Jadeite Jade

Jadeite has been used throughout the millennium by many different cultures as weapons and tools. Recently a discovery in Guatemala shows that an extensive trade route was formed throughout Central and South America dating before Spanish colonial rule. When the Spaniards invaded the Mayans these valued jadeite mines were hidden until modern history, when a hurricane swept through part of Guatemala to reintroduce itself to the world.

Jadeite is a harder stone than nephrite. The first distinction between the nephrite and jadeite was made in the late 1700′s when the subtle differences between the two stones were identified. Nephrite, a more plentiful type of jade, comes out of many areas all over the world from China to the United States and Canada. Jadeite is found in far fewer locations. Two of the most important of these locations are Burma (Myanmar) and Guatemala.

Jadeite is a purer form of jade, is more expensive in price and famous for its gem qualities.

Jadeite’s Mineral Composition

Jadeite is a pyroxene mineral and is monoclinic. It rates as a 6.5-7 on the Mohs scale of hardness (compared to 6-6.5 for nephrite). It is a dense mineral with the specific gravity of around 3.4.

Jadeite is formed in metamorphic rocks under high pressures and low temperatures. It is formed in the common mineral Albite which through increasing pressures breaks down to form jadeite and quartz.

Jadeite appears to form from subduction zone fluids with serpentine. It is very resistant to weathering and boulders of it are released in areas with in serpentine.

The colors of Jadeite

Jadeite forms in a wide arrangement of colors unlike its counterpart, nephrite. The colors range from white in its purest form to apple and deep greens, the famous Olmec Blues of Guatemala, pink, lavender and others. Color is affected by the range of trace elements found in the surrounding soils such as iron which adds reds and other darker colors to chromium.

Translucence varies by each specimen. Currently the best gem quality specimens come out of Burma in commercial amounts but also California, New Zealand and Guatemala. Other locations in which jadeite can be found are Russia, Canada, Alaska and others.

Jadeite is considered more valuable than nephrite and its most prized color is the most vivid and intense green and translucent varieties, though historically white jade was the most valued by the Chinese for its pure qualities. Olmec blue jade is becoming another highly valued variety of jadeite and is characterized by its deep, blue-green color which a translucent hue and white flecks. This is due to the Olmecs jade historical uses by the ancient cultures of Central and South America.

Related posts:

1. Nephrite
2. Black Jade
3. What is Jade?

Nephrite is a variety of a calcium and magnesium-rich amphibole mineral actinolite (which also makes up a certain form of asbestos). The chemical formula of nephrite jade is Ca₂(Mg,Fe)₅Si₈O₂₂(OH)₂. Its crystal habitat is massive and it is of the monoclinic crystal system.

Nephrite jade takes on a high polish which is vitreous to greasy. Its fracture is splintery to granular. Nephrite has a refractive index is 1.606 to 1.632.

The Hardness and Toughness Of Nephrite

Nephrite is more common than its harder counterpart, jadeite. Though it is softer (measuring a 6 to 6.5 on the Mohs scale, compared to the 6.5-7 of jadeite) it is actually a much tougher stone. Hardness is an attribute measured by how easily it can be scratched. A diamond measures the hardest on this scale at a 10, it can scratch anything while it cant be scratched by anything other than another diamond. Both nephrite and jadeite are harder than steel, if you can scratch a stone with a knife it is not jade.

Toughness measures the brittleness or the ability of a material (or in this case a mineral) to break. According to the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources of British Columbia the fracture strength of nephrite is about 200 MN/m2 whereas that of jadeite is about 100 MN/m2 which is an impressive quality of nephrite. It is commonly known as the toughest natural mineral on earth.

Types of Nephrite and Their Colors

The color of nephrite can vary depending on its source and quality. Commonly it is envisioned as an imperial green stone yet can hold almost any shade of green, blue, red, orange, black, white, violet, orange, brown and yellow.

Various colors of nephrite jade are unique to their individual sources such as the rust colored vulcan Big Sur jade which can be various colors of brown, red, yellow and orange.

