Heating Effect On Serpentine Jades

Besides nephrite, serpentine is also frequently employed as a jade material in China since the Neolithic period. Translucent or opaque, serpentine presents diverse colors, including yellow‐green, green, dark green, and tan, which are related to its chemical composition and occasionally to its associated sub‐major minerals. Serpentine could be subjected to color change due to secondary alterations or weathering. In this study, we mainly focus on the heating effect on serpentine, as some ancient serpentine jades may have been exposed to heat for some different reasons, such as carving, funeral ceremony or imitating. A series of non‐heated and heat‐treated raw serpentine jades are examined using Raman spectroscopy and other complementary methods. The subtle change of molecular structure and color of serpentine due to the heat treatment is reported in detail.