JADE GEMSTONE FROM HEAVEN

Since the dawn of time the Chinese have considered jade more valuable than gold. Jade throughout the ages was considered to be the Gemstone from Heaven. The earliest Neolithic artifacts discovered in China were carved from a mysterious and beautiful stone called jade.

In ancient times Jade was held in the highest reverence and considered to have been created by the supernatural forces of heaven to guide humanity. The ancient Chinese believed that Jade embodied the forces of nature and the Universe as it emanated transcendental qualities. Through its mystic powers, the Chinese have sought the key to earthly protection and everlasting life. The search for the balance between the Ying and Yang, the promise of immortality, these beliefs have perpetuated themselves through countless millennium from tribesmen to Emperor. In many ways, the history of jade reflects the evolution of the Chinese culture, encompassing its long and eventful history. From the Neolithic period to the present day, jade has been intimately linked to the beginnings of Chinese civilization and culture. In fact jade is often cited as one of the defining characteristics in the continuity of Chinese history and culture.

As jade is a very hard stone, fashioning it into the desired shapes was an exceptionally long and painstaking process, especially during Neolithic times when only simple tools were available. Over the more than six thousand years of its use, a rich variety of functions and symbolic values were ascribed to jade. Above all, it came to be associated with power for those who used it in association with rituals and ceremonies or wore it in the form of ornaments. Until the end of the Chinese Republic by the Mao's Communist revolution all treaties and Diplomatic contracts were signed with the Great Seal of the Republic that was carved from Jade.

Jade's mystical powers over Chinese thought and history have been preserved in the form of Ancient Jade Artifacts. Currently, there is a historic moment where Westerns have the opportunity to acquire these ancient treasures at affordable values. This moment will pass and those who seized it will be greatly rewarded financially as they become tomorrows source for these ancient and most beloved treasures..."The Gemstone from Heaven".

NEPHRITE AND JADEITE

In Chinese, the word yü translated to English means precious stone. Yü is viewed by the Chinese as the true jade and comes in two forms; nephrite and jadeite. Nephrite, is a silicate of calcium and magnesium of the amphibole group. It is a mineral that has a very hard and fibrous crystalline structure. It is less hard than jadeite, and when polished has a soft oil-like appearance. Nephrite was the primary jade used in ancient China until about 1780 when large deposits of Jadeite were discovered in Burma. Jadeite is a silicate of sodium and aluminum within the pyroxene group. It is a mineral with an interlocking granular structure that can take on a very high-gloss, glass-like finish. Both nephrite and jadeite are colorless or white when free of foreign elements. The pale white jade was the color most valued by the ancient Chinese (mutton fat to denote purity). However, due mainly to the presence of compounds of iron, chromium, and manganese, both minerals exhibit a range of colors that surpass a rainbow. Often, the original colors of ancient jades have been affected by contacts with chemicals (cinnabar burial practice) in the earth or other organic substances. Nephrite has a wide range of browns, grays and greens that rarely occur in jadeite. The color range for jadeite is also very diverse. Jadeite was not worked extensively in China prior to the eighteenth century. Thus, most artifacts created before the latter part of Quing Dynasty (1644-1911) are of nephrite.

SOURCES FOR JADE

Nephrite is found in large or small clumps or seams within larger bodies of non-precious rocks. Such pieces are usually split by weathering from the primary mass of rock in which they occur with the result that small and large boulders of jade are often washed down in rivers and streams. Based on recent identification, it has been demonstrated that the nephrite used during the Neolithic period came from areas in eastern China, particularly around Lake Tai in Jiangsu Province. Throughout most of its long history, however, it appears that Chinese jade carvers received their raw materials from river beds and quarries in distant regions. Until quite recently, the primary, if not the only, major sources for nephrite were areas near the Central Asian cities of Khotan and Yarkand in the present-day Xinjiang Uigur Autonomous Region of China. During ancient times it was necessary to trade with the barbarians food and valuables for this very precious raw material. The jadeite mines of upper Burma, now modern Myanmar, were not exploited until the eighteenth century and the same appears to be true for the nephrite mines in Siberia, which produce the highly valued, mottled-green stones, commonly referred to as "spinach jade."

