gems, gold, jade, jadeite, fei cui, nephrite, China, Taiwan, jade carving, Wu Ching, Huang Fu Shou

Exhibit catalog of an exhibition of gold (Wu Ching) and jade (Huang Fu Shou) art at the Bowers Museum and Houston Museum of Natural Science in 2020–2021. Treasures in Gold & Jade: Masterworks from Taiwan features works of incredible beauty and complexity by two of Taiwan’s premier living artists. Twenty-seven carvings by Huang Fu Shou show a surprising range of jade's colors: from emerald green to an almost pearlescent white. Fish springing from water, insects weightlessly clinging to blades of grass, and stone bending with litheness of fabric each push the boundaries of what is possible with the rigid medium.

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

Craftsmanship is a key element in Chinese jade carving art. In recent decades, the rapid development of tools has led to numerous changes in carving technology. Scholars are increasingly focusing on the carving craft in addition to ancient designs. Five periods have previously been defined according to the evolution of tools and craftsmanship, and the representative innovations of each period are summarized in this article. Nearly 2,500 contemporary works are analyzed statistically, showing that piercing and Qiaose, a technique to take artistic advantage of jade’s naturally uneven color, are the most commonly used methods. Current mainstream techniques used in China’s jade carving industry include manual carving, computer numerical control engraving, and 3D replicate engraving. With a rich heritage and ongoing innovation in jade craftsmanship, as well as increased automation, the cultural value and creative designs are both expected to reach new heights.​​

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

Excellent article on contemporary jade carving in China.

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

Jade figurines depicting human flight are a varied and expressive manifestation of this most prized artistic medium. Angus Forsyth, a prominent collector of Chinese jade, in this book explores the making in the Middle Kingdom (over a 2000-year period, from the Han Dynasty onwards) of unique objects depicting figural movement through the air. He examines the depiction of apsaras (flying angels), kinnaras (bird-men), garudas (humanoid birds appearing in both Hindu and Buddhist mythology) and finally anthropomorphized bird headdress ornaments. He shows how these flying figures came to be associated with veneration of the gods and specific devotional practice. Examining a variety of representative objects, none of which has been seen in print before, the author reveals that the original concept behind flying celestial beings and bird-men originated not in China but in India and the Christianized West, via the Silk Road. A distinctive characteristic of Chinese artefacts is that, in contrast to their Western angelic counterparts, they often are wingless. The book discusses small and larger jade pieces alike.

gems, jade, jadeite, fei cui, serpentine, assembled stones

Jadeite jade and serpentine doublet. The Lai Tai-An Gem Lab in Taipei recently received a carving presented as jadeite jade. The rectangular, uneven green piece, carved on one side but almost plain on the back and sides, weighed approximately 171.01 ct and measured approximately 50.4 × 39.9 × 7.4 mm (figure 64). Standard gemological testing revealed a spot RI of 1.66 on an area of the carved side, but surprisingly the smoother surfaces failed to yield clear readings. Microscopic observation revealed a coating in the areas where the failed RI attempts were made. Subsequent infrared analysis proved the carved side was jadeite jade owing to the relevant absorption valleys observed at 1167, 1077, 962, 853, 665, 587, 529, 476, and 433 cm⁻¹. However, the four sides and base revealed valleys at 1001, 646, 557, and 460 cm⁻¹, characteristic of serpentine despite the surface coating observed (figure 65). The client granted us permission to remove the coating in order to analyze the item in more detail. After removal of the coating, the four sides and base showed a lighter saturation of green color separated by a visible horizontal line (figure 66, B and D). Before coating removal, the layering was not as obvious (figure 66, A and C). Magnification confirmed that the object was composed of two different materials. Standard gemological testing of the lighter colored material yielded RIs of 1.56, consistent with those expected for serpentine and supported by the FTIR and Raman analyses. Jadeite jade and serpentine can have a very similar appearance. The identification of this particular piece proved relatively straightforward, but if it were mounted in a closed-back setting with only the carved face visible, a costly identification error could easily result.