Certain shades of green are also unique depending on the areas of the world it is found, one example of which is the gem quality polar jade of British Columbia (you can read an amazing article about Polar Jade over at Timeless Jade).

As nephrite is found all over the world and in greater amounts than jadeite, it is less valuable and less expensive except for the finest of specimens. Some high quality nephrite jade does appear in some locations such as in Big Sur, California and in parts of British Columbia. Some specimens of nephrite jade from these areas are among the finest quality specimens in the world.

One unique specimen of nephrite jade comes out of Big Sur and is known as botryoidal jade. This type of jade is commonly known as bubble jade and is formed in nodes within serpentine.

History Of Nephrite

Throughout history nephrite jade has been utilized in a wide variety of ways. Some of these include as funeral ornaments, weapons, jewelry and as a ward against kidney ailments. It has been utilized for thousands of years by various cultures.

One ancient legend from China states that in the beginning of time man was put on earth and was plagued by all of the wild animals of the world. The gods sympathized with man and cast jade axes from the heavens onto the earth for them to find. This stone was henceforth called the stone of heaven.

Another legend surrounding nephrite comes from China. According to the tale a man named Bian He found a stone which he believed to be of high quality nephrite jade. He approached King Li of Chu with his find, who was unbelieving that the stone was actually jade and had one of Bian He’s legs cut off for playing him false. Once King Li passed Bian once again approached the ruler of Chu, King Wu, with his find. King Wu also believed that Bian He was playing him false and had his other leg cut off.

Bian He was not deterred. King Wu soon passed on and the new ruler King Wen was approached by Bian He, who god only knows his reluctance to show off his find. King Wen, actually believing that the stone was true jade, immediately sent off the find to his royal sculptors. To the sculptors amazement the stone was of the highest quality white nephrite which rivaled the value of all other pieces of jade and was the envy of many. The piece was soon called the He Shi Bi or The Jade Disk of He.

There are many legends revolving around this historical piece of jade. More can be found on our Chinese jade page. To paraphrase the rest of the legend the piece soon became the Imperial Seal of China and unfortunately due to a long history of wars and battles surrounding this singular piece of jade it has been lost to history.

Another specimen of nephrite jade rivals all others, this is known as the Nephripod which was discovered by Donn Wobber off the coast of Big Sur. His memoir Jade Beneath the Sea: A Diving Adventure tells of his discovery and excavation of a 9,000 pound bolder of nephrite in the 1970′s, which is now located in the Oakland Museum.

Value of Nephrite Jade

The value of nephrite can be relatively modest depending on its quality. Some attributes that can affect its price are its color, translucency, natural patterns, the location from where it originates and sometimes by the artist which carves it. High quality nephrite can be relatively expensive though should only be purchased through trusted dealers.

Though nephrite is a fairly common stone there are many fakes that are made out of various materials, as well as artificial colorings made by dyes and chemical treatments. Other stones are commonly mistaken for jade such as serpentine and soapstone. Care should be taken when purchasing jade to ensure that it is the actual stone.

Related posts:

1. Chinese Jade
2. Jadeite
3. Big Sur Jade

1. Who are the Maori?
2. The Maori’s Meaning of Jade
3. The History of Maori Jade
4. Modern Maori Jade
5. Types of Maori Jade
6. New Zealand Jade

Maori jade is a common name for the type of jade found in New Zealand that is treasured and carved by the native Maori of the island. The Maori call this jade Pounamu, which not only absorbs the spiritual strength of its wearer, but also has a never ending desire to return to is original home in rivers and mountains.

Image via Wikipedia

Who are the Maori?

In order to fully understand the importance of Maori jade, it is equally important to know about the Maori people of New Zealand. The Maori are an indigenous Polynesian people native to the hills and beaches of New Zealand. The word “Maori” translates to “normal,” or “ordinary,” which is ironic because the intricate designs they use when sculpting jade is anything but ordinary.

When New Zealand was infiltrated by Europeans in the 1800′s the Maori society was destabilized both in population and health due to the introduction of Western illnesses and weapons. However, the peaceful society did not diminish to a great extent and even made a comeback in the 1960′s. Today there is a large population of full-blooded Maori as well as Maori and European intermarriages resulting in children with Maori ancestry.

