This Rare Gemstone Can Be More Valuable Than Gold

Over the past 10 years, the value of a gold ounce has skyrocketed from $1,050 in 2015 to over $3,600 in September 2025. Although this certainty makes gold owners happy, it doesn't mean that gold is the most valuable natural asset to own — even those Costco gold bars. In fact, gold is easily outpaced by jade. To be more specific, one of the two minerals extractable from jade rock: jadeite. 

High quality jadeite can go for up to as much as $3 million a carat, with the most sought-after — and most expensive — type of jadeite referred to as "Imperial Jade." In fact, carats of imperial jade can sell for anywhere from $3,000 to over $30,000, not to mention how this price can increase when presented in certain settings and formats. For example, a 2014 Sotheby's sale broke the jadeite auction record for jadeite when a Hutton-Mdivani jadeite necklace — with 27 large jadeite beads and a Cartier ruby clasp — sold for a mind-blowing $27.4 million. 

Meanwhile, in 2016, miners uncovered a 192-ton jade stone in South Asia's Myanmar, where 70% of the globe's gem quality jadeite comes from. Experts valued this enormous stone at $170 million. With that said, the U.S. has had a rocky relationship with imports from Myanmar for many decades, including on-again off-again sanctions prohibiting the import of jadeite and rubies from the country. This can and does affect both the availability of high-quality jadeite items in the U.S., and even the legality of sales and compliance protocols for certain jadeite items already in the country. 

Keep in mind that different qualities of jadeite, and the uses of those items, can lead to very different prices and availability. For example, commercial grade jadeite, which is typically characterized as opaque and pale green, can sell for anywhere from $50 to $300 per carat and generally lacks the controversy that can be attached to higher grade jadeite pieces. This is important because while there are very few auction-record-breaking jadeite necklaces in the world, there are plenty of valuable vintage jadeite kitchen items made from lower grade jadeite available. In fact, in September 2025, a Poshmark listing for a set of teardrop-shaped nested Fire King Jadeite bowls was priced at $2,699, while eBay sellers list 13-piece dinner sets for closer to $450. 

When looking through kitchenware to see what's worth money, recognize that plenty of reproduction jadeite pieces can mimic the brands that are in demand by collectors. To help determine if a piece is actually vintage, jadeite typically feels heavy for its size and cool to the touch. You can also check for manufacturer marks. As another tip, if a piece of jadeite glows under a black light, this can indicate prewar production, which included uranium in the glass material. Perhaps the easiest way to visually verify the quality of any jadeite in question is to remember that the more semi-translucent or fully translucent it is, the higher quality it is — and more expensive it will probably be.