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

Two-volume auction catalog with separate removable case.

gems, jade, corundum, quality.10, ruby, sapphire, jadeite, fei cui jade

This lavish two-volume slipcased work is a publishing event for the quality of its design, full-size reproductions, extensive documentation, and illustrated chronology and index. With more than 3,000 pieces dating from the 1860s to the present, the Cartier Collection constitutes the world's largest collection of its kind. This luxury work traces the history of the collection's high jewelry holdings and attests to the originality and artistic genius that made Cartier a world-class jeweler. The two-volume set showcases the extraordinary pieces from collectors such as Queen Elizabeth, the Duchess of Windsor, Daisy Fellowes, Barbara Hutton, and Sir Bhupinder Singh, the Maharaja of Patiala, highlighting Cartier's mastery of the jeweler's art through highly original designs, unique colors, and legendary precious stones. More than 600 objects and drawings from Cartier's vast archives, some previously unseen, are reproduced at actual size and include Cartier's famous bestiary" of exotic animals as well as more recent rare brooches, necklaces, and bracelets from the 1960s and 1970s."

gems, jade, China, Chinese jade, Xinjiang, Khotan, Hetian jade, nephrite, Chinese art, Chinese jade carving, archaic jade

Jade has long played a major role in Chinese social, cultural, and political life. From personal ornamentation to funerary practice, from palace decoration to private devotion, this exquisite material has been revered by commoners and rulers alike. This book charts that vast story, beginning with an in-depth exploration of the stone itself—its unique material qualities and the challenges they raise for workmanship—and then moving chronologically to reveal exactly how jade developed its special moral, ritual, and political significance over millennia in China. The book draws particular attention to the peoples and the communities who quarried and worked the material, passing on their knowledge in a tradition that now spans Neolithic times to the present day. This sweeping narrative is told in part through high-quality examples selected from Harvard’s Grenville L. Winthrop Collection, which includes some of the finest examples of ancient or archaizing jades outside China. The volume highlights around one hundred of these jades, carefully chosen for the ways in which they help advance the broader historical narrative the book provides. Interwoven through the book’s main chapters, the Winthrop objects are further explored through engaging catalogue entries that detail the latest available information based on conservation analysis and archaeological finds. Jenny F. So is professor emerita in the Department of Fine Arts at The Chinese University of Hong Kong; she previously served as senior curator of ancient Chinese art at the Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution.

gems, jade, jadeite, fei cui, China, kingfisher, fei-tsui, tian-tsui jewelry, Chinese jewelry

This study identified and interpreted an adhesive used in the making of a tiara of the mid-Qing Dynasty (1776–1839 CE), in the collection of the Tang Clan Folk Museum. By performance of mass spectrometry-based proteomics, a sample of adhesive residue was identified as bovine collagen proteins at the molecular level with high confidence. The result highlights the first example of accurate determination of the origin of the adhesive adopted in the tian-tsui craft, providing novel information and contributing to study of the significance, development, and exchange of tian-tsui craftsmanship.

gems, jade, nephrite, origin determination

Nephrite jade is a rare and highly prized rock consisting mainly of finely intergrown amphibole of tremolite-actinolite composition which has been culturally used from the Paleolithic to modern times. Understanding and tracing its provenance is key for solving geological, archaeological, and gemmological problems. Previous approaches to identify nephrite sources utilized a wide range of visual, spectroscopic, and geochemical methods (based on analysis of major elements, trace elements, or isotopes), but these approaches are often limited by their discriminatory power, destructiveness, and/or analytical throughput. Here, we introduce O-isotopic analysis of nephrite using secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) which affords superior spatial resolution and speed compared to other isotopic methods. By analysing a large number (n = 56) of geological samples from nephrite-bearing regions in the vicinity of Lake Baikal in southern Siberia, Russia, we assess intraand inter-specimen heterogeneity and test the sensitivity of O-isotopes to discriminate the provenance regions for nephrite. Intra-sample variability at the centimetre scale is ≤0.8‰, and typically less at the sub-millimetre scale when sampled by multiple ion beam spots ∼20 μm in diameter and with a depth resolution of few μm. Accurate SIMS analysis of nephrite requires correction for matrix-dependent instrumental mass fractionation, for which we developed an empirical calibration based on Mg + Ca cation allocation on the crystallographic B-site of amphibole. Ranges in SIMS δ18O for individual nephrite-bearing regions are +3.98 to +8.04‰ (East Sayan; n = 36), +5.21 to +11.76‰ (Dzhida; n = 13), and −17.16 to −22.95‰ (Vitim; n = 7). These results indicate that SIMS O-isotope analysis permits rapid discrimination not only for nephrite of different geologic origins (serpentinitic ultramafic or S-nephrite from East Sayan and Dzhida vs. dolomitic carbonate or D-nephrite from Vitim), but also for distinct geographic provenance of the same nephrite type (S-type nephrite from East Sayan vs. Dzhida regions).