The Maori’s Meaning of Jade

The Maori consider jade as a taonga, or “treasure,” and were able to get it protected under the Treaty of Waitangi. Under this treaty the Maori are given rights to land and other properties, such as jade. Under this treaty the stone is protected under various restrictions from those who do see the gravity of its value as the Maori do.

The History of Maori Jade

Historically, like other cultures, the Maori took advantage of the strong stone to use as tools and weapons as well as jewelry. Like women in Chinese families who passed down Chinese jade jewelry through their generations, the Maori also handed down pieces of jade as valued heirlooms.

Jade was often used as a sign of victory in battles. Warriors would wear jade around their necks as a good luck charm before entering into a battle. The warrior men of competing tribes would fight to the death and then the victor would take the jade off the loser’s neck and keep it for himself. He would also claim stake to the jade that the failing warrior’s wife would wear, and give it to his wife to prove their family victory.

Modern Maori Jade

Often Maori jade is called the “greenstone” because jade from New Zealand is various shades of green. It is a common misconception that black jade is also found in New Zealand because there are many Maori pendants carved into black jade. Black jade is often used for Maori jewelry because it is found in South Australia.

Image via Wikipedia

Types of Maori Jade

There are different types of the “greenstone” found in New Zealand. The Maori have given different names to each form of pounamu:

• Inanga (Whitebait): Very pale green.
• Totoweka: Very rare form of Greenstone – streaked or spotted with red.
• Kohuwai: Called after the greenish moss growth in a slow running stream.
• Kawa-kawa: Has a strong green color with varying shades throughout.
• Kako-Tea: Dark green with black spots.
• Kahurangi: Bright green with light streaks resembling rolling clouds.

The unique patterns of Maori art is illuminated through the pounamu found in the mountains and rivers. A-symmetrical spirals accented with sharp angles can be found through a piece of jade that has been carved by a Maori native. A few designs such as the “hei matua (fish hook), the tiki (representing man), and the manaia (serpent form)” that have been carved for centuries are replicated today on jade stones, wood, paua shell, and even bone to make beautiful earrings, necklaces, or even sculptures.

New Zealand Jade

New Zealand jade is found on the South Westland or Westland area of the island. There is even a town called Hokitika, New Zealand, on the West side of the island that is considered the Jade capital of New Zealand.

Between the beach and the Arahura river, this area of New Zealand is rich with jade. In the past, natives found their taonga (treasures) in and around Hokitika and would travel the island trading what they had found.

Today Hokitika is the jade haven of New Zealand because there are many artists who carve, collect, and make jewelry out of the native pounamu. It is a tourist attraction because not only are there abundant resources of jade to be appreciated and even purchased here in Hokitika, but also there are workshops where a tourist can go and make their own unique piece of art out of the native jade.

Maori jade has proven to be timeless, and its worth is still seen today from the necks of the natives to the necks of traveling tourists.

Resources:
Wikipedia
Jade Factory
Maori Source
Hokitika

Related posts:

1. Jadeite
2. Jade Necklace
3. Nephrite

Dramatic views of Big Sur Jade Cove

Jade cove is a wonderful place to get away from the busy life of living in a city. Here is a place which shows the wild side of nature unlike anywhere else on the California coast. This area of the coast is know as where the mountains meet the sea. It was known to the Essalen, the natives of this land, as the edge of the world. It makes sense that this place was called the edge of the world, being the last place on earth to be explored before meeting the expansive Pacific Ocean.

Big Sur is a pristine place with abundant water sources, wildlife, botanical and geological wonders. One of these amazing geological anomalies can be found at Jade Cove.

Jade Cove Trail Pull Off

jade-cove”>Where is Jade Cove?

The Jade cove pullout is 70 miles South of Monterey and 70 miles North of San Luis Obispo, between Gorda and Pacific Valley, on Highway 1. It is just south of the entrance to Sand Dollar beach and Plasket Creek Campground.

Here are some aerial photos of Jade Cove.

