China has been known to the west (for as long as it’s been known to the west) for its silk, porcelain and jade. Ah, sweet, beautiful, valuable jade. It glints in varied hues of green and speaks of value far beyond whatever it’s crafted in to. If you are a lover of jade, China may be just the place for you, then again, it may not.

If you go in to a government owned or sanctioned store, such as any of the many Friendship Stores, you’ll find price tags on the jade sculptures that are frankly a bit daunting, almost as high as they are back home. The work is fantastic, but is it as fantastic as the price would suggest, or is it just a scam? What’s the catch?

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Then you go outside, wander the market, and find statues and sculptures of far greater detail, of much more vibrant stone and at a fraction of the price… That makes the question that much more difficult, whom should you trust?

The Friendship Stores all charge premium prices and make no qualms about it. Those are amongst the very, very few places in China where the price is steadfastly non-negotiable. Their jade is less lustrous and not as intricate, but what they are is real jade. If you find something for a fraction of the price, trust me, it ain’t jade.

Maybe that’s okay with you as it was with me. I bought my brother this beautiful dragon lion thing that looked like jade and I got it for a couple bucks. It was originally a pair of genuine, solid jade dragons, but the leg broke off of one on the way home and the silica poured out of it… wait, silica? Oh, I get it, it’s made of inexpensive, green glass. Okay, well that’s fine with me too.

But if you’re looking to buy jade, you need to recognize that it’s a world commodity and that prices will vary little from one country to another. Even though the exchange rate is favorable, you won’t find any discounts on negotiable gold or petroleum futures in China. They have to buy them on the world market just like you and I do, and even if it’s a resource they mine locally, it still bears the same international value.

With all that said, check out the markets and buy yourself some handsome glass statues or jewelry. Just be careful because the weight adds up very quickly and you will have to carry these things home with you under one arm or the other.