand shell, including Baishangqiao, Xianggong, Damakan, Qiongpiao, Mana, Mogodi, etc. It is a medium-sized stone, often with ox blood fog, and generally with a bean bottom. If brown betel nut water rust appears on the shell, its color is very bad.
Bacon skin: The skin is shaped like bacon, so it is called bacon skin. The skin is thick or thin, the base is coarse or fine, generally opaque, belongs to the middle jadeite, and is produced in many places. However, it is rare to see jadeite with emerald color.
Frog skin: The color is grayish blue, the surface is fine and thin, a few frog skins have waxy shells, because they are applied in sand-free places, they are easy to fall off, and those with emerald green are relatively rare. It is mostly produced in the Houquan field area.
Yellow pear skin: pear yellow color, thin skin, light can see the color inside, after cutting, green yellow flavor, bright and lively. It is the most representative block of Damakan.
Potato skin: The skin is yellowish and thin, mostly half mountain and half water stone. After cutting, it is translucent and glutinous. It is produced in Damakan and Mobangwa.
Bamboo leaf skin: milky yellow and thin, with high transparency, it is a half-mountain and half-water stone. After cutting, it is green and warm. It is very distinctive on the white water bottom.
Frog skin: The skin is light green, without fog layer, and after cutting, the water is often short.
......"
"Then are there any blocks that are highly gambleable?" Sun Feifei asked Zhang Wufeng with a brilliant light in her beautiful eyes.
"The premise of gambling is that the venue, the sofa and the performance must be good, otherwise it is useless to gamble. It is better to buy and sell openly. I will introduce some gambling opportunities to you.
First, of course, I recommend the black sand stone of Laoshida: the black sand stone of Laoshida is its representative stone species, with strong sand, black skin like lacquer, prominent white shavings, pine flowers on the shavings, ringworms on the skin, fog under the skin, and clear withered color. This is a true expression of high color. If you have these conditions, you have hope in gambling.
Second, the bottom stone of Houquan field: The bottom stone of Houquan field has thin skin, complete wax shell, and sufficient water head. Especially the garlic skin iron dragon, which is red in white. As long as the cracks are small, the bet will rise. If there is purple in the stone, it is not worth betting, because the purple will infiltrate the green, making it lose its rich and vivid emerald green.
Third, the thin-skinned water stone of Mamuwan: the skin is as thin as paper, the skin color is waxy yellow, the skin is fine and the flesh is fine, and you can see the bottom clearly without strong light. Although there are tiny cracks, as long as you can see the green color from the bottom, distinguish the old species, and the color is stable and bright, you will win the bet.
There is also the half-mountain and half-water stone from Damakan: this stone has a yellow shell and yellow fog and a thin skin, and is highly suitable for gambling. If you have a thick skin and foggy black, you cannot gamble, because the bottom is gray and the water is short, the green is often blue, and there is no rebound. Although the water stone part can see the color, it does not penetrate into the inside, and the food part has loose flowers into the inside, and generally the colors are not connected.
……
Speaking of this, we have to talk about the site and location of Shien Jade.
Shien jade is produced in the northeast of the country, adjacent to the Yanan Province of Yunnan. The mining area runs through the Langtao River Basin, sandwiched between the Gongrenuo Mountain and the Babeng Mountain, 70 kilometers long from north to south, 20 kilometers wide from east to west, and covers an area of 1400 square kilometers. The mineral processing center is in Longken. It is 136 kilometers away from Bastu, 360 kilometers away from Tengning in Yunnan, and 1200 kilometers away from Bijun in Man. There are three major mining camps, the old field area, the Houquan field area, and the small field area.
The mining area has a hot climate, with an average annual rainfall of about 4000 mm. The spring and summer are the rainiest seasons, making it inconvenient for work, so mining and on-site transactions are conducted in the autumn and winter. After the Mid-Autumn Festival, people from all walks of life flock to the camp, including jade diggers, jade merchants, treasure hunters, and various businessmen. At the peak, there are more than 20 people, and the scene is chaotic. Since the 60s, this situation has become increasingly serious and has lasted for a long time.
The mining of Shien jade has a history of at least two decades. It has experienced ups and downs, but it is still in the ascendant. With the large-scale output of jade, the mining area is expanding and the number of mining sites is increasing. Now the mining area has expanded from Heping in the east to Hongmulin in the west, about 240 kilometers long; from Wenduo in the south to Laban in the north, about 170 kilometers wide. There are more than 100 pits of different sizes in the three major mining areas, with shapes like stars falling and chess pieces, and no less than 70 well-known ones.
The old field area includes the Shida field area, the Damakan field area, and the new field area. It is connected to Yindidan and is located in the upper, middle and lower reaches of the Langtao River. It was discovered and mined the earliest, has the largest scope, and has the most field openings. It is the main production area of Shien jadeite.
Shida field, this field is an alluvial or residual-slope deposit, located in the middle reaches of Langtao River, and mining began in the first century AD. The deepest pit excavated so far has reached the fifth layer, about 30 meters deep. The blocks from the first layer are almost all yellow sand crust, the second layer is mostly red sand crust with wax skin, the third layer is black sand crust, the fourth layer is gray-black crust, and the fifth layer is white-yellow crust, mostly with wax skin. The blocks between the fields are obviously different, and it is not easy to distinguish them. Only by understanding the fields and remembering their respective characteristics can we become proficient and make accurate judgments. The main venues in this area are: Laoshida, Mamuwan, Huika, Baishangqiao, Dagudi, Chitongka, Gramo, Mengmao, Dongguo, Mana, Jiebengqiong, Molaogeng, Xiandong, Xianggong, Qiongpiao, Nanying, Yuma, Geyinqiong, Dongmo, Gramowa, Pabing, Zibo, Xiandian, Miaobi, Modi, Pabian, Sanjue, Hengding, Qiaowu, Laozhaipengzi, Qiangba, Sanchahe, and Mogan.
