Alex, cheers,
Is that a point-blank "no" from the pawn shops? That does surprise me a little, but not enough to make me lose interest.
In any case, i do hear what you're saying, but I still want to learn what I can - what are the most common flaws, what gives a piece value (or detracts from value) etc. I have seen people arrive to jade shops with a magnifier, a scales, and a flashlight, and I want to know what they're doing (or what they THINK they're doing).

Lemon lover: the moral aspects can be applied to EVERYTHING. Even just having the money and not doing anything with it has its moral pitfalls. And i'm not interested in continuing that line of discussion.

Thanks all for the tips, i take them on board and will investigate. However, its my own fault for not being clear, but i am interested in learning to assess myself, i.e. how to use a torch, a magnifier, a scales. Can anybody teach me this?

Having removed detergent and drying technique from the equation, through a painstaking process of elimination, only two factors remain: the washing machine, and the water. The washing machine is a top-loader, is it possible that this type doesn't perform well enough to thoroughly saturate the coarse denim? As for the water, well..how is it in Kunming? Could it be too "hard" to adequately penetrate thicker materials?

Im interested in buying jade, small pieces, but potentially also some larger or investment grade. I'm only interested in premium quality but i don't know how or where. Can anybody give me some pointers about where to buy, how to check quality, and how to calculate price/value? Or any genuine expert willing to sell me a few hours tuition?

At first I thought it was a fluke, but now I realize its a constant fact. This happens ONLY here - noplace else. Can anybody shed some light?