Jade Bibliography

First Published: 28 September 2026

Jade Bibliography

Explore books, articles and historical sources on jade in Four Treasures, the Lotus Gemology reference database. This bibliography brings together matching records from the collection, with publication details, abstracts and cover images where available.

Jade References

The list below matches the terms jade, jadeite, nephrite or Fei Cui in the database's searchable fields. Some references discuss these materials as part of a broader subject.

3,701–3,720 of 3,746 matching references

The Kachin Gazetteer

Walker, H.B., Capt. and Davies, H.R., Capt. (1893)

Book · Publisher: Compiled in the Intelligence Office, Burma Branch · Pages: 122 pp.

Abstract
Walker and Davies compile geographical, political, ethnographic, and administrative information on the Kachin peoples and territories of northern Upper Burma for the use of British officials. The gazetteer describes the distribution of Kachin communities, their tribal and clan organization, chiefs and systems of authority, villages, customs, religion, warfare, agriculture, trade, routes, and relations with neighboring peoples. It also records the physical geography of the mountainous frontier region, communications and principal settlements, and the natural and economic resources encountered there. Of particular relevance to gemological history is the work’s coverage of the northern Burmese districts and trade routes associated with the jade-producing country and commerce with China. As a proof edition compiled by the Intelligence Office shortly after the British annexation of Upper Burma, it provides an early administrative account of a region then being systematically surveyed and brought under colonial control.
Keywords
jade, jadeite, fei cui, Burma, gems

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Nephrite deposits in the Kunlun mountains

Nephrite deposits in the Kunlun mountains

Местонахождения нефрита в Куэнь-Луне Mestorozhdeniya nefri v Kuen-Lune

Bogdanovic, K.I. (1892)

Journal Article · Source: Zapishi Imperatorskago S. Peterburgsogo Mineralogicheshogo · Volume: Series 2, Vol. 29 · Pages: pp. 153–162 · Language: in Russian

Abstract
Describes seven primary nephrite deposits in the basins of the following Kuen-Luen Mountain rivers: Yarkand- Daria, Tysnab, Kara-Kash, Yarun-Kash. Keria-Daria, Kara-Muran and Tatlik-Su. Alluvial deposit.s occur mainly in Yurun-Kash, Kara-Kash and Tysnab. Gives types of nephrite found, from primary as well as secondary deposits, with Chinese names; nephrite in the Kuen-Luen occurs principally in pyroxenitic rocks.
Keywords
gems, jade, amphibole jade, nephrite, Xinjiang, Hetian

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Jade makes a picture. Qing Dynasty. Painting by Li Chengyuan. Picture book of the preface of the 17th year of Guangxu in the Qing Dynasty

Jade makes a picture. Qing Dynasty. Painting by Li Chengyuan. Picture book of the preface of the 17th year of Guangxu in the Qing Dynasty

玉作图.清.李澄渊画.清光绪十七年序钞绘本

Li, C. (1891)

Book · Pages: 15 pp. · Language: in Chinese

Abstract
This Jade Picture" album was painted by Li Chengyuan in the Qing Dynasty. The album contains a total of twelve painted color pictures, which record and depict the main steps of traditional jade making: pounding sand, grinding pulp, opening jade, tying, punching, grinding, digging the hall, on the flower, drilling, piercing flowers, eye-catching, wood, and leather jade. Each picture is accompanied by a text description, and a map of jade mining in Xinjiang is attached to the back of the book. This is the preface picture book of the 17th year of Guangxu in the Qing Dynasty. This album not only depicts the scene of the jade maker's labor operation, but also indicates the names of important tools one by one. It is divided into thirteen processes, of which the "sand pounding diagram" and "pulping diagram" are combined into one picture, and the eleven processes from three to thirteen are one each, with a total of twelve paintings. In the middle of each picture is the main screen, and there are three vertical columns on the left and right sides, and the first line is the process number and process name. The description of the back calligraphy. Li Chengyuan, a painter in the Qing Dynasty, was born and died in unknown age. Li Chengyuan had a close relationship with Stephen Wootton Bushell, a famous scholar who was active in China in the late Qing Dynasty, a British doctor and orientalist. "Yu Zuotu Theo" was made at the request of Bu Shili."
Keywords
gems, jade, nephrite, China, amphibole jade