The Damakan area is located in the lower reaches of the Langtao River and the west of the old area. It is an alluvial deposit and was mined about 200 years later than the Shida area. With the Damakan site as the representative, there are nearly 20 famous sites, and the excavation depth has reached the fifth layer, with many Guanshan semi-water stones. The famous sites are: Damakan, Huangba, Mogedie, Quebing, Molong Base, Dasanka, Nansili, Nansebing, Xidabie, Yueyinggong, Nayadong, Meilinqiang, Kuma, and Danxiu.
Xinchang District is located in the upper reaches of Langtao River and the east of Laochang District. It was mined earlier. It is a surface deposit. Jade blocks can be obtained without deep digging, but most of them have no skin and are primary deposits. People are accustomed to calling the blocks here Xinchang Stone, hence the name Xinchang District. There are many pits in Xinchang District, but they are used for the shortest time and are easily abandoned. The more stable pits are: Damobian, Xiaomobian, Gedimo, Pozhigong, Moshisa, Bannong, Masa, Sankamo, Karamo, Sanketang, and Mobanwa.
Houquan field area, Houquan is a tributary on the north side of Langtao River, named Yandi River. This is also an alluvial deposit, which was mined relatively late, in the early 300th century. It includes two fields, Houquan and Namo. Although the two places are not far apart, the jade blocks produced are very different. The blocks produced in the Houquan field area are generally around 30 grams, with many products, excellent texture, thin upper shell, and excellent humor. The current excavation depth has exceeded the sixth layer, about meters deep. There are interlayers in the third and fourth layers. The first two layers are similar to the situation in the old field area. The skin of the blocks in the sixth layer is almost all yellow wax shells. The interlayers after the sixth layer are relatively thick, and the current mining rate is low. The main field openings are: Molong, Bisidu, Gemulin, Paduoman, Hong Kongmo, Modongguo, Modi, Jiaying, Bugeduo, and Geqingmo.
Namo field area, Namo is a stone language, meaning thunder strike. This field area is also called thunder strike field area, and the blocks produced are called thunder strike stone. This field area is located in the upper reaches of Yandi River, and most of them are surface deposits, with inferior blocks, many cracks, poor bottom water hardness, loose texture, and most of them cannot be cut and made. Although there are green ones, most of them are variant stones and their value is very low. The cause of the variation of thunder strike stone needs to be further explored from the cause of formation to see whether the lower layer can change, hoping to produce authentic jadeite. In recent years, people have gradually had a new view of this field area. In early 1992, a huge high-quality block as big as a house was discovered in this field area, which was like a miracle and caused a sensation. At present, the representative fields are only: Namo, Qinlanbang, and Menglanbang.
Xiaochang District, located south of Langtao River, covers an area of about 45 square kilometers, three times larger than Houquan District. It is called Xiaochang District because there are not many mining sites. This is a primary deposit, which has produced many high-quality jades and is an indispensable part of the entire Shien Jade Mine. The deepest mining site in this area has been controlled to the fourth layer, with mostly black blocks with wax shells. The most famous mining sites are: Nanqi, Nanmo, Moliu, Ximo, Mohan, Nanxiong, Wuqigong, Nahei, Tongdong, Moliumo, and Mogedi.
......"
"Are you studying geography? Or archaeology? How do you know all this so clearly?" Sun Weiwei asked in shock.
At this time, even Sun Rongrong had to admire Zhang Wufeng's extensive knowledge and excellent memory.
"He is the great expert Zhang!" Sun Rongrong said with a smile.
Zhang Wufeng smiled upon hearing this, but did not explain much, because he himself had a strong memory, and the world within a dream had captured the memories of many experts. He also had specialized in the study of archaeology as a whole, so these were really a piece of cake for him. He just talked about them with great interest, and he was not deliberately showing off his knowledge.
He pondered for a moment, and then continued in his magnetic voice, "A long time ago, the people of Shi'en could not dig out large pieces of jade from the soil. They often burned the pieces with firewood, poured cold water on them to make them explode, and then picked up the green pieces. Because cutting is time-consuming and laborious, this method is often used to break up large pieces dug out of the ground. Shi'en is an agricultural country with few advanced excavation machines. Today, except for a few pits that use hydraulic drills, most of the mining is still carried out in accordance with the ancient manual excavation. They do not conduct surveys, but rely entirely on experience and luck. They have no idea whether they can dig out better varieties. They are superstitious that jade has spiritual energy, and as long as they are lucky, they can dig out good jade. Despite the hardships, people still do the same year after year.
The mining period of Shien Mine is from September to April of the following year. The rest of the year is the rainy season, with water in the pits and hot weather, making life and mining very difficult. In the dry season, groups of jade workers go up the mountain to find their bosses, select a site, and use iron pickaxes and crowbars to dig deep underground like digging a well. If they dig up stones, they will bring small ones to the surface for identification, and wash away the dirt of large ones with water, carefully judge whether they are jadeite, and then lift them to the surface with all their strength. If they are not good or are not jadeite, they will avoid the stones and continue digging. People call this method "digging holes".
Another method is called "opening a pond". Jade diggers do not dig deep, but dig shallowly horizontally to create a pit the size of a fish pond. They look for stones while digging. This method is commonly used in the new field area.
The third method is the "flushing method". Jade diggers think that the soil layer on the ground is too thin, so they use pumps to dig water and flush. If they find stones exposed, they dig them out immediately. This method is often used in the Namo area.
The fourth method is the "salvage method". Jade diggers hold a breathing hose and waterproof goggles, dive into rivers and ponds to identify gravel and jadeite, then salvage them to the surface, distinguish the good from the bad and decide whether to keep them. This method is still used in the fields along the Tuer River.
......"