JADE SHAPING AND FORMING TOOLS

Nephrite and jadeite are extremely difficult to form and shape objects from because they require a harder stone such as quartzite or diamond to abrade (abrasives) or "carve" it. Neolithic ritual jades often take simple shapes and have a smooth and polished appearance. The highly sophisticated, abraded decorative motifs on artifacts of the same period often appear chipped under high magnification. Recent research supports several theories as to how objects of nephrite were worked in ancient China, each related to techniques that require stages of production using abrasives. Techniques that require slicing of blocks or slabs of jade to the boring of holes and modeling of linear motifs were employed. Open work designs mark the final steps in the completion of an object. It is likely that a straight-edged-hand or gut-string saw was used to cut, slice, and pare the jade into a workable form. Quartzite crystals have been found on the surfaces of many Hongshan period (circa 3800-2700 BCE) and Liangzhu period (circa 3300-2250 BCE) jades, thus confirming that quartzite was one abrasive that was used with water when working surfaces. In addition to hand or gut-string saws, the list of tools probably included awls and tubular drills, which may have been of bamboo. The current beliefs of the use of Bamboo with quartzite as an abrasive to make the holes in ritual jades such as bi (disks) and cong (prismatic tubes) is highly questionable. It may well have been possible for the Liangzhu people to have manufactured copper and bronze shaping tools for Jade production. ,The hollowed-out centers of cong when examined reveal the use of a metal bore drill utilizing quartzite abrasive (this is my theory). Further, there is very strong artifact evidence that the Liangzhu used Corundum or Diamond tipped inscribing tools for their exceptionally fine jade works. Tools for carving the delicate ornamentation of late-Zhou period (circa 3rd - 2nd centuries BCE) amulets and pendants, reflect the introduction of new iron tools and possibly the diamond point, enabling carvers to attain a new, highly refined level of technical excellence.

HARDNESS A MEASUREMENT AND TEST

To define the difference between Nephrite and Jadeite it is necessary to use the MOH Scale of Hardness. The German mineralogist Friedrich Mohs in 1812 created a scientific measuring system based on the resistance of a stones surface to scratching or abrasion as measured on a relative scale . For ranking the hardness of minerals, the Mohs scale is generally used. On the Mohs scale, which ranges from 1 to 10, jade measures 6-6.7, quartzite measures 7-7.5, and diamond measures 10. Nephrite can range from a low of 5.8 to 6.5, while Jadeite can range from about 6.2-6.7. Each jade artifact offered from my collection or my Teacher's collection is tested for Hardness using the Moh standard, thus assuring that it is authentic jade.

IN SUMMARY

Since the inception of Chinese history nephrite jade has beeb treasured for its hardness, texture, translucency, and color. These qualities were often interpreted by the jade carver and jade holder as supernatural symbols of immortality, protection, and virtuous behavior. Objects made of jade also served as emblems of both earthly and heavenly powers, and of wealth, values enhanced by the workmanship and beauty of the stone.

The earliest artifacts of jade are found primarily from burial practices of the Neolithic period where jade beads and other objects were placed near the deceased. As these burial traditions evolved jade came to be thought of as a mystical all embracing power that promised immortality. This belief in jade's magic created medical concoctions of powdered jade to be taken internally that promised longevity. During the Warring States period and the Han Dynasty the use of jade burial suits for the noble and wealthy were employed in burial practices. These jade vestments were used according to texts of Eastern Zhou and Han dates (770 BCE - CE 220), to protect the corpse from decay.

Jade emanates a mystical quality that can not be scientifically measured or described. Jade defies simple Western explanation and it eludes the Western mind. This is a unique time in history that the West has access to the ancient treasures of the East. The most valued of all these treasures is Jade and it is indeed a quirk of history that the ancient jade is both available and affordable. Soon the billions of Chinese will have increased earning power that will enable them to invest in their own treasures.

I have collected this precious and ancient Chinese treasure for 30 years. My collection is extensive and I have an expert knowledge of Jade and the history of Jade. I have been a curator of ancient artifacts for these 30 years, now I am sharing my knowledge and my wealth of artifacts with people who understand the historic significance and Investment Potential of Ancient Jade.

If you are just beginning the journey of Investing or collecting Ancient Chinese Jade then make sure to buy from reputable sources. My 30 years of expertise and my extensive collection is at your service. In addition, each specimen is examined extensively for authenticity and workmanship thus insuring its investment potential.

I welcome you to join the adventure of a thousand lifetimes.......collecting and investing in "The Stone from Heaven". -ian (Fung Gen Qua)

Click here to see Ebay Ancient Jade Auctions

Enjoy your journey down the Jade Road as it leads you through a thousand lifetimes

SUGGESTED FURTHER READING

Michael Sullivan, "A Short History of Chinese Art", (University of California Press 1967)

Angus Forsyth "Neolithic Chinese Jades: Hemudu to Erlitou Period," Ladislav Keverne, Jade (New York: Lorenz Books, 1995), 49-87.

Carol Michaelson, "All Excellent Qualities... Chinese Jade from the Neolithic to the Han," Jill Tilden, Silk and Stone: The Art of Asia (London: Hali Publications Limited, 1996), 176-85.

THE GEMSTONE FROM HEAVEN