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Manual Descriptive of a Collection of Talismans Engraved on Stones and and metals of Various countries and Epocks, Illustrative of What Man Has Worn for his Protection from Accident and Disease; also, Ancient Gems, Babylonian Cylinders, Persian Seals, Etc.: being part of the important glyptic collection of Maxwell Sommerville

Manual Descriptive of a Collection of Talismans Engraved on Stones and and metals of Various countries and Epocks, Illustrative of What Man Has Worn for his Protection from Accident and Disease; also, Ancient Gems, Babylonian Cylinders, Persian Seals, Etc.: being part of the important glyptic collection of Maxwell Sommerville

Sommerville, M. (1889)

Book · Publisher: Dept. of Archaeology and Paleontology, University of Pennsylvania · Pages: 41 pp.

Abstract
Sinkankas: The objects exhibited are numbered 1497 to 1893, and include numerous cut gemstones with others that are made from base or precious metals, and a series of engraved “gems” cut upon ostrich shell, also seals, abraxoid gems, a suite of classical engraved gems. Some are briefly described but no dimensions are given.
Keywords
gems, glyptic, engraved gems, agate, cameo, intaglio, jade, chrysoprase, plasma of emerald

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Das Königliche Ethnographische Museum zu Copenhagen | Handcatalog für die Besuchenden

Das Königliche Ethnographische Museum zu Copenhagen | Handcatalog für die Besuchenden

The Royal Ethnographic Museum of Copenhagen | Handbook for Visitors

Steinhauer, C.L. (1886)

Book · Pages: 128 pp. · Language: in Danish

Abstract
Steinhauer provides a visitor’s handbook to the collections of the Royal Ethnographic Museum in Copenhagen, arranged geographically and ethnographically to guide visitors through objects illustrating the material cultures of peoples around the world. The catalogue includes implements, weapons, ornaments, clothing, religious objects, and objects fashioned from stone and other materials.
Keywords
gems, jade, Fischer-Book

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Photocopies of Selected Official and Private Papers of William Warry (1854–1936), acting assistant Chinese secretary, Peking 1881–82, special service, Government of India from 1885, political officer, Bhamo, Mandalay and Shwegu 1887–89, adviser to the Chief Commissioner, Burma, on Chinese affairs 1890–1904; including photocopies of maps of the Trans-Salween section of the Burmo-Chinese frontier

Warry, W. (1881–1904)

Report · Publisher: British Library, European Manuscript Private Papers section · Volume: Mss Eur Photo Eur 384, (1878–1903)

Keywords
gems, jade, jadeite, fei cui, Burma, Myanmar, China, politics

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On the building and ornamental stones of India

On the building and ornamental stones of India

Ball, V. (1880)

Journal Article · Source: Records, Geological Survey of India · Volume: Vol. 7 · Pages: pp. 98–122

Abstract
Sinkankas: Written upon request of Professor Edward Hull (1829–1917), who wanted information for his forthcoming book on such stones; however, the latter was published in 1872 (which see) without Ball’s contribution. General remarks on stone uses, structures, properties, durability, industry, etc., with specifics on deposits of granites, gneisses, basalt, serpentine, steatite, marble, gypsum, alabaster, limestone, sandstone, quartzite, laterite, slates and ornamental stones (pp. 109–110), the last mentioning the Taj Mahal at Agra and its famous stone inlays of lapis, chalcedonies, marbles, slate, and nephrite.
Keywords
gems, India, ornamental stones, lapis lazuli, agate, chalcedony, jade, nephrite

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Jin Yu Suosui (金玉瑣碎)

Jin Yu Suosui (金玉瑣碎)

