A selection of antique, hand-crafted
Chinese jade (jadeite) buttons
Jade is an ornamental stone. The term jade is applied to two different
rocks that are made up of different silicate minerals. Nephrite jade consists of the calcium- and magnesium-rich amphibole mineral
actinolite (aggregates of which also make up one form of asbestos). The rock called jadeitite consists almost entirely of
jadeite, a sodium- and aluminium-rich pyroxene. The trade name
Jadite [sic] is sometimes applied to translucent/opaque green glass.
The English word 'jade' is derived from the Spanish term piedra de ijada (first recorded in 1565) or 'loin stone', from
its reputed efficacy in curing ailments of the loins and kidneys. 'Nephrite' is derived from lapis nephriticus, the Latin
version of the Spanish piedra de ijada.[1]
Nephrite and jadeite were used by people from the prehistoric for similar purposes. Both are about the same hardness as quartz, and they are exceptionally tough. They are beautifully
coloured and can be delicately shaped. Thus it was not until the 19th century that a French mineralogist determined that "jade"
was in fact two different materials.
Among the earliest known jade artifacts excavated from prehistoric sites are simple ornaments with bead, button, and tubular
shapes.[citation needed] Additionally, jade was used
for axe heads, knives, and other weapons. As metal-working technologies became available, the beauty of jade made it valuable for ornaments and
decorative objects. Jade has a Mohs hardness of between 6.5 and
7.0,[2] so it can be worked with quartz or garnet sand, and
polished with bamboo or even ground jade.
Nephrite can be found in a creamy white form (known in China as "mutton fat" jade) as well as in a variety of green colours,
whereas jadeitite shows more colour variations, including dazzling blue, lavender-mauve, pink, and emerald-green colours. Of the
two, jadeite is rarer, documented in fewer than 12 places worldwide. Translucent emerald-green jadeitite is the most prized
variety, both now and historically. As "quetzal" jade, bright green jadeitite from Guatemala
was treasured by Mesoamerican cultures, and as "kingfisher" jade, vivid green rocks from
Burma became the preferred stone of post-1800 Chinese imperial scholars and rulers. Burma (Myanmar) and Guatemala are the principal sources of modern gem jadeitite, and Canada of modern lapidary nephrite.
Nephrite jade was used mostly in pre-1800 China as well as in New
Zealand, the Pacific Coast and Atlantic Coasts of North America, Neolithic Europe, and south-east Asia. In addition to
Mesoamerica, jadeitite was used by Neolithic Japanese and European cultures.
Jade is the official gemstone of British Columbia, where it is found in large deposits in the Lillooet and Cassiar regions. It is also
the official gemstone of the state of Alaska, found particularly in the Kobuk area. A two ton block of jade sits outside the Anchorage Visitor’s Center in downtown
Anchorage, Alaska, mined from near Kobuk and donated to the city as a showpiece.
History
Prehistoric and Historic China
-
During Neolithic times, the key known sources of nephrite jade in China for utilitarian and
ceremonial jade items were the now depleted deposits in the Ningshao area in the Yangtze River Delta (Liangzhu culture 3400–2250 BC) and in an area of the Liaoning province in Inner Mongolia (Hongshan culture 4700–2200
BC). Jade was used to create many utilitarian and ceremonial objects, ranging from indoor decorative items to
jade burial suits. Jade was considered the "imperial gem". From about the earliest
Chinese dynasties until present, the jade deposits in most use were not
only from the region of Khotan in the Western Chinese province of Xinjiang but also from other parts of China, like Lantian, Shaanxi. There, white and greenish nephrite jade is found in small quarries and as pebbles and boulders in the
rivers flowing from the Kuen-Lun mountain range northward into the Takla-Makan desert area. River jade collection was concentrated in the Yarkand, the White Jade (Yurungkash) and Black Jade
(Karakash) Rivers. From the Kingdom of Khotan,
on the southern leg of the Silk Road, yearly tribute payments consisting of the most precious
white jade were made to the Chinese Imperial court and there transformed into objets d'art by skilled artisans as jade was
considered more valuable than gold or silver. Jade became a
favorite material for the crafting of Chinese scholars objects, such as rests for calligraphy brushes, as well as the mouthpieces
of some opium pipes, due to the belief that breathing through jade would bestow longevity
upon smokers who used such a pipe.[3]
Jadeite, with its bright emerald-green, pink, lavender, orange and brown colours was imported from Burma to China only after about 1800. The vivid green variety became known as Feicui (翡翠) or Kingfisher (feathers)
Jade. It quickly replaced nephrite as the imperial variety of jade.
Prehistoric and Early Historic Korea
The use of jade and other greenstone was a long-term tradition in Korea (c. 850 B.C. - A.D.
668). Jade is found in small numbers of pit-houses and burials. The craft production of small comma-shaped and tubular 'jades' using
materials such as jade, microcline, jasper, etc in southern
Korea originates from the Middle Mumun Pottery Period (c. 850-550 B.C.) (Bale and
Ko 2006). Comma-shaped jades are found on some of the gold crowns of Silla royalty (c. A.D.
300/400-668) and sumptuous elite burials of the Korean Three Kingdoms. After the state of Silla united the Korean Peninsula in A.D. 668, the
widespread popularisation of death rituals related to Buddhism resulted in the decline of the
use of jade in burials as prestige mortuary goods..