(End of this chapter)
Back in the BMW, Zhang Wufeng took Su Ru and followed behind Sun Feifei's car. He couldn't help but think of Zhang Zhengliang's past again.
Zhang Wufeng didn't want to think any more about Zhang Zhengliang, Zhang Zhengyou and the others. However, since they had booked lunch at the Fuye Hotel this time, it didn't matter.
What good would it do to these people to play tricks? They would still be trampled to death by him.
In his dreams, Zhang Wufeng might take Zhang Zhengliang very seriously, and feel extremely resentful and hateful, and even want to kill him as soon as possible.
But at this moment, he took it too lightly. However, he would still take revenge on the person who killed his father.
……
The Sideline Hotel was as luxurious and bustling as usual.
Here, even if Sun Feifei came, there was no sign of Zhang Zhengliang, and the manager's attitude could only be described as relatively good, which was a far cry from excellent.
In the hotel, Zhang Wufeng met Sun Rongrong and Sun Weiwei.
At this dinner, in addition to Lao Fang and Sun Feifei, Sun Weiwei was also present. Zhang Wufeng could only say that he was quite surprised.
"Zhang Wufeng, let me introduce you. This is Sun Rongrong, and this is Sun Weiwei. They are both my sisters."
"Yeah." Zhang Wufeng nodded. Seeing that the two of them ignored him, Zhang Wufeng didn't say anything more to them.
In the eyes of the other party, he is an outsider.
"This is Su Ru, my current girlfriend. I believe you know everything about me, so there is no need for me to say more." Zhang Wufeng said with a smile.
Sun Feifei was slightly stunned, then smiled.
"Hello Su Ru, my name is Sun Feifei."
"Hello, Sun Feifei. I'm Su Ru. Thank you so much for this time."
"You're welcome. If it weren't for Zhang Wufeng who understood these things, I wouldn't be able to make a big profit."
"Anyway, thank you very much."
"Suru, I understand that you once had, um, an issue with your face... where did you get treated?"
"Wufeng treated me. He studied acupuncture for a long time for me."
"Oh, I see. I didn't expect that he is not only good at gambling on stones, but also so skilled in acupuncture." Sun Feifei said, with a hint of surprise in her eyes.
"I don't know much, I am only relatively proficient in antiques, calligraphy and painting, chess, gambling on stones, acupuncture and other aspects."
Zhang Wufeng said this casually, and his words were considered quite humble.
"Oh, you are really boasting without thinking. Don't think that you know how to gamble on stones just because the bets are going up. I don't agree with you. How about you share some of your experience so that I can try it? I am very curious about how you know how to gamble on stones!"
"Haha, Rongrong, if you want to know, it's naturally not a problem." Zhang Wufeng said to her gently.
Sun Rongrong was stunned for a moment, feeling Zhang Wufeng's strange gaze. She paused for a moment and wanted to curse a few words, but unexpectedly stopped.
"Haha, since Brother Wufeng is willing to show us a way to make money, we are naturally all ears. Come, let's eat and talk at the same time."
"Okay, sit down, sit down..."
……
"Speaking of gambling on jadeite, the jadeite gambling stone is actually the raw material of jadeite.
Gambling on stones or goods refers to the fact that when jade is mined, it is covered with a layer of weathered skin, and it is impossible to know whether it is good or bad. Jade that needs to be cut is called gambling stone. Jade produced in old factories has skin, but water-stone jade produced in the riverbed is also old factory jade, and the skin is very thin or skinless. Most jade produced in new factories has no skin, but those produced in the slope accumulation layer have skin. The thickness of the skin mainly depends on the degree of weathering. The higher the degree of weathering, the thicker the skin. A piece of raw jade has a colored surface and a good surface. When the first cut is made, the green may be seen, but when the second cut is made, the green may disappear. This is also a common thing. Away from the jade mine, only one in ten thousand (referring to the color material) is gambled, and the chance of gambling in the jade mine is much higher.
There are two kinds of jade raw stones: mountain material and baby material.
The mountain material is mined directly from the jade mine. It has no outer skin, irregular shape, many edges and cracks, rough and loose structure, and poor quality, and is not a gambling stone.
Jadeite is gravel. It is formed when the rock of jadeite rolls down the hillside after being weathered and broken, and is carried into the ravine or stream by flood or river water. Among the jadeite, there are three types of jadeite, namely water jadeite, soil jadeite and water jadeite sand according to the quality of jadeite and the thickness of the surface. During the rolling and transportation process, the edges and corners of the jadeite ore fragments are rounded, and the original cracked or loose parts are worn away or collapsed. At the same time, the surface is weathered into a layer of outer skin of varying thickness, so that the jadeite fragments become gravels of approximately round or oval shape wrapped by the outer skin. The gravels are large and small, with the large ones weighing thousands of tons or even tens of thousands of tons, and the small ones are as small as a thumb.
The raw materials all have a layer of outer skin of different thicknesses, and this outer skin has different shades of color. This is because when the outer skin is formed by weathering and erosion on the surface, the impurities contained in each are different, and the external geological environment is different, so the color of the outer skin is also diverse. The basic colors of the outer skin of jade are white, yellow, red, brown, brown, gray and black. Generally, the color is light, and the color boundary is not obvious, and it often appears as: light white, grayish white, yellowish white, light yellow, khaki, beige, dark yellow, yellowish red, etc.
Most of the raw jade materials in the jade raw material trading market are young materials, that is, jade gravel. Because the surface of the gravel is covered by a layer of weathered skin, the internal situation cannot be seen. People can only infer the quality of the jade inside the gambling stone based on the characteristics of the skin and the "doors" opened locally, and rely on their own experience. This makes it quite difficult to identify the quality of jade raw materials in the jade raw material trading. Such transactions are quite similar to gambling, so people call jade raw materials with skin gambling stones, gambling materials or gambling goods, and this commercial behavior is also called gambling stones. Since it is gambling, no one is sure to win. Even experienced experts can inevitably make mistakes, which is quite risky. However, the excitement of gambling, the mystery of gambling and the fun of gambling for fun drive many people to engage in the gambling stone industry. Therefore, some people can become rich overnight, from street gangsters to millionaires in a blink of an eye; some people can go bankrupt in an instant, from millionaires to paupers. This kind of thing is not uncommon.
