gems, jade, jadeite, fei cui jade, Chinese art symbols

Although many diverse cultures have carved jade, it is really the Chinese who have raised it to the level of an art. The master Chinese carvers grew more bold and ambitious with the discovery of jadeite jade several hundred year ago. The colors of jadeite jade were more diverse and vivid than the soapy, bland tones of nephrite jade. Using the material very wisely, they have created some of the most extraordinary gemstome carvings in the world. Symbolism is key in Chinese culture. Everything has a meaning. Most art symbols are taken directly from nature and are an essential aspect of Chinese art. Most pieces follow classical patterns and motifs; listed below are some of the more common Chinese jade art symbols and a brief description.

gems, jade, nephrite, Faberge

For the wedding of Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands (1880-1962) to Duke Henry of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1876-1934) on February 7, 1901, an avalanche of gifts poured in from all over the world. Members of the Dutch community in St. Petersburg chose a very suitable present from the Fabergé firm – a nephrite presentation tray in the Renaissance-style. In 1974, when Christie’s auctioned it for the first time, the tray was front-page news in the Netherlands: how did an artifact from the Royal Family end up at auction? Was it stolen? The tray, considered an absolute highpoint in Fabergé’s production was once again at auction in 1980, but has not been seen in the last 38 years. This research contribution offers a reconstruction of the tray’s history and close-up photographs of the handles.

gems, jade, jadeite, fei cui, Burma

When the earth collapsed, as it does nearly every day in the jade hills of Myanmar, Ye Min Naing was poised on a steep slope of rubble and scree. It was a rainy night six months ago, at the tail end of the monsoons. A truck with wheels the height of a man had just deposited loose stones at the edge of the mountain, sending hundreds of scavengers scrambling through the tailings in hopes of finding a precious lump of jade.

jade, nephrite, jadeite, fei cui, jade at auction, jade collecting, gems

In China, its use dates back to the Neolithic period, between 6000 and 5000 B.C. The mysterious bi discs and cong vessels found in burials of this period testify to its ritual significance. Confucius (551–479 B.C.) said, “The wise have likened jade to virtue” and went on to link its various strengths to human qualities. Difficult to find, almost impossible to work with tools, the mineral’s pull on the heartstrings began early. Then and now, jade displayed the owner’s wealth and also served as a protective talisman to ensure longevity and good fortune. After 10 years of headline-grabbing prices, the market for Chinese jade – both objects and jewelry – remains complex and difficult to navigate. Buyers who appear discriminating and highly selective at one moment can be maddeningly capricious at others. Museum criteria are not always valid. Neither age nor appearance nor history guarantees a sale. Emotion may trump reason on the auction floor. When a particular object speaks to more than one bidder – when they must have it in their life – rational estimates are left far behind.

jade, nephrite, British Columbia, gems

Buddhist wat ouside Bangkok that contains a large buddha statue carved from British Columbia nephrite.

jade, jadeite, fei cui, treated jade, FTIR, gems

Michael Bradley demonstrates the use of Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy to distinguish natural fei cui from material subjected to acid bleaching and impregnation, treatments that may escape routine gemmological testing. The application note contrasts three commercial categories: A material, described as natural; B material, chemically cleaned and subsequently impregnated; and C material, artificially colour-enhanced. In the treatment described, strong mineral acids remove brown or black staining but also leach constituents and weaken the stone. Wax or polymer resin fills the resulting pores, improving appearance through its optical similarity to the host, and an additional surface hardener may be applied. Bradley emphasizes that the principal identification problem concerns disclosure, since treated stones can retain refractive indices consistent with fei cui and show no spectroscopic evidence of artificial dyes. Microscopic recognition may also require considerable experience. Infrared spectroscopy instead detects absorption associated with the organic impregnant. Measurements were made using a Thermo Scientific Nicolet spectrometer with OMNIC software. Samples were mounted with adhesive putty, with precautions against contamination, and a fourfold beam condenser was employed, although the note states that such an accessory is not generally essential. Resin could be recognized using only 4–16 scans; the illustrated spectra were collected with 64 scans to improve signal-to-noise ratio, at a resolution of 4 cm⁻¹. Strong absorption by the gemstone obscured signals below approximately 2,300 cm⁻¹, but the diagnostically important region between 2,600 and 3,800 cm⁻¹ remained accessible. The B-material spectrum showed a conspicuous absorption in the aliphatic hydrocarbon region that was readily distinguishable from the illustrated A-material spectrum. Searching the 4,000–2,500 cm⁻¹ region against infrared reference libraries returned epoxy resins as the closest matches, demonstrating that the method can indicate the class of impregnant as well as its presence. Bradley presents the procedure as rapid and non-destructive and proposes standardized software workflows suitable for bulk testing or use by operators without specialist infrared experience. Chemometric classification and automated reporting are suggested as possible extensions, rather than demonstrated outcomes of the experiments presented. The spectra and experimental details were supplied by the GIA Gem Laboratory. The note concludes that infrared detection of treatment-related organic substances provides a practical means of supporting identification and disclosure of impregnated fei cui.