Miscellaneous Fragments on Gold and Yu

Xie, K. (1880)

Book · Pages: juan 1, fols. 17a–18b, entry “Fei Cui Tanglang (mantis)” (翡翠螳螂) · Language: in Chinese

Abstract
Jin Yu Suosui (金玉瑣碎) [Miscellaneous Fragments on Gold and Yu] is a Qing-dynasty collection of miscellaneous observations concerning gold, yu, precious materials, and objects made from them. Of particular gemological interest is its discussion of fei cui (翡翠), including an entry concerning a fei cui mantis (翡翠螳螂), reflecting the terminology, appreciation, and use of fei cui in nineteenth-century China.
Keywords
gems, jade, China, chinese jade carving, Chinese lapidary arts, archaic jades, Hetian yu, amphibole jade

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Popis Predmeta iz Predhistoricke dobe u nar. zem. Muzeju u Zagrebu

Popis Predmeta iz Predhistoricke dobe u nar. zem. Muzeju u Zagrebu

List of Items from the Prehistoric Era in the National Museum in Zagreb

Ljubić, Š. (1876)

Catalog · Publisher: Tiskarski i litografijski zavod C. Albrechta · Pages: 56 pp., 4 plates · Language: in Croation

Abstract
An early catalogue of the prehistoric collection of the National Museum in Zagreb by the Croatian historian and archaeologist Šime Ljubić. Prepared in connection with the 1876 International Congress of Anthropology and Prehistoric Archaeology in Budapest, the work systematically records prehistoric artifacts held by the museum, including stone, metal and other archaeological objects, and is accompanied by four plates. It represents one of the earliest attempts to catalogue and organize Croatia’s prehistoric archaeological collections and is important for the history of archaeology and museum practice in the region.
Keywords
gems, jade, Fischer-Book

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[request for nephrite samples]

[request for nephrite samples]

Fischer, H. (1874)

Journal Article · Source: Pharmazeutische Zeitung | pharmaceutischen Handelsblatt · Volume: Vol. 19 · Issue: No. 9 · Pages: p. 29 · Language: in German

Abstract
Ad by Heinrich Fischer looking for jade samples.
Keywords
gems, jade, Fischer-Book

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Estrada de Ferro da Bahia ao São Francisco: Estudos definitivos da Alagoinhas ao Juazeiro e Casa Nova

Railway from Bahia to São Francisco: Definitive studies from Alagoinhas to Juazeiro and Casa Nova

Bulhões, A.M.d.O. (1874)

Book · Publisher: G. Leuzinger e Filhos · Language: in Portuguese

Abstract
Bulhões presents the definitive engineering studies for extending the Bahia–São Francisco railway from Alagoinhas toward Juazeiro and Casa Nova, describing the proposed route, topography, rivers, terrain, settlements, engineering difficulties, and natural resources encountered across the interior of Bahia. Prepared principally as a technical report for railway construction, the work includes geographical and geological observations made during surveys of regions that were still imperfectly documented. Its relevance to mineralogical and gemological research lies in observations on the rocks, minerals, and potentially exploitable resources encountered along the proposed railway corridor, providing contemporary evidence for nineteenth-century knowledge of the mineral-producing districts of Bahia.
Keywords
gems, jade, Fischer-Book

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Di alcuni oggetti dell’epoca neolitica rinvenuti nel Friuli

Di alcuni oggetti dell’epoca neolitica rinvenuti nel Friuli

On some neolithic objects found in Friuli

Torquato, T. (1874)

Journal Article · Source: Annali Scientifici del Regio Istituto Tecnico Zanon di Udine · Volume: Vol. 7 · Pages: pp. 41–80 · Language: in Italian