……
A piece of jadeite that has not been opened, except for its shape, weight and appearance, no one can tell what is inside. Only by cutting it open can we get a true conclusion. People who gamble on jadeite, based on their own experience and the appearance of the skin, repeatedly guess and judge. When two or more people put forward different opinions, a gamble is made. Cutting the stone is called "cutting the stone" or "cutting the stone" in the industry. If a good water-green color appears after cutting, it is called "rising", otherwise it is "falling". Gambling on jadeite is a concrete manifestation of gambling on financial strength, wisdom, courage and personality.
In my opinion, there are only a few categories for gambling on stones.
First, bet on fog. Fog is a membrane of varying thickness between the outer skin and the base. The fog should be thin and transparent. The main bets are white fog and yellow fog. If you bet wrong on the fog, you lose.
Second, the main thing to bet on is the venue, because the stones in each venue are different, and if you bet on the wrong venue, you may lose.
Third, betting on cracks mainly depends on whether the stone has cracks. If there are cracks, the bet will be lost.
Fourth, betting on the bottom means the bottom chapter, which is technically called the meat head. It mainly bets on the purity and coarseness of the bottom. If the bottom is coarse, black, and messy, you lose the bet.
Fifth, bet on the color inside the jade flesh of jadeite. If there is no color, you lose. The main bet is on pure green. The green must be emerald, abundant, and lively.
As for the methods of gambling, there are only three aspects.
The first step is to rub the stone. Rubbing the stone is an ancient rule, which is effective and safe. If you cut without finding the right part, it will be easy to lose the bet if you do it blindly. The main thing to rub the stone is the fog, the bottom and the color. Because there is a rubbed edge, you can shine a light and look inside to judge the depth, width and intensity of the green. The order of rubbing the stone is: 1. Rubbing the rough, 2. Rubbing the dry, 3. Rubbing the ringworm, 4. Rubbing the loose flower. There is only one purpose for rubbing the stone, which is to find the real green color.
The second is stone cutting. In the stone cutting industry, it is said that rubbing does not count as an increase, only cutting does. Stone cutting is the most critical step in gambling on stones. The conclusion of winning or losing can only be determined after the stone is split open. Some stone gambling merchants will sell the stone as long as it rises after rubbing it, so that others can continue to gamble. Because continuing to rub or cut with a knife will be more risky, and the increase and collapse are only a slight difference. It can be seen that stone cutting is very important. One is the original cutting method, which is to use a bow saw to press sand and slowly saw the stone open. If it is found that the cutting cannot continue, it is convenient to take rescue measures. Another method is to use a jade cutting machine to cut with a diamond sand layer on the blade, which is accurate and fast to cut, but it is not easy to see the cutting process when the fixture clamps the stone in oil or water. Only when it is completely split can you know the win or loss. The first thing to do when cutting stone is to find the right position. Generally, the knife is cut from the rubbed edge or from the hollow. You can also cut from the loose flower or along the crack. When no color is seen after the first cut, you can try the second and third cuts. As the saying goes: one cut makes you poor, one cut makes you rich, which refers to this principle.
The third is the grinding stone. The grinding stone is for polishing, to fully show the transparency, so that people can see its good color or water quality. There are two ways to bet on the grinding stone. One is dark betting (hazy betting), the stone has no traces of rubbing or cutting, and no natural fracture. The other is half-clear betting, that is, there are knocks and rubbings on the stone, or small gaps, and the color or bottom water of part of the stone can be seen, but other parts are still unknown and have greater betting potential.
......"
"So how do we specifically check the crystallization of the leather?" Sun Rongrong asked curiously.
"Generally speaking, the coarse skin of jadeite gravel has large crystals, soft structure, low hardness and poor transparency, and is the lower grade of jadeite; the fine skin has small crystals, compact structure, fine texture, high hardness and good transparency, and the ones with black or black-red shiny skin are the best. This kind of material is called "dog shit eggs" in the jargon, and most of them are medium and upper grade jadeite; the properties of sand skin material are between the first two, and the quality varies greatly, but there are also good materials among them, so it has the strongest "gambling nature".
In addition to visual inspection, you can also use water to check the crystal size of the leather material. The method is to wet the jade gravel in water and then take it out to check how fast the water on the surface dries. If it dries quickly, it means that the crystal is coarse, the structure is loose, or there are many cracks and pores, and the texture is poor. On the contrary, it means that the crystal is small, the structure is dense, and the texture is good.
The other thing is to check the green.
The amount of green and the quality of the color determine the quality and value of jadeite. Therefore, it is important to observe the various signs of the green part inside the gravel on the surface to infer the condition of the green inside. The amount of green is related to the shape and distribution characteristics of the green part.
The green part of jadeite is more valuable when it is concentrated in clusters and stripes. Such green is often clustered or linear when it is exposed on the surface, and sometimes it is flake-shaped. When green appears in large flakes on the surface, it is mostly epidermal green, and there is often no green inside; when green appears in linear or clustered form on the surface, especially when the green lines exposed on the surface are symmetrically distributed, the green will extend to the inside and even run through the entire gravel. The latter is naturally more valuable than the former, so there is a saying in the industry that "it is better to buy a line than a piece". The color quality of green is related to the mineral components that present green. Generally speaking, the color quality of jadeite is better than the green color quality presented by diopside, hectopyroxene and nepheline. Jadeite has high hardness and strong weathering resistance. Therefore, on the outer skin, most of them are relatively protruding, while other minerals are relatively concave. The former is more valuable than the latter, so there is a saying in the industry that "it is better to buy a drum than a barren one". 'Gu' means that the green color appears in the bulging part, and 'qi' means that the green color appears in the concave part.
