gems, jade, jadeite, fei cui, Guatemala, Mesoamerica, Costa Rica, Mexico, geology

Abstract One to three coexisting micas with relatively high barium content, particularly in grain rims where coexisting celsian or hyalophane are present, have been found in jadeitites, albitites, and micaceous rocks from a serpentinite-matrix mélange along the Motagua Valley of Guatemala. Barian phengitic muscovite and/or phlogopite, with 0.4 to over 4 wt.% BaO (± paragonite), are found in the jadeitites. Barian phengite, from 1.2 to 8.9 wt.% BaO (0.25 cations per interlayer site), dominates in mica-rich rocks where celsian, cymrite, hyalophane and barite are minor but common. Compared to other reports of barian micas coexisting with Ba phases, the BaO values here are lower, probably due to low contents of Cr, Ti and Mn, lower formation temperatures and higher formation pressures. Barium content in phengite always exceeds that in coexisting phlogopite (Ph/Phl Dᴮᵃ = 1.2 to 9.5), which is likely due to the steric effects of high Mg and Si content in phengite and low Fe, Mn and Ti in phlogopite. Coexisting paragonite and late-stage preiswerkite have low but not always negligible barium content, as high as 0.3 wt.% BaO. The exchange Ba[4]AlK⁻¹Si⁻¹ is most commonly observed for zoning of Ba in micas. However, correlated phengite exchange, [6]Mg[4]Si[6]Al⁻¹[4]Al⁻¹, in certain rocks leads to an effective Ba⁶K⁻¹[6]Al⁻¹ exchange, which indicates a positive P/T growth trajectory and a pressure-volume limitation for increased tetrahedral aluminum in the mica structure.

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

This catalog of an early exhibition of 90 objects held in London is another important work to help people learn and understand about Chinese and Japanese stone appreciation. There are three essays at the beginning of this volume. The first and most important one is The Culture of Rocks in China and Japan, Meaning and Context contributed by John Hay. Each of the objects displayed has, at least, a full page color photograph with a description, size, and background information on the opposing page. The objects displayed were mainly stones, but there also sliced rock wall hangings, bronze castings, porcelain, dried fungi, paintings, and dried roots. It appears that most of the Chinese objects are from the Qing dynasty and were, at one time, in the hands of Japanese collectors due to the fact that some of the stones are kept in handmade Japanese boxes. There are more Ying stones illustrated than any other type of Chinese stones. Wall hangings with sliced rocks are also well represented. Japanese Furuya stones dominate the Japanese stones exhibited, although Kamo, Ibi, and Seta River stones are included. This is a beautifully produced book that serves as a valuable reference to Asian stone appreciation. It is a pity that it is out of print and almost impossible to purchase a copy today.

gems, jade, Hetian, Hotan, Khotan, nephrite, Chinese jade

A collection of studies on the archaeology, peoples, languages, and religions of China’s Western Regions and their connections with neighbouring civilizations. Archaeological discoveries, inscriptions, manuscripts, and historical texts provide evidence for cultural exchange along the Silk Roads. Topics include ancient populations and migrations, coins and documents from Khotan, Buddhist communities, and the transmission of religious traditions, presenting the region as a meeting place of Chinese, Indian, Iranian, and Central Asian cultures. Contains mentions of jade in ancient China.

jade, jadeite, fei cui, Burma, gems

A map identifying private and joint-venture fei cui mining sites in Myanmar’s Jade Tract, indicating mines active in 1995.

gems, jade, nephrite, China, Xinjiang, Khotan, Hetian

An overview of Hetian nephrite jade and its trade, introducing the material in relation to its commercial circulation and marketing.

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

Featherworks were among the most highly prized objects in the early post-Conquest period. Hernan Cortes sent feathered objects to Holy Roman Emperor Charles V to dazzle him with their richness and unique qualities. Others, like Diego de Soto, carried packages of featherworks from New Spain to Spain to give to Charles V soon after the Spanish Conquest. Many featherworks found their way into cabinets of curiosities throughout Europe, no doubt collected because they symbolized the exotic “New World” across the Atlantic. Still today, feathered goods like the so-called Headdress of Moctezuma are some of the most prized possessions of European museums.

gems, jade, pyroxene jade, fei cui, treated jade, b-jade, bleached and impregnation

gems, jade, fei cui, pyroxene jade, jadeite, treated jade

gems, jade, Chinese jade, nephrite, Chinese jade carving, archaic jade

An illustrated study of 280 selected ancient Chinese jades, examining their beauty through material, form, craftsmanship, and cultural meaning. The discussion relates the objects’ visual and tactile qualities to jade’s distinctive place in Chinese thought and appreciation, combining close attention to individual carvings with a broader consideration of their cultural value. Chinese text is accompanied by English captions.

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

An introduction to the appreciation, identification, and valuation of fei cui. Topics include flaws, artificial treatments and their detection, methods of assessing value, and examples of exceptional material. The book combines gemological examination with the practical concerns of collectors and buyers.