Blue jade has been found in the USA, China, Italy, Myanmar (Burma), Russia and the Middle East.

Metaphysically, blue jade is recommended for aid in meditation. In addition to carrying the same generic properties as jade, blue jade symbolizes peace and reflection.

It has also been recognized to bring inner serenity and patience. This stone is for slow but steady progress and helps people who feel overwhelmed by situations beyond their control.

Blue nephrite jade comes from many locations including high quality Big Sur specimens.

A bluish green nephrite jade from Big Sur. A great example of the various hues of color that jade can produce. Picture used with explicit permission by {link:http://pacificjadeart.com/Gallery/Big-Sur-Jade-Festival-2008/S2is_5006}Pacific Jade Art{/link}.

Blue jadeite comes in commercial amounts from two locations; Myanmar (Burma) and Guatemala. Guatemala has recently emerged as a promising new location to see high quality blue jadeite appear.

A recent discovery in the deep wild mountains of Guatemala has shown that Guatemala has a vast area of blue jade, the size of Rhode Island. Some of this jadeite is surprisingly even higher in quality than Burmese jadeite. This blue jade also appears to be the same jade used by Olmec in Costa Rica, which suggests that there was a massive trade network that we never before imagined.

To find out more about this amazing discovery of blue jade go to Adamant Blue Jade to read this very facinating and extensive article about their discovery.

Another example of blue jade off of the Big Sur coast. Picture used with explicit permission from {link:http://pacificjadeart.com/Gallery/album15/IMG_5848?full=1}Pacific Jade Art{/link}.

• Hardness: 6
• Chakra (of Blue Jade): Third Eye
• Zodiac: Taurus
• Planet: Venus
• Benificial for: Longetivity, self-sufficiancy, detoxification, filtration, elimination, kidneys, supraneal glands, cellular and skeletal systems, stitches, fertility, childbirth, hips, spleen, water-salt-alkaline ratio
• Chakra (of the color blue): The Throat Chakra. In the Chakra system blue is the color of the throat, giving the ability to verbalize and to express truth through power of the spoken word.

The color blue is universally accepted as calming and even friendly. This natural color is peaceful and cool.

Related posts:

1. Green Jade
2. Red Jade
3. Jade Color

In addition to carrying the same generic properties to jade, it accesses anger, releasing tension so that it can be harnessed creatively and can enhance assertion in timid people. However, it is possible that red jade has the power to daunt its possessor because its energy levels might be over-stimulating.

Red Jade from the Big Sur coast. This type of jade is known as botryoidal or bubble jade because of its multitude of nodes that appear as bubbles. Picture accredited to {link:http://pacificjadeart.com/Gallery/Big-Sur-Jade-Festival-2008/S2is_5034}Pacific Jade Art{/link}

If used carefully, one could learn to utilize the benefits of this powerful red jade and take advantage of its magnetism to negativity in order to deal with buried emotions.

Naisha Ahsian, co-author of The Book of Stones, says that red jade “is a stone of physical vitality, strength and passion. It stimulates one’s life-force energy, creative energy and sexual energy. Red jade is the chi stone, facilitating and enhancing the flow of life energy through the body and energy field.”

Red jade is often confused with fire jade, yet it they are not the same.

Some types of fire jade can appear glowing red and fall under a category of red jade, yet not all fire jade appears red. Red jade is found in the USA, China, Italy, Myanmar, Russia, and Middle East.

Another example of red jade from Big Sur. The red, orange and yellow colors are from iron oxide that the piece of jade accumulates when in the soil. This is also know as vulcan jade and is exclusive to the Big Sur Coast. Picture permission from {link:http://pacificjadeart.com/Gallery/albums.php}Pacific Jade Art{/link}.

• Hardness: 6
• Chakra (of Red Jade): Base, Sacral
• Zodiac: Aries
• Planet: Venus
• Benificial for: Anger, longetivity, self-sufficiancy, detoxification, filtration, elimination, kidneys, supraneal glands, cellular and skeletal systems, stitches, fertility, childbirth, hips, spleen, water-salt-alkaline ratio
• Chakra (of the color red): The Base Chakra. In the Chakra system red is the base; grounding the spirit forces in the body. Allows the ability to work lovingly on the physical plane.