The next step is to check for cracks. In addition to observing the skin, identifying the inside and identifying the color, when evaluating jade raw materials, you should also pay attention to the development of cracks (commonly known as fissures). Of course, the fewer cracks, the better. In the jade raw material market, in order to show the texture and color of jade, jade merchants often cut off a small part of the outer skin and grind the cut surface flat and polished. This cut surface is called "door" in the jargon. In order to make more money, jade merchants try their best to open the door in the place that can best show the texture and color of the gambling stone. Therefore, when evaluating the door, you must carefully check the door and the surrounding conditions, conduct a comprehensive comparison and analysis, and remember not to overestimate the green color displayed by the door.
Among them, we must be careful to guard against counterfeiting. Because jade has obvious unevenness, its color and texture have great changes and differences, and it is difficult for ordinary people to grasp its authenticity and quality. The value of the quality is very different. In addition, the raw material transaction is very "gambling". Some unscrupulous merchants often use any means to fake the raw jade in order to make huge profits. For example, if the texture and green color shown after cutting the door are not ideal, they will use a good piece of jade to stick in the door to deceive the buyer, etc. "
"Then Wufeng, how do you tell the difference between real and fake gambling stones?" Su Ru couldn't help but ask.
Zhang Wufeng picked up a piece of beef and put it into Su Ru's mouth, then took a sip of beer, and then smiled and said, "Many old pit species often have a layer of skin on the surface. Due to oxidation, the skin has become brown-red, brown-black or other various colors. Generally, you can't tell its true face from the appearance. Even with the prosperity of science, there is no instrument today that can quickly judge whether it is a "precious jade" or a "rotten cotton" through this outer shell. Buyers of jade must judge the value of the jade from the original stone covered with skin (sometimes a "window" is opened on the skin, which means wiping off a small piece of skin to reveal the jade). This buying and selling process is the process of buyers and sellers competing with each other for a piece of jade with skin.
After gambling on the stone, the jade merchants usually dare not be present when the stone is cut and processed, but burn incense nearby and pray for the gods' blessing. If the cut stone contains a lot of clear and translucent emerald green, they can become rich overnight, which is called "gambling up"; if the gambling stone is cut and the essence is a piece of gray sand with green outside and white inside, they will lose everything overnight, which is called "gambling down" in the industry.
Since the Qing Dynasty, jade has become a high-end jade loved by the Yunnan people. It is also since the Qing Dynasty that various jade counterfeits, such as those that are dyed, dyed, and baked, have begun to appear on the market. Therefore, the saying "there is no expert in jade" not only explains the complexity and diversity of jade varieties, but also reveals the sophistication and variety of various counterfeiting techniques. In particular, the development of modern science has made some counterfeits so real that even experts sometimes fail.
Speaking of counterfeiting, the first is raw stone counterfeiting. Because the raw materials are often gambling goods, which are exciting and risky, and the raw stones have skin, the counterfeiting methods are often hidden and difficult to identify. In summary, there are the following types:
The first is to create skin! The texture of jadeite is often judged by the skin window. Some lawless people take advantage of this feature, grind some jadeite materials into sand powder, mix it in special "glue", glue it to some jadeite with rough texture, or even cut to prove that it is low-grade stone, and disguise it as natural raw material black sand, yellow salt sand, etc., to make huge profits. The second is dyeing and coloring. There are many ways to dye and color. One is to chemically treat the whole piece of raw material, dye it with green dye, so that its skin color turns green, so as to improve the grade of jade. Some stones are also partially faded after dyeing to create the appearance of uneven color or not particularly good, but in fact, this has also improved the grade a lot. The second is to diagonally drill holes in some jadeite with good water head but poor color, inject green dye, and then seal it, and open a "door" (window) on it, so that buyers can see from the window that the inside of the jade is very green, with great potential value, thereby increasing the selling price.
The third is grafting. The first method is to cut some high-quality jadeite, take out the essence, fill it with inferior scraps, glue it together again, and plant fake skin. The second method is to cut some inferior materials from the middle or any position, put or sandwich a small piece of green jadeite or green glass, glue it together again, plant fake skin, and then open a window near it to create the illusion that the material has high color.
The fourth is to pass off fake jade as genuine jade. Other low-grade jades such as Malay jade, Dushan jade, Qinghai jade and even marble are used for surface treatment and then passed off as top-grade jadeite.
The above are just a few of the fraud methods. There are many variations in reality. The most important and effective way to avoid being deceived is to be cautious and not pretend to be an expert.
Of course, it is still necessary to master some skills.
First of all, for any raw material with skin, you need to carefully examine the skin of the entire jade. If it is natural stone skin, the color, crystallization, and structure of each part will be different. Even if the difference is tiny, such as cracks and flaws, it will definitely be different. If the skin is extremely uniform, you need to be careful.
You may want to gently tap the skin of the jade (with the seller's permission). If it is real leather, it will generally fall off in the form of powder; if it is fake leather, it may fall off in flakes.
When buying jade, you can't just look at the window, which is generally the best part of the jade. In addition to the window, you must also look at the state of the nearby surface and whether there is any adhesion.
Secondly, carefully observe the color of the entire piece of jade. Natural gemstones rarely have a uniform green color throughout. You can carefully observe the green in the window by shining light and using a Chelsea filter. If the green turns red under the Chelsea filter, it is a color-infused or color-staining material.
It would be best if you can ask the seller to show you the cut window cover for comparison. However, it should be noted that as dyeing methods become more and more sophisticated, materials that do not turn red under a color filter do not necessarily mean they are natural.
