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| What is jade?
'Jade', or Yu, as it is called in China, is strictly speaking
a generic term for two different gems, nephrite and jadeite. The name
is derived from the Spanish piedra de ijada, loin-stone, jade having been
recognised by the Amerindians as a remedy for kidney ailments. Because
of its beneficial effect on the kidneys, the stone was also known as lapis
nephriticus. That, indeed, is where the term 'nephrite' came from.
Jadeite and nephrite are both
regarded in China as zhen yu, 'genuine jade'. It was not until the beginning
of the 19th century that mineralogists and gemmologists started to differentiate
between them, since they bear a considerable resemblance to each other
in terms of their appearance, their hardness and the properties they exhibit
when being processed. Both are tough, since they consist of dense, close-grained,
matted aggregates, but they differ from one another in their chemical
composition and colours. Nephrite ranges mainly from mid to dark green
or grey-green, but it can also be white, yellowish or reddish. Rarer,
and somewhat tougher, jadeite displays hues which include green, but also
white or pink, and reds, blacks, browns and violets. In both minerals,
the way the colour is distributed varies a great deal. Only in the very
finest jade is the colour evenly distributed. Both nephrite and jadeite
often have veins, blemishes and streaks running through them, though these
may not always be regarded as flaws. On the contrary, some of these patterns
are considered particularly valuable.
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| jade history
and culture
The Jade Road is long before the Silk Road, The Jade Road was the preexistence
of the Silk Road. The Jade feels heavy and sounds good for the ear and
it is clear and rich,As early as the Xia and Shang Dynasty, the Jade had
been regarded as treasure.Jade was the totem of the tribe of barbarism
at the earliest time and used as wizardry and primitive religion.The jade
also used as the decoration for the dignitary and even used as imperial
jade seal symbolizing the emperor's power.The Confucianism also regarded
Jade as divinity to worship and they thought it has benevolence,righteousness,wisdom,courageous,clean
five morals. The Jade was symbol of the valuable things and auspice,blessedness,good
health and virtue.and had been widely used in the production,life,and
ritual,politic,and virtue and many other area.From The Chinese history
record,all the good jade was produced from China Xinjiang Silk Road Kunlun
Mountains,the highest mountain range in the world. The Kunlun mountains
is also the symbol of the Chinese Nation and It can be regarded as the
forefather of the all the mountains in the world.All the places in ancient
china 's central plain did not produce the Jade, and only the Kunlun mountains
around the Hotan area that produced the Jade so the Jade Road had been
formed more than 3000 to 12,000 years ago.The beginning of the Jade Road
is today's Hotan area in Xinjiang China Silk Road.Hotan is the homn town
of the Jade.The eastern Jade Road was from the present day Hotan Area
to Lopnur Lake then eastward to Dunhang then to the inland China. The
other one was from Hotan to Kashgar,eastward to Kuche, Turpan,Yumen Pass,Jiuquan,
and finally to Lanzhou,Xian,Luoyang, and to the Anyang( the anceint capital
of China). This ancient trade road moved westward to the Kabul,Yisfrag,
then to Baghdad and finally to Mediterranean Sea. Later,it had become
the Silk Road.the Jade Road has even more long history and can be traced
back to 12,000 years.In today's Xinjiang Silk Road Lopnur Lake area has
been excavated the Hotan Jade from 5000-6000 years ago.During the Xia
and Shang,Zhou Dynasties, the man called Jade man who was in charge of
carving the Jade that the Jade Road had formed about 13 century BC.
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| Chinese jade
and jade carving
Chinese began to know and use jade in the early Neolithic Age according
to archeologists and archeological findings. Many jade wares dating back
to 4,000 to 6,000 years ago have been excavated in different places. It
was not only used for decorative purpose but also others. Until the Shang
and Zhou dynasties, jade wares had been developed into tools, weapons,
daily utensils, accessories and ritual utensils. As commodity exchange
boomed, jade was bestowed with currency function. For thousands of years
till now, jade was and is a symbol of love and virtue as well as a status
symbol.
In the Zhou dynasty, jade use was first regulated in Zhouli (Rites of
the Zhou), which was the constitution of the Zhou dynasty concerning with
politics, economy, military, diplomacy and law. With other two classics
named Yili (Rites) and Liji (Book of Rites) later, it strictly stipulated
national rites and etiquettes and directing philosophy. Only in Zhouli,
Rites of the Zhou, there were dozens of articles concerning with jade
use and function under different occasions such as politics, sacrifice,
alliance, and military activities, etc. According to the three classics,
special ministry should be set up to manage jade use. It was stipulated
that six jade ritual items should be made to offer sacrifice to heaven,
the earth, the east, the south, the west and the north. There were also
strict regulations on six jade tablets used by emperors, dukes, marquises,
earls, viscounts and barons respectively. Jade ware can be divided into
following categories - ritual utensil, funeral utensil, accessory, currency,
weapon, diplomatic gift, musical instrument and food according to the
functions listed in the three classics. Simple carving, careful handling
and not mixing private and public ritual vessel were basic rules to follow
in jade use.