Where to look for jade at Jade Cove?

There are a few things to remember when looking for jade at Jade Cove. Jade is can be found on virtually any of the beaches for miles around. Jade can be found on the cliff-side and even in the Jade Cove parking lot where every once in a while you will even find a nice quality piece of jade that somone threw out!

The reason people will usually throw out their jade is often because they are new to jade hunting. Jade should be looked for at the tide level, where the rocks are wet. This is because when jade is wet you can actually see its depth and it will usually stick out like a sore thumb next to other leaverites (as in leave it right there) on the beach.

Jade cove trail

Sometimes when people get back to the parking lot after picking up many pieces (and once they have dried) they no longer look like the gemstone they might have picked up. Since most of the jade that is found in this area has spent a great deal of time in the ocean it acquires a sort of salt rind. This layer of salt, when dry, shows up as white and you can no longer see the color of the jade beneath.

Many times you will see the veteran jade hunter “licking” the rock, because this tempoarily eliminates that white color of the salt allowing you too see the color of the jade beneath.

Best Times to Look For Jade

There are a few times of the year when it is especially good to look for jade on the beaches of the Jade Cove area.

Looking Down On Jade Cove

1. Low-Tide: Durring the winter months there are some especially low tides that occur. These are prime times to be looking for jade on the beach.
2. Early Morning: The earlier the better. Many times you will find that the beach has already been turned up by other hunters who already got the best pickings from the beach.
3. Winter: Storms, Swells and Kelp: The winter is the optimum time to look for jade. Durring the summer months the beach is covered in a layer of kelp which can hide the best spots to find jade. In the winter you get larger swells, which not only turn the beach but also take away the summers kelp. Storms also are great for jade hunting since all of the rocks on the beach have been turned up, as well as a small amount of erosion that is created where jade will fall out of the cliff face to turn up as vulcan jade on the beaches.

Note: Please remember to NEVER turn your back to the ocean. The ocean should always be respected because of its unpredictability and amazing power.

Rules and Regulations

Looking South of Jade Cove

There are a few rules for gathering jade in the Jade Cove area.

1. You may only gather loose jade from below the mean tide level.
2. No tools can be used other than to maneuver or lift jade, or scratch the surface to determine if it is jade.
3. A lift bag can be used for diving to lift up to 200 pounds.
4. You may only collect up to what one individual can carry.

How to Identify Jade?

Most of the jade found at jade cove are different shades of green but can also be found in red, blue, black, brown and the very rare violet.

No Excavating at Jade Cove!

Some jade can even have a colored rind which can be white and even orange. Jade has a greasy feel to it and shines in the sun. It also has depth which means that you can see into the stone.

Another way to identify jade is by its hardness. Jade is harder than steel which means that it can not be scratched by a knife. If you can scratch it with a knife it is probably soapstone or serpentine.

Also, a great rule to run by, if you are unsure if the stone is jade, is to look at it in the sun. The sun brings out the qualities of jade where you can see its depth and translucency.

To find out more about the different types of jade check out the Big Sur Jade page.

Serpentine, Soapstone and Agates

There are 3 other stones that are very common at Jade Cove which people seem to easily mistake for jade. These are Serpentine. Soapstone and Agates.

Prime area to look for jade

Soapstone is the easiest to identify. You can scratch soapstone with your fingernail. Remember, jade is harder than steel so pull out your knife. If you can scratch it, it isn’t jade.

An agate is an unpure form of quartz. The reason a lot of people seem to mistake this stone for jade is because it can have a glow or slight translucency. Agate actually has the same hardness of jade 6.5 to 7. The knife rule does not apply here. Usually you can tell that this isnt jade because of the white quartz veins which commonly run through it. Jade will not have quartz in it. It is also a lot duller of a color than jade, and does not have the same sort of glow or depth.

Another area to look for jade at Jade Cove

Serpentine is what births jade yet it is a totally different stone. Its is easily mistaken as jade because it is green. The hardness of serpentine has a fairly wide range from 2.5 to 5.5 due to its differing proportions. This means that your steel knife will scratch it, though sometimes barely.