If the green on the surface of the jade is distributed in the shape of silk or caterpillar claws, it is mostly colored stone. Again, carefully observe the texture of the jade. If the jade is extremely fine, without any stone flowers or crystal flashes (fly wing-like), be careful whether it is a fake such as Malay jade.
Now that we have talked about counterfeiting, let’s talk about choosing real jade.
If it is real jadeite, how do you judge its value? Because the formation conditions of jadeite are complex and diverse, and the skin and quality of jadeite vary from pit to pit, there is no magic weapon to distinguish it. You can only rely on experience and luck.
Some of my personal experience is that if a large piece of jade has a small window, it usually contains many cracks, so you need to be careful.
Second, for those with many cracks and defects, you should observe whether they are connected. If so, there must be cracks inside. A large piece of material can only be counted as two or several small pieces at most.
The third is to pay attention to some traditional jargon, which naturally makes sense. "It is better to buy a line of green than a piece of green." This means that a line of green (visible on both sides of the stone) is often more promising than irregular patches of green. The reason is that if this line of green passes through both sides, it means there must be green inside, but irregular patches of green do not necessarily mean there is green inside. It is possible that the green is only distributed near the surface and may disappear inside the stone.
Fourthly, the rough skin material is called 'pine skin', which is generally rough inside. However, this kind of material from some pits sometimes has high green color, which is the so-called 'high green comes out of dog shit land'.
The material with tight skin is finer in structure, and generally has better water head and ground. It is worth noting that experience is often the general situation. It is not easy to achieve "hit the mark every time". Practice and careful observation are extremely important, especially since some jades from certain factories often have their own characteristics. Trying to master these characteristics is crucial to whether you can buy good jade.
Also, in terms of technique, the skin is crucial in my opinion.
Jade skins are almost always in color, such as purple, black, white, dark green, etc., which are closely related to the interior, while red, brown, brown, etc., have no direct relationship with the interior. Because the shape and color of sand are often similar to some substances in nature, people call them sand shells with the same name. For example, if there are patches of water rust on the sand shell, people call it water-turned sand.
The rough skin is called rough skin stone, the fine sandy shell is called fine skin stone, the sand like salt is called salt sand skin, and the green skin like frog is called frog skin. As for the more common ones, I will talk about them appropriately.
Elephant skin, similar to old elephant skin, light gray, wrinkled, and prickly to the touch, which is a typical manifestation of weathering. This kind of skin has a better stone type, which is a native sand shell. After cutting, a translucent glass bottom is often seen, which is the best among the skin shells.
Old bark, similar to tree bark, yellowish brown, brown and wrinkled, rough to the eye, and prickly to the touch. After cutting, white water bottom is often seen, and most of them contain true color, which is highly gambleable. This kind of bark is mostly produced in the Damakan area. Because there is a tree called Denaika in Shien, and the bark is very similar to this kind of bark, people also call it Denaika bark.
White sand skin, the sand on the skin is like salt, the stone is old, and there is white fog under the skin. It is mainly produced in the old field area Mana field and some fields in the new field area. Other white salt sand has no fog under the skin, the sand grains are not distinguished by coarseness and fineness, and the hand feel is weak. It is common to remove the white sand and get yellow sand, which is an example of the symbiosis of secondary sand shell and primary sand shell. If there is green under the primary sand shell, it is mostly sunny and not shady, and the emerald color is rich and bright.
Yellow sand skin, sand grains are like salt, dark yellow, and the stone is old. It is mainly produced in the old field. Other fields also produce it. The most important difference is that the sand must be well turned over and have a strong three-dimensional sense. After cutting, the white water bottom is often seen, and the color is emerald and sunny. It is a top-grade and beautiful product. If the sand grains on the skin are chaotic and uneven, and there is no regular arrangement, such yellow sand skin has no fog layer, and it is mostly glutinous or bean bottom.
White lime skin, the sand grains are covered with a layer of lime powder. Brushing off this layer of white powder will reveal white sand. This is a manifestation of surface weathering. It is mostly produced in old producing areas, and most of them have glass bottoms after cutting.
Peeled sand skin, this is a double-layer sand shell, a typical variety of primary sand shell and secondary sand shell symbiosis. After peeling off one layer, there is still another layer, the color is mostly white on one layer and yellow or red on the second layer.
Old stone species, the main mining site is Dongguo. After cutting yellow sand, it is mostly white water bottom, with a yang bean color. After cutting red sand, it is mostly seen that the bottom is pounded, with a positive color, but dark.
Black Wusha skin: grayish black in color, with three types of sand grains: coarse, medium and fine. Coarse ones are mostly coarse bean bottom, fine ones are mostly fine bean bottom, only medium ones have glutinous bottom, after cutting, some have true color and some have off-color, some have strong white cat stool flavor, some have too much blue flavor. If it is Wusha skin from Shida or Houquan field, most of them have fine bean bottom, with strong green and yellow flavor; Mohan and Nanqi fields have mostly glutinous bottom, green is blue. Wusha from these four fields has wax shell, and black Wusha from other fields rarely has wax shell.
Rust skin: Rust skin is black and yellow, it can appear on sand shells of different colors, with strips of varying widths, some in the form of flakes, and some in the form of blocks. If the sand grains of the rust shell are moderate, and it is turned over vigorously and regularly, the base and color will be good after cutting. We are not afraid of a gray base, but only of colorlessness. Once it is colored, the color must be green and watery.
Iron sand skin: Iron refers to the sand is tight, mostly earthy white, after cutting, it has a fine bean bottom or glutinous bottom. This is a rare old variety.
Water-turned sand: It is mostly old stone, with black, yellow and gray colors, but the sand is generally not very good, because the field where this kind of water-turned sand is produced is relatively messy, the bottom water is average, and the main distinguishing point is whether there is water rust on the skin. The representative ones are the Pingpi water-turned sand in Mamu Bay and Huika.
