According to traditional views and industry practice, Hetian jade is classified based on its color characteristics; however, this classification does not reflect its quality or grade.

White Jade (Mutton Fat White Jade): High-quality white jade, commonly known as "mutton fat jade," features a creamy-white or nearly mutton-fat-white color. It has a fine, lustrous texture with an oily sheen and may contain minor impurities such as stone flecks. It is an exceptional variety within the white jade category.
White Jade: Various types of Hetian jade that are predominantly white often exhibit subtle shades of gray-green, pale cyan, brownish-yellow, flesh-red, or purplish-gray, with a fine and delicate texture. When the sugar-colored portion is relatively abundant—accounting for 30% to 85% of the total volume—it is referred to as Sugar White Jade.
Greenish-white jade: A variety of Hetian jade characterized by light to medium shades such as gray-green, bluish-gray, and yellowish-green, positioned between white jade and green jade.
Qingyu: A variety of Hetian jade characterized by medium-to-dark shades such as grayish-green and bluish-gray, occasionally featuring hues like grayish-blue, teal-green to emerald-green, smoky gray, and grayish-black. The primary difference between Qingyu and Qingbaiyu lies in the depth of color.


Huang Yu: A variety of Hetian jade with yellow tones, often ranging from light to medium shades of greenish-yellow or beige-yellow, frequently tinged with gray or green hues.
Ink Jade: A variety of Hetian jade characterized by a gray-black to black coloration. The color is attributed to the presence of graphite inclusions in varying amounts. Depending on the concentration of graphite, the shade of black can vary unevenly throughout the stone. When ink jade is interspersed within other types of jade, it is commonly referred to as "Qinghua Jade."
Sugar Jade: Hetian jade exhibiting hues such as reddish-brown, yellowish-brown, and dark brown is colored due to the infiltration of iron oxide and manganese minerals through primary or secondary processes.
Jadeite: A type of Hetian jade characterized by shades of green—light green, dark green, ink-green, and green-black. There are two common varieties: one is pure, uniform, and finely textured; the other contains numerous impurities and is uneven, often featuring black mineral inclusions. Even when approaching a nearly black hue, thin slices of jadeite still exhibit a deep green color under strong light.