jade, corundum, quality.10, gems

For a brief period, Christie’s produced summary volumes of the highlights they sold during the previous year. A great idea, but sadly abandoned after just a couple issures.

gems, jade, nephite, China, amphibole jade, jade carving, hetian yu

This scholarly volume explores the evolution and artistic significance of human figures and faces in historical and prehistorical Chinese jade. The fruit of an extraordinary collection of artifacts, assembled over several decades, Jade People: The Human Figure and Faces in Chinese Jade over More Than 7,000 Years showcases Chinese jade working dating back millennia, focusing on representations of the human figure in 3D, in relief and in cutout silhouette form. Portrayals of the human form have featured among the principal drivers of artistic expression throughout history, with China being no exception to this shared spirit of sculptural exploration, as the amazing historical development of Chinese jade-working skills makes clear in these pages. The well-preserved jade artifacts presented here include prehistoric works from before the Shang Dynasty and are accurately dated thanks to carbon dating of buried organic matter and skeletal remains, providing us with a continuous timeline from ancient times to the present. From leading expert Angus Forsyth, this is an important guide to the history of human images in China’s jade artifacts.

gems, jade, nephrite, XRF mapping, XAFS, Infrared spectrum, Coloration mechanism, jade origin, jade provenance, amphibole jade, China, Chinese jade, hetian yu

Nephrite, a historically significant material in Chinese jade culture, varies in elemental composition and spectroscopic properties based on its geographic origin due to differing mineralization environments. This study aims to address the limitations of traditional methods by employing a multi-technique approach that combines XRF mapping, fiber optic reflectance spectroscopy (FORS), near-infrared spectroscopy (NIR), and synchrotron-based X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) analysis, focusing on a comprehensive characterization of Fe to understand the properties of nephrite from various provenances. Our results reveal that while major elements like Si, Mg, and Ca are uniformly distributed, elements such as K, Mn, and Fe show significant variability, with Fe and Mn exhibiting nearly identical distribution patterns. Transparency variations in Qinghai nephrite correlate with Ca distribution. Chromaticity analysis indicates that Fe significantly influences the yellow coloration of nephrite, and NIR spectroscopy shows that Fe content affects spectral characteristics. XAFS analysis provides detailed insights into the valence and coordination environment of Fe, highlighting its role in color variation and spectral shifts. This integrated approach bridges the correlation between elemental composition and distribution, structural properties and visual representation, and its non-destructive advantages could hold great promise for jade research.

gems, jade, anthropology, China, nephrite

The rarity, color, hardness, and durability of jades provided them with special social, symbolic, and utilitarian value in many Neolithic communities. However, the process through which jade was transformed into objects of value in early communities and its role in household economy remains poorly understood. Therefore, this study examined these questions using household artifact data from an early Neolithic village in Northeastern China. The relationship between proxies for jade consumption and differences in various aspects of daily life, including domestic ritual, household scale, and economic production, was examined using household artifact assemblage analysis. The results indicated that some small households may have accumulated more jades than large households. Some of these households pursued jades holding ritual and religious significance, whereas others obtained durable jade tools. This initial consumption pattern may have been associated with different risk-buffering strategies stimulated by a limited household scale. The integrated evidence from Chahai offers an intriguing illustration of the potential origins of jade consumption within the matrices of households and their underlying socioeconomic dynamics. Furthermore, this may help explain the origins of jade consumption in Neolithic Northeastern China and other early complex societies.