Ancient Chinese believed jade the essence of Heaven and the Earth, so
they carved jade into birds and beasts and worshiped as totems. Then witchcraft
soon applied jade as percussion instrument since it sounded pleasing to
the ear and traveled far. After people knew musical scales, jade became
musical instrument. The ancients seemingly tended to associate jade with
heroes who made great contributions, for Emperor Yan, God of Farming and
Emperor Huang who united China first.
Jade was also the symbol of power. In the ancient time, only aristocrats
could own jade wares. The imperial seal of the Qin dynasty, the first
feudal society in China, was made of jade. The seal was later hunt by
seigneurs to prove they were the real Heavenly Sons.
Furthermore, more noble attributes were given to jade, making it a standard
of morality. Confucius even concluded jade had 11 virtues, namely benevolence,
fidelity, polite etiquette, wisdom and sincerity, etc. Hence, it was not
only a decoration but also a symbol of ethics and norms. People then threw
themselves into the vogue to ware jade accessories. It was said that a
gentleman would never leave his jade ornaments.
Jade was believed capable of standing for Heaven, the Earth, the east,
the west, the south and the north and emperors. It can be messenger between
Heaven and mankind. In the ancient times, Yu, Chinese character meaning
jade, was the same with Wang (king). The three horizontal strokes stringed
by a central vertical stroke represent Heaven, the Earth and mankind respectively.
Hence yu, is always used in Chinese to call something precious and jade
had always been treasured in China as the royal gemstone.
Chinese people believed jade had supernatural
power. Using jade wares and jade ornaments could resist invasion of evil
influence and avoid evil apparitions and secure safety and auspiciousness.
Sounding strange, some people believed, however, that jade was edible
and could keep one physically immortal. Most of them are Taoists.
These precious stones played significant role in the development and spread
of religions in China. Since belief the ancients bestowed with jade is
coincident with religion in many aspects, jade serves religion. In the
Buddhism, the PureLand is composed of gold, silver, agate, coral, amber
and gray jade. Thus Chinese Buddhism emphasizes collecting and using various
precious stones. In FamenTemple in Shaanxi province, near Xi'an, among
the four Buddhist Relics discovered, one was placed in tailor made jade
coffin. The Buddhas and Buddhism musical instruments in the PotalaPalace
and Ta'er Lamasery are mostly decorated with lazuli, turquoise, agate,
gray jade and white jade. Until the Tang dynasty, Buddhism reached its
peak, and jade carvings concerning with Buddhism, such as Amitabha, Kwan-yin,
prayer beads, avalanched as amulets to protect people from disease and
evil and agents to carry their emotion, expectation and belief to Buddha.
Alike, in Taoism, jade has such functions too.
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how to Jade from
raw material to finished product?
Jadeite is rarer than nephrite and is therefore regarded
as more precious. Nephrite deposits have been found in China, New Zealand,
Russia, Guatemala and the Swiss Alps. Dark green jade, so-called Canada
jade, is also found in Western Canada. Jadeite is found in China, Russia
and Guatemala, but the best stones come from Burma, now known as Myanmar.
There, at the annual 'Gems, Jade and Pearls Emporium', blocks of jade in
all sizes are auctioned. When purchasing the raw materials, the dealers
need to be fairly lucky, since the nodules, blocks and fragments are sold
either whole or after having been cut into slices, and there is only a very
small window, the result of some initial grinding. So the buyer cannot see
exactly what is hidden on the inside: valuable green jade, or an almost
worthless, speckled or streaky material. It is not until the cutting process
begins that the real quality is revealed.
In
the jade-cutting centres of Canton, Beijing and Hong Kong, the raw material
is processed with carborundum and diamond powder. Since jade is, as a rule,
not transparent, but has a fine lustre, the cabochon is the form best suited
to it. Thin slivers, which can be worn as pendants, and jade bracelets are
popular too. Round, cylindrical and flat shapes can be combined to make
attractive necklaces. Traditionally, jade is processed into slender figures,
filigree images or thin-walled vessels. This is sometimes erroneously referred
to as jade carving. Unwanted material is in fact removed during the cutting
process, and the stone is subsequently polished. Here once again we see
the subtle difference between nephrite and jadeite: whilst polished nephrite
has a surface with a resinous lustre, the glassy lustre of jadeite after
polishing seems to shine almost like that of a mirror.
