gems, jade, Fischer-Other, jade in Europe, jadeite, fei cui, Belgium, nephrite, the jade question

Meyer revisits the long-running “nephrite question,” arguing against theories that prehistoric nephrite, jadeite and chloromelanite objects necessarily imply long-distance migration or trade. He begins with New Guinea, examining axes and related implements from the Humboldt Bay, Astrolabe Bay, Sattelberg and Collingwood Bay regions and discussing mineralogical identifications of nephrite, jadeite, chloromelanite and related rocks. He then treats the Jordansmühl nephrite occurrence and north German nephrite boulders, rejecting the idea that such finds explain the broader distribution of European jade implements and criticizing migration-based interpretations as an “Irrlehre” of the nephrite debate. A third section reviews Alpine nephrite, jadeite and chloromelanite, including finds from Styria, Switzerland and northern Italy, which Meyer regards as evidence for local raw-material sources. The final section provides an extensive bibliography of nephrite, jadeite and chloromelanite literature published from 1883 to 1903.