gems, jade, jadeite, fei cui, Mesoamerica, Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Mayans, Olmecs, Aztecs, archaeology, history, archaeogemology, Pre-Columbian jade; Costa Rica; Maya; exchange; iconography, lapidary, feldspar, amazonite

jade, nephrite, Khotan, Hetian, Xinjiang, gems

A thematic collection of papers on the mineralogy, geological origins, physical properties, and cultural significance of yu, with substantial coverage of nephrite from Hetian, Manasi, and Xiuyan. Contributions examine mineral composition, colour, microscopic textures, and X-ray diffraction characteristics, alongside comparisons among producing regions. Other papers discuss the formation of nephrite and jadeitite through fluid–rock interaction and the historical importance of Hetian material in Chinese carving traditions.

gems, jade, Chinese scholar’s rocks, scholar’s studio

VSANA: This is a wonderful book for anyone wishing to learn about stone appreciation in China during the dynasties. This beautifully illustrated work introduces readers to this fascinating aspect of Chinese culture by focusing on the first and most comprehensive illustrated book, the Suyuan Stone Catalog, published in 1613 in China about appreciating stones for their natural beauty. Hu takes twenty of the nearly 100 stones or stone types featured in the early stone catalog and presents information about each in a informative and interesting manner. This is not a book just about stones, because it also includes other stone art forms such as ancient brush rests and Yanshan mountain ink stones. Readers are introduced to important early books, poems, and paintings of stones. This book demonstrates the role that stones played in the lives of the artists, writers, calligraphers, and government officials. Reading Hu’s book helps immensely in understanding the value and importance of the Suyuan Stone Catalog published nearly 500 years ago. The book is attractively designed and the 188-illustrations included in this work are excellent. It has a quality binding and overall production resulting in a long-lasting publication.

gems, jade, jadeite, jadeite, fei cui history in China

This paper points out that the spread of jadeite began in the Western Han Dynasty, and was introduced to Yunnan again at the end of the Ming Dynasty, which is called Cuishengshi". In the eleventh year of Emperor Yongzheng's reign in the Qing Dynasty, Yongchang Jasper entered the inner court and was later called Yunnan Jade and Dian Jade, all of which were produced in Burma. In the late Qianlong period, it was hailed as a "rare treasure" in the capital, and its price was far higher than that of "true jade". In the late Qing Dynasty, its price soared, and it was called sky-high. The views on jadeite in Ming and Qing documents are not unbiased, but it is fair to evaluate jadeite in "Yu Shuo". Jadeite is the third-generation emerging jade resource in China's jade altar."

gems, jade, jadeite, fei cui, Mesoamerica, Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Mayans, Olmecs, Aztecs, archaeology, history, archaeogemology, Pre-Columbian jade; Costa Rica; Maya; exchange; iconography, lapidary

A finely carved jade “spoon,” curated in the artifact collection of the Belize Department of Archaeology in Belmopan, is described. The distinctive artifact, whose precise archaeological provenience is unknown, is compared with similar jade spoons identified elsewhere in Mesoamerica and Lower Central America. It is concluded that the Belize jade spoon dates to the Middle Preclassic period (900–350 BC) and is most likely of Olmec origin. The jade spoon was discovered at the site of Uxbenka in the Toledo District of Belize. The artifact was found by the site caretaker on the surface of the main plaza, near a looted Classic-period tomb. After its discovery, the caretaker delivered the jade piece to a Toledo District official for transfer to the Belize Department of Archaeology in Belmopan, where it is now housed. Uxbenka, meaning “old village” in Mopan Maya, is located near the village of Santa Cruz, approximately 15 kilometres east of the Belize–Guatemala border. Norman Hammond located two building groups associated with Uxbenka, which he called Sta. Cruz North, while conducting a site survey near Lubaantun in 1971. The site was reconnoitred by Belize government archaeologists and Richard Leventhal in 1984. Records in the Archaeology Department indicate that looters had trenched the largest structure and partially destroyed, while leaving open, the aforementioned tomb on the south side of the main plaza. Following reports of continued looting in the area, Leventhal conducted salvage excavations at Uxbenka, produced the first map of the site core, and recorded the remains of numerous stelae in the main plaza. Several of the stelae retain evidence of original painting. Three stelae are dated stylistically to the Early Classic period and are among the earliest carved monuments known from the southern Belize subregion. Prior to the discovery of the jade spoon, there had been no reported evidence of Formative-period occupation at Uxbenka. The Uxbenka jade was examined by the authors at the Belize Department of Archaeology in Belmopan, where it is presently stored in the government archaeological vault (Cat. No. 27/179-6:21). The piece was studied, photographed, and illustrated by members of the Trent University Preclassic Maya Project laboratory in San Ignacio. The jade measures 18.5 cm in length, 6.8 cm in width, and has a maximum thickness of 1.5 cm. No weight was recorded. The artifact is finely carved, smoothed, and polished to a low lustre. It is bluish-green in colour with tiny whitish flecks. The form is that of a right-facing “spoon,” or tadpole, with three concave depressions on the front separated by rounded ridges. The reverse side is slightly rounded. Three evenly spaced biconical drill holes run from the back to the upper edge, although only the central drill hole is visible on the front.

gems, jade, fei cui, pyroxene jade, jade testing, jadeite, treated fei cui, B-jade

Based on the conventional gemmological characterization of nine B-type jadeite samples, infrared spectroscopy was conducted. The results show that the primary absorption peaks of B-type jadeite are a group at 2,959 (or 2,966), 2,931 (or 2,924), and 2,895 cm⁻¹. Additionally, two other spectral bands—at 1,510, 1,581, and 1,609 cm⁻¹, and at 3,040 and 3,060 cm⁻¹—can serve as auxiliary indicators for identifying B-type jadeite, though they are not essential. These findings provide further data for the accurate identification of B-type jadeite.

jade, nephrite, Han jade, China, gems

gems, jade, nephrite, jadeite, fei cui, China, Chinese jade, Chinese jade carving

An illustrated reference to Chinese yu objects, organized in six chronological volumes covering the Liangzhu culture through the Qing dynasty. Photographs and accompanying entries describe object types, materials, decoration, and identifying characteristics, with reference values for collectors. The series emphasizes practical identification and appreciation, providing visual comparisons across successive periods of Chinese carving.

gems, jade, pyroxene jade, jadeite, fei cui, omphacite, kosmochlor, geology

gems, jade, jadeite, fei cui, cathodoluminesence

An up-to-date overview of cathodoluminescence microscopy and spectroscopy in the field of geosciences, including new important data on cathodoluminescence spectroscopy, physical parameters and systematic spectral analysis of doped minerals. Each chapter, written by a well-known specialist, covers classic and new fields of application such as carbonate diagenesis, silicates, brittle deformation in sandstones, gemstone recognition, biomineralization, economic geology or geochronology. Useful to all scientists, graduates and professional engineers throughout the geosciences community.