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What distinguishes
good jade?
For collectors as well as jewellery lovers, jade is a fascinating
gemstone. In Asia, above all, it is collected as an antique. Besides the
quality of the gem and its processing, religion and faith also play an important
role. In the West, many people prefer to collect jade in the form of snuff-boxes,
cigarette holders, small bowls or rings. Since each collector has his or
her own taste and his or her own likings with regard to colour, style and
shape, it is no easy matter giving definite advice on the purchase of jade
objects.
However, jade is, at the same time, a wonderful gem,
not only in its traditional guise, but also in more modern designs. Especially
in recent years, creative jewellery and gemstone producers have come up
with some wonderful, up-to-date jewellery design, thus sprucing up the image
of jade, which had had rather a traditional character for quite some time.
In general, the value of jade is determined according
to its colour and the intensity of that colour, the vivacity and texture,
and its clarity and transparency. Likings for particular colours vary very
considerably from region to region and culture to culture. In green jade
alone, the connoisseurs differentiate between seven main qualities, from
the intense, even green of imperial jade, via apple green and spinach green,
all the way to the lighter and to more heavily speckled shades of green.
These special nuances often overlap and can hardly be recognised by the
untrained eye. In the USA and Europe, emerald green, spinach green and apple
green are regarded as particularly valuable. In the Far East, on the other
hand, pure white or a fine yellow with a delicate pink undertone is highly
esteemed. In the world of jewellery, the fine violet nuances of lavender
jade are very popular. It is however the rare, emerald green of imperial
jade, which shines through at the edges, a colour of incredible depth, which
fetches the highest prices. Unfortunately, since not only good and natural
jade is offered for sale, but often fake or poor-quality products or stones
which have been coloured or otherwise treated, it is advisable to buy good
jade only from reputable dealers and jewellers, whether the purchase is
being made for a collection or as an individual piece of jewellery.
Symbolic energy and beauty, the traditional
and the modern are combined in jade in a particularly harmonious way. And
in gemstone therapy it is said that jade 'stimulates creativity and mental
agility on the one hand, while also having a balancing and harmonising effect.'
So this beautiful gemstone brings us joy, vivacity and happiness all at
the same time ¨C and what, in our times, could we possibly need more?
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The "Chook-Blood"
jade stone
The "Chook-Blood"
jade stone ("Phoenix-Blood" stone) is a kind of valuable stone,
produced in Changhua District, Zhejiang Province, China. It is natural rare
stone, Which comes in to existence with prophyllite and scarlet cinnabar,
just looks like chook blood. Its poilshek surface is as bright, translucent
as jade. Such kind of stone is scarce in the world and either in Changhua
Mountains. It is renowned for its rarity and fine quality at home and abroad.
People always treasure it as much precious as pearls and jades.
"Chook-Blood" jade stone was first discovered in the Ming Dynasty
(1368-1644). In the early years then it was only used as making arts and
crafts by the local people and was sold to the rich men, Who took it as
a gift to each other. During the years of Qianlong Reign(1736-1795) of the
Qing Dynasty, the princes and nobles got it engraved in too seals, which
were considered as a treasured collection kept in the imperial court and
mansions.
The "Chook-Blood" jade stone fall roughly
into two categories, the old-pit "Chook-Blood" jade stone and
neopit one. Those stones with scarlet, transparent or translucent belong
to the old-pit one, the other new pit one. Due to the fact that the stones
have been bexcavation for some four hundred years, they began to dwindle.
In General Record of Changhua County, vol. 5, published in the third year
of the Daogang Reign (1823),"A lovely seal made of stone, red spots
on it like cinnabar and also dark purple in colour like a hawksbill. However,
it is rare at present."
Its value small amount quartz may be on the plished surface of the "Chook-Blood"
jade stone. That is a defect. Nonetheless, it is a rare case that these
is not any quartz contained in the stone. So non-quartz "Chook-Blood"
jade stone becomes the highest price of its kind.
For the needs of seal-lovers at home and abroad, we collect both old-pit
and new-pit "Chook-Blood" jade stone and engrave seals made
of such stone. They are all available now in our respective shops.N.B
you must keep the stone away from much exposed to the sun and from burning
when you have the stones.(not put it under sunlight or in high temperature)
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