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.
A common trait across all varieties of jade is having an incredibly soft, smooth, and warm appearance that sometimes belies the fact that it is actually especially hard. Beneath the hard surface, the exquisite color has a sense of purity and ephemeral beauty that seems to have been captured in eternity. For this appealing quality and other of its purported health and spiritual benefits, jade has won the hearts and minds of Chinese, who regard it as not only possessing the highest form of beauty, but representing all that is good about a virtuous gentleman. Confucius, the most famous Chinese thinker, once said: "The wise have likened jade to virtue."
In the Neolithic period, Chinese discovered jade probably when they tried to make stone into tool. Antiques found in two pre-historic Chinese cultures, Liangzu and Hongshan, included an impressive variety of jade items used for different purposes. Jade had already been mined for many thousand years before one of the oldest historical recorded appeared about 3,000 years ago that gave a detailed description of this practice. Jade items unearthed in ancient burial sites indicate that since the beginning the possession of jade was an exclusive privilege of the rich and the ruling class.
In later periods, as Chinese society became increasingly complex, and the techniques used to create jade works were greatly improved, jade works became a popular form of art. It is said that during the Zhou dynasty, one of the most popular activities among the upper class people was decorating oneself with different jade items to show one's taste in art and knowledge of jade. During the Song dynasty, this art progressed to a high level. The creative artisans from that time invented a new variety of jade ornaments to meet people's need to appreciate the beauty of jade in new ways. During the Ming and Qing dynasty, the art of jade reached a high peak. New designs continuously emerged, and people from all strata of society owned jade to enrich their life.
In Chinese, the character for jade, "yu", can be used to mean a variety of gemstones, a phenomenon probably resulting from the immense influence jade has on Chinese culture. As a matter of fact, there are only two types of gemstones that can be labeled as jade - nephrite and jadeite.
Nephrite - It is believed that all jade items produced in China before 1800s were nephrite. On the Mohs scale of mineral hardness, it measures 5.5 - 6.0, somewhat softer compared to jadeite which measures 6.5 - 7.0, thus its Chinese name "soft jade." Different varieties of nephrite are classified by their colors, the "mutton fat", a variety with a creamy, white color, being the best. Other main colors are white, gray, green, dark green, yellow, and black. Both historically and presently, people consider nephrite from the Khotan region in Xinjiang province has the highest quality. But the deposit there was depleted a long time ago.
Jadeite - A rarer type of jade than nephrite, jadeite is a late comer in China's history. Introduced from Burma to China in the 19th century, it quickly became the favorite gemstone of both the ruling class and the scholar class, who were swept away by its exquisite beauty and wide range of colors. Among the over 20 different colors it shows, emerald green is the most prized.
Remember that in many local shops of Beijing, there are extraordinary jade works created by some of the best artisans in China. When you are in the city, find a Beijing guide to help you find the best shops and offer you tips on purchasing different types of products.
Author A. Lao studies Chinese culture and history. He now works with a personal shopping assistant who helps tourists find unique Chinese items. Sometimes he personally tailors Beijing China tours.
No related posts.