There is one rule that you should always follow. If you are not sure if it is jade, it probably isn’t.

Related posts:

1. Big Sur Jade
2. Nephrite
3. Chinese Jade

jade“>Botryoidal Jade

A wonderful example of quality Botryoidal Jade from Big Sur. Picture credit to {link:http://pacificjadeart.com/gallery.htm}Pacific Jade Art{/link}

Big Sur Botryoidal, also known as Bubble or Grape Jade (botrus means grape in Greek), is a high quality nephrite jade and is one of the rarest types of jade to find in the Big Sur area. It is often covered in a serpentine or talc matrix which can be removed to reveal the bubble like structure underneath. It can come in all the variety of colors that Big Sur jade exhibits; from shades of green from pale translucent to dark forest, whites, the reds yellows and oranges of vulcan and more.

Serpentine and soapstone never have this bubble like trait.

Botryoidal jade was first discovered in the Jade cove area in the late 1950’s. Since this initial discovery botryodial jade has been discovered in Mendocino County, California, on the Cultus Mountain, Washington and then in large quantities and sizes in the Trinity Mountain’s of California.

Big Sur Blue Jade

Big Sur blue jade, or Pacific Blue Jade, is another rare Big Sur jade. Most of the specimens I see come out of Jade Cove. Big Sur blue jade resembles the mystical and magical waters of the Big Sur coastline. You can find this jade from light blue-green to a rich deep blue color.

Vulcan Jade

Big Sur Vulcan or Vulcanized jade is my favorite types of jade. This jade naturally erodes out of the ancient seabed that is located about 200ft above sea level. This ancient seabed is loaded with serpentine and jade materials that have been sitting in the iron rich soil for millennia. Nephrite jade is very porous and iron rich soil essentially “stains” the jade with vibrant orange, reds, yellows and browns. You can usually find Big Sur Vulcan jade along the bottoms of these cliffs but I have found a couple of pieces right at the tide-line.

Related posts:

1. How to Find Big Sur Jade At Jade Cove
2. Jade Color
3. Nephrite

{link:http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chinese_jadeite_buttons.jpg}Antique Jade Buttons{/link} from China.

Jade can be found among the very foundations of the Chinese culture and is known as the Stone of Heaven. It has evolved from being used from decorative items to items used for rites of worship and burial. Early high officials in China were even buried with jade. The Chinese revered carved jade as invaluable by comparison of jade to human virtues because of its durability, hardness and most of all is beauty.

Jade in Chinese is pronounced as ‘Yu’. ‘Yu’ is attributed to jade and is also used in many Chinese sayings and idioms such as Yu Jie Bing Qing (pure and noble), Ting Ting Yu Li (meaning fair, slim and graceful) and Yu Nv or beautiful girl).

The concept of Yu is usually misunderstood by most Chinese and esterners alike. The cultural concept of jade is broader in China and Korea then in the west. Yu could be more accurately translated as a precious or ornamental rock. Yu is seldom used to define true jade. A more accurate translation would be either Ying Yu for jadeite or ‘hard jade’ and Ruan Yu for nephrite or ‘soft jade’.

Yu is also related the the moral words such as Unpolished jade never shines which indicates that one cannot be a useful person without being educated.

Many girls in ancient China were named jade by their parents to express their love for their children. A story is told of one of the four beauties who was a favorite concubine to Emperor Xuanzong durring the Tang Dynasty (618-907). Her name was Yang Yuhuan, Yuhuan translates simply to ‘jade ring’ in Chinese.

Jade has been extremely influential in Chinese culture. There is even a Chinese saying in which, Gold has a value; jade is invaluable. According to Chinese myth jade was born durring a storm and thus was used as the foundation for every home to keep lightning at bay.

In ancient times jade was mysterious to the Chinese. They used jade to make many tools and utensils including; musical instruments like flutes and chimes, sacrificial vessels, tools and various ornaments.

One story tells how Liu Sheng, the ruler of the Zhongshan State in 113 BC, was burried in a suit composed of almost 2,500 pieces of jade which were sewn together with golden thread.

