gems, jade, nephrite, Europe, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Poland

Berwerth reports the occurrence of nephrite from the Sann River (present-day Savinja River) in Lower Styria, now Slovenia. He describes the material and its mineralogical characteristics and discusses its identification as nephrite in relation to similar material known from other European localities. The occurrence was of particular interest because contemporary debate centered on whether nephrite objects found at European prehistoric sites had been manufactured from indigenous material or from jade imported over long distances. The paper thus provides evidence relevant to the nineteenth-century discussion of European nephrite sources and the provenance of prehistoric jade implements.

gems, jade, amphibole jade, nephrite,

Meyer reports a newly recognized occurrence of nephrite in Asia, describing the locality and the material obtained there. He discusses the identification of the stone as nephrite and its geographical and geological occurrence, accompanied by a plate and map showing the material and its source. The discovery is considered in relation to the broader question of the geographical distribution of nephrite and the possible sources of Asian jade objects. The brief paper contributes to the nineteenth-century debate over nephrite provenance and the extent to which worked jade could be connected with known natural deposits.

jadeite, fei cui, jade, nephrite, gems

Sinkankas: This work examines the arguments surrounding the “jade question,” namely whether jade artefacts found in many parts of the world can be traced to a common source. Arzruni points out that existing petrographic techniques make it possible to examine the fine structure of both nephrite and jadeite and thereby establish similarities and differences among specimens. He collected samples from numerous widely separated localities, examined them, and determined that although some specimens from certain areas appeared to have been derived from a common deposit, no evidence was found for a single deposit common to all sources. The study provides descriptions of the specimens, information on the institutions from which they were obtained, and the results of the investigations. Arzruni concludes that the “common source” theory is untenable.

gems, jade, jade nomenclature

Ratzel’s geographical handbook presents a broad survey of the physical and human geography of the world, treating the relationships between peoples and their natural environments. It discusses geographical distribution, settlement, migration, economic activities, natural resources, and the influence of terrain and climate upon human societies. Mineral resources and their geographical occurrence are considered within this wider treatment of the economic products of different regions. The work reflects Ratzel’s developing approach to anthropogeography and provides a useful nineteenth-century synthesis of geographical knowledge and contemporary ideas concerning the relationship between human populations and the physical world.

gems, art, lapidary, carving, jade, Mesoamerica, Guatemala, pyroxene jade, fei cui, jadeite

Sinkankas: Essentially a guide to the industrial arts exhibits in the Trocadéro Museum, Paris, lavishly illustrated with wood engravings and ornamental chapter title pages. The preface describes the museum and its history, while the introduction gives a general history of the development of the industrial arts throughout the ages. The first chapter, pp. 21–65, concerns cameos and intaglios, as well as engraved work upon larger objects such as cups, and is well illustrated. At its end appear three tables summarizing notable features of art in various cultures as exemplified by engraved gems, the materials used in them, and providing a catalog, by period and culture, of a series of gems collected, donated, or exhibited in the Trocadéro by the author. Numerous references to lapidary work appear throughout the text, the chapter on American art, for example, containing remarks on the jade carvings of the Pre-Columbian Indians, pp. 349–60. Other chapters treat the arts of the Middle Ages, Persian arts, and also the arts of the Khmer, American, and Egyptian civilizations.

gems, jade, fei cui, pyroxene jade, Burma

Kreitner recounts Count Béla Széchenyi’s expedition through India, Japan, China, Tibet, and Burma from 1877 to 1880, providing extensive observations on the geography, peoples, natural history, commerce, and resources of the regions traversed. The work records geological and mineralogical observations made during the journey and includes information on local mineral products and precious materials encountered or traded in East and Southeast Asia. Maps and plates supplement this substantial contemporary account of exploration across Asia. They visit Bhamo and buy jade.

gems, jade, Fischer-Book

Sinkankas: Studying the accounts of several scientific travelers in Asia led Fischer to conclude that all Asian jadeites come from a single source: Mung-Kong in Burma. Several specimens were investigated, and their properties were determined. Some Alpine jadeites were also examined. However, most of the discussion is devoted to the question of whether American jadeites originated from Asia.

gems, jade, amphibole jade, nephrite

Albert Brault was a French physician, and Contribution à l’étude des néphrites was his 1881 inaugural medical thesis concerning kidney disease.

gems, jade, nephrite, Russia, Lake Baikal, Siberia

Jannettaz and Michel examine nephrite specimens from Siberia, including material discovered by Jean-Pierre Alibert in the bed of the Onot River in the Eastern Sayan region. They describe the nephrite’s physical, microscopic, optical, and chemical characteristics, including its fibrous structure, and compare it with nephrite from other sources. The occurrence provides evidence for a natural Siberian source of nephrite at a time when the provenance of nephrite used for prehistoric and ethnographic objects was the subject of considerable debate.

gems, jade, Fischer-Book

A short comparative study by Heinrich Fischer on the widespread use of stone idols and amulets among peoples in different parts of the world. Forming part of his Mineralogisch-archäologische Beobachtungen, the paper approaches such objects from both ethnographic and mineralogical perspectives, emphasizing the value of identifying the stone from which an artifact was made when considering its origin, cultural significance and possible movement between regions. Fischer places stone images and amulets within his broader program of applying mineralogical methods to archaeological and ethnographic collections. The paper is useful for the history of archaeometry and for understanding nineteenth-century attempts to relate the choice and distribution of particular stone materials to human cultural practices.