Red sand shell: The color is similar to bayberry red, also known as bayberry sand. There are many places producing this kind of sand shell, including Baishangqiao, Xianggong, Damakan, Qiongpiao, Mana, Mogodi, etc. It is a medium-sized stone, often with ox blood fog, and generally with a bean bottom. If brown betel nut water rust appears on the shell, its color is very bad.
Bacon skin: The skin is shaped like bacon, so it is called bacon skin. The skin is thick or thin, the base is coarse or fine, generally opaque, belongs to the middle jadeite, and is produced in many places. However, it is rare to see jadeite with emerald color.
Frog skin: The color is grayish blue, the surface is fine and thin, a few frog skins have waxy shells, because they are applied in sand-free places, they are easy to fall off, and those with emerald green are relatively rare. It is mostly produced in the Houquan field area.
Yellow pear skin: pear yellow color, thin skin, light can see the color inside, after cutting, green yellow flavor, bright and lively. It is the most representative block of Damakan.
Potato skin: The skin is yellowish and thin, mostly half mountain and half water stone. After cutting, it is translucent and glutinous. It is produced in Damakan and Mobangwa.
Bamboo leaf skin: milky yellow and thin, with high transparency, it is a half-mountain and half-water stone. After cutting, it is green and warm. It is very distinctive on the white water bottom.
Frog skin: The skin is light green, without fog layer, and after cutting, the water is often short.
......"
"Then are there any blocks that are highly gambleable?" Sun Feifei asked Zhang Wufeng with a brilliant light in her beautiful eyes.
"The premise of gambling is that the venue, the sofa and the performance must be good, otherwise it is useless to gamble. It is better to buy and sell openly. I will introduce some gambling opportunities to you.
First, of course, I recommend the black sand stone of Laoshida: the black sand stone of Laoshida is its representative stone species, with strong sand, black skin like lacquer, prominent white shavings, pine flowers on the shavings, ringworms on the skin, fog under the skin, and clear withered color. This is a true expression of high color. If you have these conditions, you have hope in gambling.
Second, the bottom stone of Houquan field: The bottom stone of Houquan field has thin skin, complete wax shell, and sufficient water head. Especially the garlic skin iron dragon, which is red in white. As long as the cracks are small, the bet will rise. If there is purple in the stone, it is not worth betting, because the purple will infiltrate the green, making it lose its rich and vivid emerald green.
Third, the thin-skinned water stone of Mamuwan: the skin is as thin as paper, the skin color is waxy yellow, the skin is fine and the flesh is fine, and you can see the bottom clearly without strong light. Although there are tiny cracks, as long as you can see the green color from the bottom, distinguish the old species, and the color is stable and bright, you will win the bet.
There is also the half-mountain and half-water stone from Damakan: this stone has a yellow shell and yellow fog and a thin skin, and is highly suitable for gambling. If you have a thick skin and foggy black, you cannot gamble, because the bottom is gray and the water is short, the green is often blue, and there is no rebound. Although the water stone part can see the color, it does not penetrate into the inside, and the food part has loose flowers into the inside, and generally the colors are not connected.
……
Speaking of this, we have to talk about the site and location of Shien Jade.
Shien jade is produced in the northeast of the country, adjacent to the Yanan Province of Yunnan. The mining area runs through the Langtao River Basin, sandwiched between the Gongrenuo Mountain and the Babeng Mountain, 70 kilometers long from north to south, 20 kilometers wide from east to west, and covers an area of 1400 square kilometers. The mineral processing center is in Longken. It is 136 kilometers away from Bastu, 360 kilometers away from Tengning in Yunnan, and 1200 kilometers away from Bijun in Man. There are three major mining camps, the old field area, the Houquan field area, and the small field area.
The mining area has a hot climate, with an average annual rainfall of about 4000 mm. The spring and summer are the rainiest seasons, making it inconvenient for work, so mining and on-site transactions are conducted in the autumn and winter. After the Mid-Autumn Festival, people from all walks of life flock to the camp, including jade diggers, jade merchants, treasure hunters, and various businessmen. At the peak, there are more than 20 people, and the scene is chaotic. Since the 60s, this situation has become increasingly serious and has lasted for a long time.
The mining of Shien jade has a history of at least two decades. It has experienced ups and downs, but it is still in the ascendant. With the large-scale output of jade, the mining area is expanding and the number of mining sites is increasing. Now the mining area has expanded from Heping in the east to Hongmulin in the west, about 240 kilometers long; from Wenduo in the south to Laban in the north, about 170 kilometers wide. There are more than 100 pits of different sizes in the three major mining areas, with shapes like stars falling and chess pieces, and no less than 70 well-known ones.
The old field area includes the Shida field area, the Damakan field area, and the new field area. It is connected to Yindidan and is located in the upper, middle and lower reaches of the Langtao River. It was discovered and mined the earliest, has the largest scope, and has the most field openings. It is the main production area of Shien jadeite.
Shida field, this field is an alluvial or residual-slope deposit, located in the middle reaches of Langtao River, and mining began in the first century AD. The deepest pit excavated so far has reached the fifth layer, about 30 meters deep. The blocks from the first layer are almost all yellow sand crust, the second layer is mostly red sand crust with wax skin, the third layer is black sand crust, the fourth layer is gray-black crust, and the fifth layer is white-yellow crust, mostly with wax skin. The blocks between the fields are obviously different, and it is not easy to distinguish them. Only by understanding the fields and remembering their respective characteristics can we become proficient and make accurate judgments. The main venues in this area are: Laoshida, Mamuwan, Huika, Baishangqiao, Dagudi, Chitongka, Gramo, Mengmao, Dongguo, Mana, Jiebengqiong, Molaogeng, Xiandong, Xianggong, Qiongpiao, Nanying, Yuma, Geyinqiong, Dongmo, Gramowa, Pabing, Zibo, Xiandian, Miaobi, Modi, Pabian, Sanjue, Hengding, Qiaowu, Laozhaipengzi, Qiangba, Sanchahe, and Mogan.