Māori
Nephrite jade in New Zealand is known as pounamu
in the Māori language, and is highly valued, playing an important role in
Māori culture. It is considered a taonga, or treasure, and therefore protected under the Treaty of
Waitangi, and the exploitation of it is restricted and closely monitored. The South
Island of New Zealand is Te Wai Pounamu in Māori - "The [land of]
Greenstone Water" - because greenstone used to be easily obtainable in rivers. An alternative (and more probable) Maori
place-name for the South Island is Te Wahi Pounamu -"The Place of Greenstone".
Weapons and ornaments were made of it; in particular the 'mere' (short club), and the
Hei-tiki (neck pendant). These were believed to have their own mana, handed down as valuable heirlooms, and often given as gifts to seal important agreements. With no metal
tools, it was also used for a range of tools such as adzes.
In New Zealand English the normal term is "greenstone" and jewellery of it in Māori designs is widely popular with
locals of all races, and with tourists - although much of the jade itself is now imported from British Columbia and elsewhere.
Mesoamerica
-
Jade was a rare and valued material in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica. The only source from which the various indigenous
cultures, such as the Olmec and Maya, for example, could obtain jade was located in the Motagua
River valley in Guatemala. Jade was largely an elite good, and was usually carved in a variety ways, whether serving as a medium upon which
hieroglyphs were inscribed, or shaped into symbolic figurines. Generally, the material was highly
symbolic, and it was often employed in the performance of ideological practices and
rituals.
Today, Guatemala produces jadeite in a variety of colours, ranging from soft translucent lilac, blue, green, yellow, and
black. It is also the source of new colours, including "rainbow jade" and the unique "Galactic Gold," a black jadeite with
natural incrustations of gold, silver and platinum.[4]
Other names
A
Mayan mask, made of
jade.
Besides the terms already mentioned, jadeite and nephrite are sometimes referred to by the following:
Jadeite
Agate verdâtre, Feitsui, Jadeit, Jadeita, Natronjadeit, Yunnan Jade, Yu-stone, Sinkiang jade
Nephrite
Aotea, Axe-stone, B.C. Jade, Beilstein, British Columbian Jade, Canadian Jade, Grave Jade, Kidney Stone, Lapis Nephriticus,
Nephrit, Nephrita, Nephrite (of Werner), New Zealand Greenstone, New Zealand Jade, Siberian Jade, Spinach Jade, Talcum
Nephriticus, Tomb Jade
Faux Jade
Many minerals are sold as jade. Some of these are: serpentine (also bowenite),
carnelian, aventurine quartz, glass, grossularite, Vesuvianite,
soapstone (and other steatites such as shoushan stone) and
recently, Australian chrysoprase. "Korean jade," "Suzhou jade," "Styrian jade," "Olive
jade", and "New jade" are all really serpentine; "Transvaal jade" or "African jade" is grossularite; "Peace jade" is a mixture of
serpentine, stichtite, and quartz; "Malaysia jade" is dyed quartz; "Mountain jade" is dyed dolomite marble.
In almost all dictionaries, the Chinese character 'yù' (玉) is translated into English as 'jade'. However, this frequently
leads to misunderstanding: Chinese, Koreans, and Westerners alike generally fail to appreciate that the cultural concept of
'jade' is considerably broader in China and Korea than in the West. A more accurate translation for this character on its own
would be 'precious/ornamental rock'. It is seldom, if ever, used on its own to denote 'true' jade in Mandarin Chinese; for
example, one would normally refer to 'ying yu' (硬玉, 'hard jade') for jadeite, or 'ruan yu' (軟玉, 'soft jade') for nephrite. The
Chinese names for many ornamental non-jade rocks also incorporate the character 'yù', and it is widely understood by native
speakers that such stones are not, in fact, true precious nephrite or jadeite. Even so, for commercial reasons, the names of such
stones may well still be translated into English as 'jade', and this practice continues to confuse the unwary.
Enhancement
Jade may be enhanced (sometimes called "stabilized"). There are three main methods, sometimes referred to as the ABC Treatment
System:
- Type A jadeite has not been treated in any way except surface waxing.
- Type B treatment involves exposing a promising but stained piece of jadeite to chemical bleaches and/or acids and
impregnating it with a clear polymer resin. This results in a
significant improvement of transparency and colour of the material. Currently, infrared
spectroscopy is the most accurate test for the detection of polymer in jadeite.
- Type C jade has been artificially stained or dyed. The red colour of Red jade can be enhanced with heat. The effects
are somewhat uncontrollable and may result in a dull brown. In any case, translucency is usually lost.
- B+C jade is a combination of B and C: it has been both artificially dyed AND impregnated.
- Type D jade refers to a composite stone such as a doublet comprising a jade top with a plastic backing.[5]
Gallery of Chinese jades
See also
References
- Bale, Martin T. and Ko, Min-jung. Craft Production and Social Change in Mumun Pottery Period Korea. Asian Perspectives
45(2):159-187, 2006.
- Scott-Clark, Cathy and Levy, Adrian. (2002) The Stone of Heaven: Unearthing the Secret History of Imperial Green Jade. ISBN
0316525960
Further reading
- Laufer, Berthold, 1912, Jade: A Study in Chinese Archeology & Religion, Reprint: Dover Publications, New York.
1974.
- Rawson, Jessica, 1975, Chinese Jade Throughout the Ages, London: Albert
Saifer, ISBN 0-87556-754-1
- Jadeite sources in Mesoamerica
(PDF)
- Between hell
and the Stone of Heaven: Guardian article on Jade Mining in Burma
- BOOK REVIEW,
The Stone of Heaven: The Secret History of Imperial Green Jade by Adrian Levy and Cathy Scott-Clark
External links
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