gems, jade, Fischer-Book

Fischer presents a series of critical microscopic-mineralogical studies applying microscopy to the identification and differentiation of minerals and rocks whose nature could not always be determined reliably from their external appearance. He examines microscopic structure, texture, inclusions, and other diagnostic features, comparing these observations with chemical and physical evidence and reassessing earlier mineral identifications. Of particular relevance to jade research are his discussions of nephrite and nephrite-like materials, in which microscopy is used to distinguish true nephrite from superficially similar substances. The studies form an important part of Fischer’s contribution to the nineteenth-century “jade question” and illustrate the growing use of microscopic methods for identifying compact mineral aggregates and archaeological stone materials.