Jade
"It is said that
the Dowager Empress had trained herself to
distinguish by touch Jade from any other
gemstone, and further, that she had developed a
faculty for discriminating, again by touch only,
between one grade of Jade and another".
Louis Kornitzer, Gem Trader (1939)
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An intricate
Jade carving at Wat Kow Su Kim in
Chanthaburi, Thailand. This
priceless creation was carved from
just one piece of Jade |
If this story is true, the Dowager Empress
definitely deserved her birth name, 'yu lan'
(Jade Orchid). More than any other gemstone,
Jade is implanted in the heart of Chinese
culture and, by its influence, Southeast Asia.
Treasured as the royal gemstone, Jade may have
been mined in China as early as 6000 BC. Jade
was called the 'stone of heaven' by the ancient
Chinese, who associated it with immortality and
the ability to bridge heaven and earth. The
character for its name in Chinese, 'yu' (玉)
embodies this belief, with the top representing
'heaven', the bottom 'earth', and the middle
line 'humanity'.
As illustrated by the photographs at the
bottom of this page, China also has a long
tradition of using Jade in carvings, sculpture,
ornaments and other decorative arts. Continuing
this tradition, the reverse of the 2008 Beijing
Olympic Medals were made in Jade. While China,
along with Burma, remains an important source
for this gemstone, other Jade sources include
Guatemala, Russia, Kazakhstan, Japan, Taiwan,
Australia, New Zealand and the U.S.A.
Jade actually has two different varieties,
but prior to 1863 it was a blanket term covering
Jadeite (pyroxene group), Nephrite (amphibole
group) and other similar minerals. The name
'Jade' originates from the Spanish conquest
of the Americas, being derived from 'piedra de
hijada' (colic stone), which was coined around
1565. Another Spanish name for the gem is
'piedra de los rinones' (kidney stone), which
when translated into Latin, Lapis Nephriticus,
gives us the name, Nephrite. Not incredibly
romantic, these names came from Spaniards
making a tenuous curative connection between the
shapes of polished Jade pebbles and kidneys. The
French mineralogist, Alexis Damour worked out
that some Chinese Jade (Nephrite) and Burmese
Jade (which he named 'Jadeite') are different
minerals with a similar appearance and
properties. Believe it or not, Jadeite actually
has a surprisingly short history in China and
wasn't especially coveted until the 18th
century. Even so, the finest specimens,
possessing a high clarity and rich 'emerald'
green, were so coveted by Chinese Emperors they
received the moniker, 'Imperial Jade'. Jadeite
was also known as 'Kingfisher Jade' (fei cui 翡翠)
due to greens the colour of a kingfisher's
plumage. Today, Jadeite is the more valuable of
the two varieties.
Unlike Asians, Westerners don't have a
comparable Jade heritage, leaving many of us a
bit clueless when it comes to understanding this
gemstone. The first thing to get your head
around is that the term 'Jade' is considerably
broader in Asia than in the West. 'Yu' means
'precious' or 'ornamental' stone, and while it
typically isn't used on its own to denote
Jadeite or Nephrite, some ornamental non-Jade
minerals also incorporate the character 'yu' in
their name. I speculate that this cultural
perception has resulted in misnomers such as
'Australian Jade' for Chrysoprase (click
here
for more).
Jadeite comes in shades of blue, brown, cream,
green, grey, lavender, orange, red, violet,
white, yellow, and combinations thereof,
including mottling. Jadeite's reddish coloration
is caused by iron trace elements, while its
greens are due to the presence of chromium.
Nephrite comes in fewer colours than Jadeite,
including browns, greens, greys, yellows, and
whites. Mottling occurs, as do red, yellow and
brown streaks, through oxidation. This is
particularly
evident in Nephrite found along streams and
rivers. Along with yellows, the most coveted
Nephrite is a pure translucent white called,
'yangzhi yu', which means 'Mutton Fat Jade'
(this doesn't sound attractive, but it is
actually very apt). Nephrite's colour is
determined by the amount of iron present, with a
higher iron content producing the darker colours.