Ritualistically it was written to “serve the gods with jade”. In the Chinese book of Rites or Liji it was written that “If a ruler perfectly observes the
rites of the state, white jade will appear in the valley… To give grace to the sky, one needs a sky-blue pi, to the earth a yellow t’sung, to the east a green kuei, to the south a red ch’ang, to the west a white hu, to the north a black huang”.

The Story of He Shi Bi and The Imperial Seal of China

He Shi Bi (Chinese pinyin which literally translates to the ‘Jade Disc of He’) is an jade artifact from which many stories about jade stem.

As the story goes Bian He discovered a piece of rough jade stone in the hills of Chu. He was so excited by his find that he rushed to show it to the ruler King Li. King Li of Chu was unbelieving that the stone was actually jade and had one of Bian He’s legs cut off for playing him false.

When King Li passed away King Wu came into power and Bian He once again presented the stone. This time King Wu was also unbelieving of Bian He’s find and had his other leg cut off as well.

When King Wu passed and King Wen of Chu ascended to the throne legless Bian He showed this next king his prized stone. King Wen did believe Bian He and had his sculptors immediately set to work on the stone.To the sculptors amazement they found that this piece of jade was incomparable to other white jade’s in its quality and value. The stone was made into a jade disc and was named in honor of Bian He; “He Shi Bi” or “The Jade Disc of He” and made history.

In 283 BC the jade disc was eventually stolen from Chu and was sold to Zhao.

The following is a story about jade that is often quoted.

King Zhaoxiang of Qin offered 15 cities to Zhao in exchange for the jade disc (thus starting the Chinese saying ‘Valued at multiple cities’).

Zhao’s Minister, Lun Xiangru, was given possession of the valuable jade disc and was sent to Qin to exchange it. It soon became clear though that Qin was not willing to uphold his side of the bargain. Minister Lin Xiangru then threatened to smash the He Shi Bi, stole the disc back and returned the jade disc back to Zhao unharmed.

In the future, 221 BC, the six warring states were conquered by Qin and thus started the beginning of the Qin Dynasty which united China under the rule of Qinshihuang. The He Shi Bi was inherited by Qinshihuang, the new emperor of China, who ordered the He Shi Bi to be carved into his imperial seal.

Carved into the disc were the words “Having received the Mandate from heaven, may the emperor lead a long and prosperous life”.

The Imperial Seal of China was passed through the dynasties for another 1500 years.

The seal was seen as a legitimizing device signaling the mandate of heaven through its possession. It passed through the Wei
Dynasty, Jin Dynasty, Sixteen Kingdoms period, Sui Dynasty, and the Tang dynasty. It was lost during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period of 907-960 AD.

There are a few theories of how the Imperial Seal of China was lost but all that is really known is that the Imperial Seal was lost by the beginning of the Ming Dynasty.

The History of Jade through the Chinese Dynastys

Chinese Nephrite Jade

Jade that comes out of China is nephrite or soft jade. It wasn’t until the Qing dynasty that Burmese Jadeite, or hard jade, was imported into China.

Chinese Nephrite jade was mainly produced in the area of Hetian in the Xinjiang Province.

Xiu yu or ‘Serpentine Jade’ was mainly from the Xiuyan County in the Liaoning Province. This comes in most of the colors of Nephrite Jade including white, various shades of green, yellow and pink. Most of this jade comes in the various hues of green. Serpentine jade is usually semi-transparent.

The palace in the Forbidden City of China has some 30,000 pieces of jade displayed. The pre-Yuan Dynasty displays some famed pieces through history an also displays jade artifacts from more recent archaeological excavations. Some pieces of jade date as far back as the Neolithic period. Jade pieces from the Ming and Qing Dynasty’s include items for both palace use as well as tribute items from the Chinese Empire and beyond.

jadeite“>Burmese Jadeite

Burmese jadeite, that hard jade known as Feicui in Chinese, is the most popular are rarest jade which was imported into China. Burmese jadeite was imported into China as early as the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

Related posts:

1. Nephrite
2. White Jade
3. What is Jade?