Three viewing surfaces

The weathered exterior may differ sharply from the interior. A window exposes a limited spot; a cut face reveals a broader plane but not the whole volume. Color veins and fractures can change direction beyond what is visible.

Polished Olmec jadeite celt-pendant, The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Open Access object image, The Metropolitan Museum of Art; public domain.

Describe before predicting

Record skin texture, exposed color, translucency under controlled light, visible fractures and scale. Avoid turning those observations into certainty about yield. Even experienced cutting decisions carry material risk.

Emerald-green jadeite pendant from Qing-dynasty China, The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Open Access object image, The Metropolitan Museum of Art; public domain.

Photography adds another layer

Wet surfaces, backlighting and high contrast can intensify color. Ask whether the rough is wet or dry and request multiple orientations with a scale reference. Photographs support questions; they do not remove uncertainty.

Maya jadeite pendant with seated lord, The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Open Access object image, The Metropolitan Museum of Art; public domain.

Research basis

Independently written from public information supplied by GIA, Smithsonian and The Metropolitan Museum of Art. GIA · Smithsonian · The Met