Recently, Jilin Province discovered, for the first time in the Changbai Mountain Range, a large-scale jade mine that has been exploitable for over a century. The primary components of this mine are quartz-based jade and chlorite-serpentine jade. Measurements indicate that the quartz-based jade has a Mohs hardness of... 6.5–7 This also marks the first discovery of high-hardness jade deposits in Jilin Province, making Jilin another major jade-producing region in China.
　　This jade mine, located in Futai Town, Panshi City, Jilin Province, has been confirmed by the Seventh Geological Team of the Liaoning Provincial Bureau of Geology and Mineral Exploration to be a large-scale jade deposit. Originally a lead-zinc mine, it was accidentally discovered last year during mining operations to contain quartz-bearing ore with a variety of colors—including yellow, green, and black—whose surfaces are smooth and delicate. According to testing conducted by the Gemological Institute of the China University of Geosciences (Beijing), the ore body consists of quartz-based jade and chlorite-serpentine jade.
　　China University of Geosciences and the Jewelry, Gemstone, and Ornament Industry Association of Jilin Province have named two types of jade “Jilin Panlong Jade” and “Jilin Panlong Black Jade,” respectively. Experts explain that the green-mud sericite jade is precisely what’s known as “Black Jade.” Its mineral composition primarily consists of chlorite, quartz, and mica, and it contains these elements. 3 The black jade with this particular composition is relatively rare among jade varieties. Its raw stones, subjected to billions of years of tectonic movement, friction, and compression, have naturally developed a dark, jet-black surface with a lustrous sheen.
　　Bai Feng, an associate professor at the School of Jewelry of China University of Geosciences (Beijing), stated that “Jilin Panlong Jade” has a Mohs hardness of... 6.5–7 It lies between the hardness of teeth and that of amethyst, and is comparable in hardness to Burmese jade. Preliminary exploration indicates that the jade deposits are abundant and could be mined for a century.