Abstract
Torquato describes a group of Neolithic objects discovered in Friuli in northeastern Italy, examining their forms, materials, workmanship, and archaeological significance. The finds include polished stone implements and other artifacts, which he compares with prehistoric objects from elsewhere in Italy and Europe in an effort to characterize the region’s Neolithic material culture. Particular attention is given to the mineralogical nature of the stones used for axes and related implements, including unusual green materials relevant to contemporary discussions of jade, jadeite, and nephrite. The study contributes to the nineteenth-century documentation of prehistoric Friuli and to the broader debate concerning the distribution and provenance of jade and other exotic stone materials in Neolithic Europe.
Keywords
gems, jade, Fischer-Book

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[Prof. Issel announces discovery of human skeleton in cave at Finale]

[Prof. Issel announces discovery of human skeleton in cave at Finale]

Issel, A. (1874)

Newspaper Article · Source: Corriere Mercantile

Abstract
Issel announces the discovery of a human skeleton in a cave near Finale, Liguria, a region already noted for important prehistoric remains. The brief newspaper notice reports the find in the context of contemporary investigations into the antiquity of humans and the prehistoric occupation of the Ligurian caves. The discovery contributed to nineteenth-century archaeological and anthropological interest in the Finale cave sites, where human remains, stone implements, ornaments, and other evidence of prehistoric habitation and burial were being brought to scientific attention.
Keywords
gems, jade, Fischer-Book

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[small tool made of a nephrite-like rock]

Niederrheinischen Gesellschaft zu Bonn (1871)

Newspaper Article · Source: Correspondenzblatt der Niederrheinischen Gesellschaft zu Bonn [Correspondence sheet of the Lower Rhine Society of Bonn] · Language: in German

Keywords
gems, jade, Fischer-Book

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Great Trigonometrical Survey of India: General Report for 1865–66

Great Trigonometrical Survey of India: General Report for 1865–66

Walker, J.F. (1866)

Report · Publisher: Superintendent of the Great Trigonometrical Survey of India · Pages: Appendix A: Contains a letter by Johnson describing his visit to Khotan

Abstract
Walker presents the annual report of the Great Trigonometrical Survey of India for 1865–66, summarizing surveying operations, geographical observations, mapping, and exploration undertaken in and beyond British India. Of particular importance is Appendix A, containing an account by W.H. Johnson of his journey across the Karakoram to Khotan in Chinese Turkestan. Johnson describes the difficult routes, high passes, geography, settlements, and conditions encountered and records information on Khotan and its surrounding region. His observations are particularly significant for the history of jade, since Khotan was the principal historic source of nephrite supplied to China, obtained from the rivers and mountain districts around Khotan and Yarkand. The report provides an early firsthand European account of a region that remained extremely difficult for Western travelers to access during the nineteenth century.
Keywords
gems, jade, Fischer-Book

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Carta escrita al rey de España por el Licenciado Diego Garcia de Palacio....

Carta escrita al rey de España por el Licenciado Diego Garcia de Palacio....

Letter written to the King of Spain by Mr. Diego Garcia de Palacio

Palacio, D.G.a., de (1859)

Book · Publisher: Yale · Pages: Handwritten Spanish transcript, with English translation, of a letter to the king of Spain in 1576–1578; contains an introduction by Ephraim George Squier written in August 1859 · Language: in Spanish with English translation

Abstract
Handwritten Spanish transcript, with English translation, of a letter to the king of Spain in 1576–1578, in which Diego Garcia de Palacio proposes the use of the land route across Honduras to send the soldiers and supplies for the pacification" of the Philippines. Also included is a transcription and translation of the contract in which the king empowers Diego Garcia de Palacio to undertake the conquest of the province of Lataguzgalpa (consisting of the modern Mosquito Coast.) Contains an introduction by Ephraim George Squier written in August, 1859"
Keywords
gems, jade, Fischer-Book

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Exploring the Literature of Jade

Jade literature spans gemology, mineralogy, archaeology, art history, mining, carving and connoisseurship, and includes works on both jadeite and nephrite from around the world.

For an introduction to collecting books on this subject, read Hidden Treasure — Collecting the Literature of Jade.

About Four Treasures

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