The Damakan area is located in the lower reaches of the Langtao River and the west of the old area. It is an alluvial deposit and was mined about 200 years later than the Shida area. With the Damakan site as the representative, there are nearly 20 famous sites, and the excavation depth has reached the fifth layer, with many Guanshan semi-water stones. The famous sites are: Damakan, Huangba, Mogedie, Quebing, Molong Base, Dasanka, Nansili, Nansebing, Xidabie, Yueyinggong, Nayadong, Meilinqiang, Kuma, and Danxiu.
Xinchang District is located in the upper reaches of Langtao River and the east of Laochang District. It was mined earlier. It is a surface deposit. Jade blocks can be obtained without deep digging, but most of them have no skin and are primary deposits. People are accustomed to calling the blocks here Xinchang Stone, hence the name Xinchang District. There are many pits in Xinchang District, but they are used for the shortest time and are easily abandoned. The more stable pits are: Damobian, Xiaomobian, Gedimo, Pozhigong, Moshisa, Bannong, Masa, Sankamo, Karamo, Sanketang, and Mobanwa.
Houquan field area, Houquan is a tributary on the north side of Langtao River, named Yandi River. This is also an alluvial deposit, which was mined relatively late, in the early 300th century. It includes two fields, Houquan and Namo. Although the two places are not far apart, the jade blocks produced are very different. The blocks produced in the Houquan field area are generally around 30 grams, with many products, excellent texture, thin upper shell, and excellent humor. The current excavation depth has exceeded the sixth layer, about meters deep. There are interlayers in the third and fourth layers. The first two layers are similar to the situation in the old field area. The skin of the blocks in the sixth layer is almost all yellow wax shells. The interlayers after the sixth layer are relatively thick, and the current mining rate is low. The main field openings are: Molong, Bisidu, Gemulin, Paduoman, Hong Kongmo, Modongguo, Modi, Jiaying, Bugeduo, and Geqingmo.
Namo field area, Namo is a stone language, meaning thunder strike. This field area is also called thunder strike field area, and the blocks produced are called thunder strike stone. This field area is located in the upper reaches of Yandi River, and most of them are surface deposits, with inferior blocks, many cracks, poor bottom water hardness, loose texture, and most of them cannot be cut and made. Although there are green ones, most of them are variant stones and their value is very low. The cause of the variation of thunder strike stone needs to be further explored from the cause of formation to see whether the lower layer can change, hoping to produce authentic jadeite. In recent years, people have gradually had a new view of this field area. In early 1992, a huge high-quality block as big as a house was discovered in this field area, which was like a miracle and caused a sensation. At present, the representative fields are only: Namo, Qinlanbang, and Menglanbang.
Xiaochang District, located south of Langtao River, covers an area of about 45 square kilometers, three times larger than Houquan District. It is called Xiaochang District because there are not many mining sites. This is a primary deposit, which has produced many high-quality jades and is an indispensable part of the entire Shien Jade Mine. The deepest mining site in this area has been controlled to the fourth layer, with mostly black blocks with wax shells. The most famous mining sites are: Nanqi, Nanmo, Moliu, Ximo, Mohan, Nanxiong, Wuqigong, Nahei, Tongdong, Moliumo, and Mogedi.
......"
"Are you studying geography? Or archaeology? How do you know all this so clearly?" Sun Weiwei asked in shock.
At this time, even Sun Rongrong had to admire Zhang Wufeng's extensive knowledge and excellent memory.
"He is the great expert Zhang!" Sun Rongrong said with a smile.
Zhang Wufeng smiled upon hearing this, but did not explain much, because he himself had a strong memory, and the world within a dream had captured the memories of many experts. He also had specialized in the study of archaeology as a whole, so these were really a piece of cake for him. He just talked about them with great interest, and he was not deliberately showing off his knowledge.
He pondered for a moment, and then continued in his magnetic voice, "A long time ago, the people of Shi'en could not dig out large pieces of jade from the soil. They often burned the pieces with firewood, poured cold water on them to make them explode, and then picked up the green pieces. Because cutting is time-consuming and laborious, this method is often used to break up large pieces dug out of the ground. Shi'en is an agricultural country with few advanced excavation machines. Today, except for a few pits that use hydraulic drills, most of the mining is still carried out in accordance with the ancient manual excavation. They do not conduct surveys, but rely entirely on experience and luck. They have no idea whether they can dig out better varieties. They are superstitious that jade has spiritual energy, and as long as they are lucky, they can dig out good jade. Despite the hardships, people still do the same year after year.
The mining period of Shien Mine is from September to April of the following year. The rest of the year is the rainy season, with water in the pits and hot weather, making life and mining very difficult. In the dry season, groups of jade workers go up the mountain to find their bosses, select a site, and use iron pickaxes and crowbars to dig deep underground like digging a well. If they dig up stones, they will bring small ones to the surface for identification, and wash away the dirt of large ones with water, carefully judge whether they are jadeite, and then lift them to the surface with all their strength. If they are not good or are not jadeite, they will avoid the stones and continue digging. People call this method "digging holes".
Another method is called "opening a pond". Jade diggers do not dig deep, but dig shallowly horizontally to create a pit the size of a fish pond. They look for stones while digging. This method is commonly used in the new field area.
The third method is the "flushing method". Jade diggers think that the soil layer on the ground is too thin, so they use pumps to dig water and flush. If they find stones exposed, they dig them out immediately. This method is often used in the Namo area.
The fourth method is the "salvage method". Jade diggers hold a breathing hose and waterproof goggles, dive into rivers and ponds to identify gravel and jadeite, then salvage them to the surface, distinguish the good from the bad and decide whether to keep them. This method is still used in the fields along the Tuer River.
......"
(End of this chapter)
