Quality never becomes jaded
Jade is a symbol of perfection, beloved of emperors, but did you know there is more than one type – and not all of it is green?
POOR Confucius. He knew all about jade, describing it as “exquisite and mysterious... its flaws not concealing its beauty nor its beauty concealing its flaws”. But sadly, for him at least, he never knew jadeite, which is a pity.
Jadeite jade did not arrive in China until the middle of the 18th century, by which time Confucius (551-479 BC) was ancient history. But what’s the difference between the two? And does it matter? Read on and become expert – hopefully.
Apart from being China’s most precious of stones, jade was also adopted as the symbol of all virtue. Translucent, lustrous and resonant, it represented such human attributes as wisdom, purity, courage, power and immortality.
Jade was all things to all men: Emperors carried jade sceptres as emblems of their authority; high ranking army officers wore armour covered with protective jade platelets and the rich could choose to be in interred in jade burial suits.
Jade was also believed to ward off evil spirits and render poison harmless. Wealthy families chose utilitarian objects like incense burners, brush pots and covered bowls made from jade, while good luck charms carved with entwined fish were given to newly-weds to bring them marital bliss.
Before the days of chemical testing, everything was called jade and it became the generic name of choice, but in fact, it embraces two quite separate minerals with different densities, hardness, crystal structure and chemical composition.
Nephrite, an iron silicate, is another form of jade, and was an important material in Chinese art for more than 1,000 years. More common and more opaque, it was used mostly for carved objects whether grand or utilitarian.
Jadeite, an aluminium silicate, is a different matter altogether. More translucent that either nephrite or jade, it is harder than nephrite and can be polished to a glass-like finish. As a result, it is the jewellers’ favourite. And no, it’s not all green.
Jadeite was first imported to China from Burma in 1748, during the Qing dynasty. Its earliest fan was the legendary Empress Dowager Cixi (1835-1908) a concubine in the Forbidden City who rose to power and helped shape modern China.
Seldom seen not wearing a full complement of jadeite jewellery, her passion for the gemstone led to it being hailed as the “King of Jade”. Keen to curry her favour, the officials and noblemen in her court began buying her and their wives gifts, even wearing the jewellery themselves.
The fashion quickly spread from the confines of the palace across China and demand quickly began to outstrip supply, sending prices spiralling.
The same is true today with limited supplies of the raw material coming out of Burma and strong demand for the finest pieces worked from the highest quality stones.
Jadeite comes in various colours, not just the traditional green, which bestows good fortune on its owner. The most coveted is vivid emerald green, also called imperial green, followed by, in terms of rarity and value, lavender, which represents fullness of life, white, for good luck and red for a long life.
Other colours include yellow, brown and even black. A piece of jewellery featuring two or more colours is particularly auspicious and valuable.
Jadeite is particularly prized for its translucency and almost its entire interior is visible when a light is shone through it. Crystals inside the stone are so fine that rays of light are able to penetrate it more easily, creating a reflection and refraction that gives the effect that water is trapped inside. The higher this “water content” the more desirable and valuable the stone becomes.
Careful shaping and polishing enhance the effect, much like the fire and brilliance that can be achieved in diamond cutting.
However, unlike diamond, which is the hardest material in the world but very brittle, jadeite is tougher and can be carved or pierced without breaking.
This means that of all precious gemstones, jadeite offers the carver the greatest opportunity to show off his creative talent, with the result that the most intricate designs such as spider’s web or honeycomb motifs achieve the impossible over other gemstones.
Some of the most coveted jadeite jewellery is in the form of carved pendants, which are found with an astonishing range of subjects involving plants, fruits, flowers, animals, mythical beasts, abstract designs, deities and human forms.
The symbolism found in such carvings constitutes a study in its own right. The chrysanthemum, for example, is a popular symbol of autumn and of maturity and was much favoured by the emperors.
The crane is considered the “patriarch” of all birds and the most frequently used symbol of longevity.
Beauty and purity is represented by the lotus flower, which also symbolises the summer, while the fish is a sign of wealth.
Bamboo represents tenacity and surviving strength; the elephant, sagacity and prudence.
To the Chinese, the bat is a symbol of happiness. A design incorporating five bats stands for the five blessings: old age, wealth, health, love of virtue and a natural death.
A phoenix is considered the emperor of all birds, a creature of wisdom, peace and benevolence.
Necklaces are the most challenging for the makers of jadeite jewellery.
In the best examples only beads of matching colour, water content and size can be used, sometimes resulting in hundreds being rejected for perhaps a few dozen that can be selected.
Carved beads are either coveted collectors’ items or else of inferior quality jade, with carving that is intended to hide the fact.
Naturally, it’s possible to pay millions for the finest jadeite jewellery, but not all of it will break the bank. Buy from reputable sources and buy the best you can afford.
Be wary of something that seems too good to be true – it usually is – and avoid stones that have been treated. The best jadeite comes from Burma and is never altered artificially.
And one other tip: if you’re uncertain if a piece of nephrite or jadeite you’re being offered is real or fake examine it under a white light, sunlight, and a yellow light.
It should look different in each case.
A two-row lavender bead necklace, sold with a Gem and Pearl Laboratory stating that the beads are natural jadeite jade with no indications of treatment, sold for £5,600, a multiple of its guide price Photo Woolley & Wallis auctioneers, Salisbury