Jadeite is called 'ying yu' (硬玉), meaning hard
jade, and is harder than Nephrite but not as
tough. While Nephrite is called 'ruan yu' (軟),
meaning soft Jade, this has nothing to do with
its hardness. Instead, it comes from this Jade's
characteristic silky, soft feel and appearance,
as well as its softer, more subtle colours.
Nephrite is actually neither very hard nor soft,
but along with Jadeite, is tougher than
Diamonds. Jade are some of the toughest
gemstones on the planet, making it ideal for
intricately detailed carvings that have become
so synonymous with this gemstone.
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Jade 925
Silver Ring |
Jade is semi-transparent to opaque, with a high
degree of transparency, along with
deep colours
and a good overall appearance (finish) being the
key factors in judging its quality. While colour
preferences are subjective, a bright, even
'emerald' green with no mottling commands the
highest prices. Despite this, mottled patterns,
spotting and veins that contrast with the body
colour are also considered attractive,
especially when incorporated into the
features of beautiful carvings. Jade's
transparency depends on grain size and texture,
with a finer texture resulting in a higher
transparency. While Jade that has light colours
but good transparency can still command a high
price, black, dark green or brown mineral
inclusions that distract the eye and prevent the
smooth transmission of light will affect
quality, just as in other gemstones. One
question I have been asked is that, "If Jade can
come in huge pieces weighing several tonnes, how
come it's rare and still called a gem?" We must
remember that the finest 'gem quality' Jade is
very rare, representing far less than one
percent of all Jade mined. So much so, that
'Imperial Jade' can command some of the highest
prices of any gemstone, even greater than
Diamond, Ruby and Sapphire. Nevertheless, Jade
that has a grainier, less translucent appearance
can still be attractive because of its colour,
often finding its way into beautiful, yet
affordable ornaments that bridge the gap between
jewellery and art. While there are exceptions,
Jade used in carvings is generally of a lower
quality than those used in cabochons. Assessing
cabochons is straightforward. Just look at their
finish, shape and proportion. While carvings are
probably best left to personal preferences, as a
general rule, look for the intricacy of detail
and the position of colour within the context of
the design.
The Colours of Jade
The true emperor of Chinese jewellery, Jade
might inexorably be a 'Chinese' gemstone, but it
has also played an important role in Mayan,
Olmec, Toltec, Aztec, Native American and Maori
cultures. Much like we have taken to chopsticks,
fireworks and feng shui, Jade is also
increasingly becoming a gemstone appreciated by
the Western palate.
| In ancient China, there was once a
poor, but talented Jade artisan. His
artworks were held in great esteem
throughout the land and his style was so
beautiful and unique that any
respectable Jade connoisseur would
immediately recognise his hand. As is
always the way in these stories, he goes
and falls in love with a rich man's
daughter. Despite being an avid
collector of all things Jade, the girl's
father cites the timeless 'no money, no
honey' clause, forbidding any further
contact. Young and in love, they ignore
her old man and elope. The young man
loved the girl so much that he gave up
his Jade artistry so as to keep their
location secret from her enraged father.
Time went by and the girl fell ill.
Penniless and without healthcare, his
artistic skill was the only answer.
Carving a green Jade goddess of
unimaginable beauty, he sold it to a
merchant on the sole condition its
source remained unknown. Fate being
fate, the girl's father bought the piece
and instantly recognised the style. The
merchant being a merchant, he was
eventually tempted by the small fortune
offered by the father and revealed the
artist's location. Dad wasn't happy,
found the couple, killed the boy and
took the girl home. The girl wasn't
happy, took the Jade goddess and went to
her lover's grave. Overcome with grief
and sorrow, the girl wanted nothing more
than to rest eternal in her lover's
arms. But as the moon rose, the young
man's spirit, who had taken refuge in
the Jade goddess, re-entered his body
giving him life. Her father, amazed at
the miracle, accepted the couple and
they lived happily ever after. The Jade
goddess was given as an offering to a
nearby temple, where it is said to still
reside today... |
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