Brief History of Jadeite Jade

Jadeite jade is a latecomer in the long and illustrious history of jade as the exalted stone-of-heaven in Chinese culture. Fei cui was the name given to this beautiful new arrival in the hallowed world of jade. By most accounts, jadeite jade from Burma arrived in China during the Qing dynasty (circa late 18th century), and quickly rose to become the favoured jade stone amongst the Imperial family, and consequently, among nobles, and later, the general masses. Jadeite jade was especially favoured by the Empress Dowager Ci Xi, who was notoriously known for her love of jadeite jade (unfortunately, the treasures buried with her were looted after the Qing dynasty fell and are still lost to the public as of now).

Soong Mei Ling (the wife of Chiang Kai Shek, one time national leader of the Republic of China) was also a well-known jadeite aficionado, and glamourised jadeite for another new generation of Chinese. The regard Chinese have for jadeite jade in particular has continued till the present, with the sale of jadeite jade and other jade stones dominating the gemstones trade in China. As a portion of the Chinese economy continues to prosper, so have the price of jadeite. The price of high quality jadeite especially, has been estimated to have increased a thousand-fold from what it was in the 1930s.

Image courtesy of GuGu Jadeite, China

Notes:
There is an abundance of information with regard to jade and jadeite in the Chinese language, however, information in English is somewhat limited, hence the forthcoming contents of this page. I would like to share my love of jadeite jade and hope that those with a similar interest would be able to share them with me as well. (The content of these pages are also a personal archive of sorts, since English is a more accessible written language for me than is written Chinese).

There are a number of sites which offer excellent information on jade, comparisons of jadeite jade and nephrite, and their differences and compositions in scientific terms, as well as the kind of treatments jadeite jade can be subjected to (kindly refer to the links provided below) and I will not endeavour to repeat such information, valuable as they are. The best information about jadeite jade (in English) that I managed to come across – which does not involve thumbing through gemmology journals – was provided by Palagems. The article can be accessed here at Palagems.

Other valuable resources include information provided by Tips to Buy Jadeite, MasonKay, RoseGem, here and here.

As a common jadeite (and jade) enthusiast, I am also interested in the terms which normally govern jade trading and marketing, and which I have found to be extremely useful as an enthusiast-cum-consumer, so I will focus more on that in this series of write-ups.

If it is not self-evident for those newly initiated into the wonderful world of jadeite jade, only A Type jadeite jade is worth purchasing if what you want is jadeite which endures. A Type is the grade afforded jadeite which has not undergone any treatment (with the notable and universally accepted exception of waxing). All other categories for jadeite, whether B, C or D, indicate that the jadeite has undergone treatment, which will affect the internal structure of the jadeite, and hence its durability. For those in the market for high quality jadeite, certification stating that the jadeite is A Type jadeite from a recognised testing lab/institution should be a requirement when making any purchase. It is normally advisable to buy from shops which categorically only deal with A Type jadeite, and avoid goldsmiths if possible (although they do tell you the `grade`/type if you ask).

Next up will be a brief but concise look at the evaluation and appraisal of jadeite jade. (The links provided above have excellent reviews of the factors governing evaluation and appraisal, so, do please take a look).

Why Jadeite Jade

Unique, strikingly beautiful and culturally significant, jadeite jade is all that and more.

Each piece of jadeite jewellery is wholly unparalleled in its distinctiveness, with differences amongst pieces notably discernible even with the naked eye (a bonus for someone who doesn`t own any loupe for gemstone valuation, i.e. someone like me).

Old Mine Green Chili Pendant

Jadeite is hard and durable, making it practical jewellery for daily wear (well, unless you are talking about those kryptonite-like imperial jadeite, which would not at all be suitable for daily wear unless you are those who like to advertise their wealth... okay, I do concede that many people consider jadeite a sign of their social status, so, it would be fair to say that quite a few people wear it to show off their wealth...;)...), is often of a decent size (imagine those tiny diamonds – unless you are one of those who has lying around a diamond pendant or ring with at least one carat – being lost; what are the chances of you finding it again?), but above all, jadeite is amazingly gorgeous!

To wax poetic about jadeite, I think I will use the metaphor of the moon and stars. As the children song `Twinkle twinkle little star` illustrates well, diamonds are like the stars, twinkling brilliantly in the night sky. For all its beauty, though, it could never compare to the ethereally luminous glow of the moon, which would be a fitting representation of jadeite jade. Jadeite jade, like the moon, is mesmerising.

Red Cabochon

Culturally, jade, and by extension, jadeite jade, symbolised spiritual integrity and the harmony of earth, human and heaven. No other stone or precious gemstone is as exalted as jade in Chinese culture. Jade represents all that is good on earth, humanity and the heavens, as well as believed to be able to ward of bad spirits/luck and to confer protection to its bearer. Additionally, jade has long been considered a status symbol, hence the willingness of wealth to show off itself. ;) (Oh, and it is also rare, as Burma is the only source of gem-quality jadeite around).

Icy Dragon Pendant

Now that we know a bit of `why jadeite`, let us move along to other more pertinent information about jadeite.

Disclaimer: Photos of jadeite posted on this blog are courtesy of Joytec Co., Japan. They can be found here and here.