Jade Jewellery: Why It’s Trending And The Pieces To Shop Now

Jade has made a major comeback this year, here’s why and where to shop them.

jade jewellery trend | bts v liu shi shi — Photos: Courtesy of Bighit Music and Netflix, Qeelin, Farfetch, Net-A-Porter and Selfridges

By Brandon Chia - published 14 Sep 2026

Jewellery trends come and go, but the pieces that stand the test of time—and earn icon status along the way—often offer more than good looks or an easy way to elevate an outfit. Jade is a shining example.

Even without the “you met me at a very Chinese time in my life” trend that rippled across the internet this year, jade jewellery has been steadily experiencing a renaissance among younger generations.

jade jewellery trend | bts v gwanghwamun square concert march 2026 — Photo: Courtesy of Bighit Music and Netflix

Its growing pop culture presence reflects this shift. BTS’ V sparked considerable buzz around the gemstone following the group’s Gwanghwamun Square concert in March 2026, where he performed wearing a stack of carved black jade rings.

The conversation around this historic gemstone now extends beyond heirlooms and auspicious symbolism. Younger wearers are discovering new designs and fresh ways to style jade—preserving its inherited meaning while transforming it into a contemporary fashion statement.

Below, Harper’s BAZAAR Singapore speaks to two jade experts to unpack the gemstone’s resurgence, the differences between its varieties and where to find pieces worth adding to your daily rotation.

What Is Jade?

jade jewellery trend | closeup bangle texture — Photo: 123rf

“Jade” is actually a commercial name and an umbrella term for two distinct gemstones: jadeite and nephrite. Although both have been prized across Asia for centuries, their geological compositions, appearances and histories differ.

“Jadeite is generally rarer and, at the finest qualities, considerably more valuable than nephrite,” explains jade jewellery designer Choo Yilin. Jadeite can range from glass-like to densely opaque, and from delicately coloured to intensely saturated. “No two pieces are quite identical,” she adds. “This individuality has always been part of its appeal to jewellers.”

Nephrite, meanwhile, typically possesses a waxier appearance and played a much earlier role in Chinese history, appearing in everything from tools to ceremonial carvings. However, consumers should also be wary of ornamental stones marketed under names containing the word “jade”.

What Are The Different Types of Jade?

Beyond the distinction between jadeite and nephrite, jadeite is commonly classified according to treatment. “The A, B and C terminology is really a way of describing treatment, rather than being a complete quality grading system,” explains third-generation jeweller and jade specialist Alex Wong.

Type A refers to natural jadeite that has not been chemically bleached, polymer-impregnated or artificially dyed, although traditional surface waxing after polishing is generally accepted. Type B jadeite has been chemically bleached and impregnated with polymer or resin, while Type C has been artificially dyed. Some pieces may undergo a combination of treatments.

Crucially, these classifications do not indicate overall quality. “Type A does not mean ‘excellent jade’,” says Choo. “A completely natural piece of poor-quality jadeite is still Type A. Once naturalness has been established, you still have to evaluate the stone itself.”

Colour is only one consideration. Jadeite can also appear in lavender, white, colourless “icy” varieties, blue, grey, yellow, orange, red, brown and black.

Nephrite differs from jadeite in both its mineral composition and appearance. It is generally more opaque, with a smooth, waxy lustre, typically ranging from creamy white to celadon, spinach green, brown and near-black, and it is also the tougher of the two gems.

The Heritage And Cultural Significance Of Jade

jade jewellery trend | ring in a bowl — Photo: 123rf

Long before jade became a jewellery staple, it served practical, ceremonial and spiritual purposes. Nephrite’s exceptional toughness made it suitable for tools and weapons, while intricately carved jade objects became symbols of wealth, luck, and protection against evil spirits.

Jadeite entered China in significant quantities much later, with vivid green material from Myanmar becoming especially prized during the Qing dynasty.

“Historically, jade could follow a person throughout life as a tool, an object of status, something used in the home, an heirloom, and even something that accompanied its owner into the afterlife,” says Wong.

Yet jade’s most enduring significance may lie beyond imperial courts and museum collections. “The jade many of us know today is not sitting in a museum. It is on a grandmother’s wrist,” says Choo. “It is given to a daughter when she marries. It is kept in a drawer for decades and eventually inherited.”

Younger wearers are not necessarily adopting the same designs or styling conventions as their parents or grandparents. “They may inherit the meaning while changing the aesthetics,” Choo explains. Wong agrees with this sentiment: “Sometimes we simply need to change how we wear it.”

He also points to jade’s broad price range and versatility, with natural jadeite ranging from accessible jewellery to exceptional collector-level pieces. Popular culture has accelerated its appeal too. “The international popularity of Chinese dramas, films, celebrities and fashion has exposed younger audiences to traditional Chinese aesthetics again,” Wong says.

Contemporary designs—from sculptural pendants and signet rings to charms and mixed-stone pieces—are further loosening jade’s traditional visual codes. “Jade does not necessarily need to be delicate, feminine or conventionally ‘Asian’,” says Choo.

Jade Jewellery To Shop Right Now

Inspired by evolving tastes and design sensibilities of jade jewellery today, we have curated an assortment of jade jewellery, from necklaces and bracelets to earrings and rings, crafted with jade of different colours and shapes, all of which can be easily integrated into your wardrobe.