A gemstone that is highly valued for its unique color and even more unique quality, jade has been used by Chinese to make decorative items for thousands of years. The practice of carving jade began as early as the Neolithic period, and lasted through all stages of China's history into the present day. The intricate link between jade and Chinese culture manifested itself in almost all aspects of the life of Chinese: custom, mannerism, literature, philosophy, art, and spiritual beliefs. Until very recently, elaborately-made jade items were one of the things used by the Chinese upper class to symbolize their status and wealth. In Beijing, go on a private tour with a Beijing tour operator to discover exquisite jade works in the city's exciting local shops.
Jade in all its varieties is endowed with an amazingly soft, warm appearance that gives a mystical quality to its incredible hardness. On the smooth, hard surface, the rich color looks to have a touch of purity and ephemeral beauty that seems to have been accidentally captured in eternity. Ever since its discovery inside raw stone, Chinese fell in love with this unique gem and gave it a high status among other gems. One of Chinese' ancient beliefs is jade not only represents the highest form of beauty, but symbolizes all that is desirable about a virtuous human being. "The wise have likened jade to virtue", so said Confucius, the most influential ancient Chinese philosopher.
Chinese discovered jade probably through the practice of making stone tools. Artifacts unearthed in two pre-historic Chinese cultures, Liangzu and Hongshan, included a large, amazing variety of jade items used both for utilitarian and ornamental purposes. The mining of jade had already lasted for thousands of years before one of the earliest historical records appeared about 3,000 years ago that took note of this practice. Ancient jade items discovered in burial sites indicate that early on the possession of jade was considered an exclusive privilege of the rich and the ruling class.
In later dynasties, as Chinese society became more complex, technology more developed, and the skill of artisans improved to such a level that enabled the creation of more exquisite artifact, jade works became a popular form of art. During the Zhou dynasty, people from the upper class liked to wear different jade ornaments to show their taste in art and knowledge of jade. In the Song dynasty, owning jade was so popular that artisans created a new variety of jade works to satisfy people's desire to appreciate the beauty of jade in new ways. During the Ming and Qing dynasty, the development of jade work reached a height. Wealthy people from this period were known to fill their houses with beautiful jade items.
Probably due to the immense influence of jade on Chinese culture, Chinese use the character for jade, "yu", to refer to many different types of gemstones. Strictly speaking, there are only two types of gemstones that can be categorized as jade - nephrite and jadeite.
Nephrite - All jade works made in China before 1800s were believed to be nephrite. Called "soft jade" in Chinese, it measures 5.5 - 6.0 on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness, somewhat softer than jadeite which measures 6.5 - 7.0. Nephrites with different colors are put into different classes, the highest class being "mutton fat", which shows a cream, white color. Other main colors include white, gray, green, dark green, yellow, and black. The Khotan region in Xinjiang province produced the most famous nephrite. But due to overexploitation, the reserve there was depleted.
Jadeite - Jadeite is a rarer and more precious type of jade than nephrite. After introduced from Burma to China in the 19th century, it immediately captured the attention of the ruling class with its exquisite beauty and wide range of colors and became their favorite. It shows over 20 different colors, emerald green being the most admired.
In many fantastic local shops in Beijing, you can find gorgeous traditional jade ornaments that are made by some of the best artisans in China. With so many fake jade products out there, it's best to find a Beijing guide to assist you in your shopping.
Jade in all its varieties is endowed with an amazingly soft, warm appearance that gives a mystical quality to its incredible hardness. On the smooth, hard surface, the rich color looks to have a touch of purity and ephemeral beauty that seems to have been accidentally captured in eternity. Ever since its discovery inside raw stone, Chinese fell in love with this unique gem and gave it a high status among other gems. One of Chinese' ancient beliefs is jade not only represents the highest form of beauty, but symbolizes all that is desirable about a virtuous human being. "The wise have likened jade to virtue", so said Confucius, the most influential ancient Chinese philosopher.
Chinese discovered jade probably through the practice of making stone tools. Artifacts unearthed in two pre-historic Chinese cultures, Liangzu and Hongshan, included a large, amazing variety of jade items used both for utilitarian and ornamental purposes. The mining of jade had already lasted for thousands of years before one of the earliest historical records appeared about 3,000 years ago that took note of this practice. Ancient jade items discovered in burial sites indicate that early on the possession of jade was considered an exclusive privilege of the rich and the ruling class.
In later dynasties, as Chinese society became more complex, technology more developed, and the skill of artisans improved to such a level that enabled the creation of more exquisite artifact, jade works became a popular form of art. During the Zhou dynasty, people from the upper class liked to wear different jade ornaments to show their taste in art and knowledge of jade. In the Song dynasty, owning jade was so popular that artisans created a new variety of jade works to satisfy people's desire to appreciate the beauty of jade in new ways. During the Ming and Qing dynasty, the development of jade work reached a height. Wealthy people from this period were known to fill their houses with beautiful jade items.
Probably due to the immense influence of jade on Chinese culture, Chinese use the character for jade, "yu", to refer to many different types of gemstones. Strictly speaking, there are only two types of gemstones that can be categorized as jade - nephrite and jadeite.
Nephrite - All jade works made in China before 1800s were believed to be nephrite. Called "soft jade" in Chinese, it measures 5.5 - 6.0 on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness, somewhat softer than jadeite which measures 6.5 - 7.0. Nephrites with different colors are put into different classes, the highest class being "mutton fat", which shows a cream, white color. Other main colors include white, gray, green, dark green, yellow, and black. The Khotan region in Xinjiang province produced the most famous nephrite. But due to overexploitation, the reserve there was depleted.
Jadeite - Jadeite is a rarer and more precious type of jade than nephrite. After introduced from Burma to China in the 19th century, it immediately captured the attention of the ruling class with its exquisite beauty and wide range of colors and became their favorite. It shows over 20 different colors, emerald green being the most admired.
In many fantastic local shops in Beijing, you can find gorgeous traditional jade ornaments that are made by some of the best artisans in China. With so many fake jade products out there, it's best to find a Beijing guide to assist you in your shopping.
About the Author:
Author A. Lao studies Chinese culture and history. He now works with a Beijing personal shopper. Sometimes he plans Beijing Tour Guide.
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