The color red is directly related to heat. It conjures up fiery emotions ranging from love to violence. Its association to the heart and blood create a diverse pool of recognition, from cupid’s sweet arrowed heart to “seeing red” in a rage of anger.

Related posts:

1. Blue Jade
2. Jade Color
3. Green Jade

{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?

Jade color can actually vary in its hues of ranging from; pale to forest green, amazing shades of reds, oranges and yellows, the extremely rare violets, white and black, to the fascinating shades of blue that imitate the depths of the oceans.

Examples of jades different hues of colors. Jade ranging from various green to red and blue. Image owned by {link:http://pacificjadeart.com/Gallery/Big-Sur-Jade-Festival-2008/S2is_5055}Pacific Jade Art.{/link}

What does jade’s color represent?

An example of the many different shades of color that jade can display. Picture copyrighted by {link:http://pacificjadeart.com/Gallery/Big-Sur-Jade-Festival-2008/S2is_5037}Pacific Jade Art{/link}

Jade Colors and Meanings

What gives jade its color?

Different amounts and types of trace elements that can change the color of jade.

The colors of jade can vary depending on the amount of iron oxide and magnesium.

More iron in jade causes darker color. These can range from dark green, grey-green, red, and black jade. Australian Cowell jade can contain almost 8% iron oxide!

Magnesium rich jade (which has less iron oxide) is lighter in color. These can be white, light green and lavender.

• Green Jade

  This is the common color visualized when people think of jade. Green jade gets its color from Chromium, an element in all living things.

• White Jade

  White Nephrite Jade is 99% tremolite. White Jade has little impurities. White jadeite is very rare. White jade is special and can be used instead of diamonds in engagement rings for your loved one.

• Yellow Jade

  Yellow nephrite jade has a small amount of iron oxide. Yellow jade is said to have the element Ta.

• Red Jade

  Red nephrite jade has a large amount of iron oxide. This is what gives red jade its “rusty” color.

• Black Jade

  Black nephrite jade consists of both iron oxide and graphite. This color of jade can be deep black to a very dark green.

• Blue Jade

  Blue jade is rare and beautiful. This kind of jade comes from all over the world, the nephrite version commonly found in Big Sur California while the jadeite version now being found in Guatemala. Blue jade was thought to be a symbol of the heavens by the Chinese.

• Fire Jade

  This is a term given to two different types of jade. Fire jade usually refers to jade that has been used as a cooking stone which gives it a black “burned” look.

• Vulcan Jade

  Vulcan jade is a rare type of jade that is said to only be found in California. This jade has a coating of iron oxide which gives it a very rusty look. This coating can be red, orange, yellow and brown.

Related posts:

1. Red Jade
2. Blue Jade
3. Black Jade

What is Jade?

Jade is a stone of immense beauty and of many uses. It is said that a Chinese emperor once offered 15 cities for a single jade carving he could hold in the palm of his hand. Montezuma smiled when he heard that Cortez was only interested in his gold, since Montezuma’s most precious possession was jade.

Jade is a type of stone found in nature. It varies in color, size, and silicate mineral amounts which determine if the stone is Jadite or Nephrite.

Wikipedia defines jade as an ornamental stone. An ornamental stone is one that is known for its beauty and decorative purposes. The term jade is applied to two different rocks that are made up of different silicate minerals. Nephrite jade consists of the calcium and magnesium-rich amphibole mineral actinolite (aggregates of which also make up one form of asbestos). This differs from Jadeite which is primarily a sodium-aluminum silicate. Jade is a historical stone, yet it has transcended through centuries and today is still regarded as a valuable ornamental stone.

jadeite-and-nephrite-the-two-jades”>Jadeite and Nephrite – The Two Jades

Jade is a name that we give to two different metamorphic stones; Jadeite and Nephrite. Each is composed of different silicate minerals. The distinction between jadeite and nephrite was made in the late 1700′s when there was sufficient scientific knowledge to find the subtle differences between the two stones. Nephrite is the original jade and the most famous in Chinese Jade history, the “Stone of Heaven” to bless all that which it touched. Some examples of Nephrite come out of a great number of locations such as China (though its reportedly mined out of), Canada and various areas in the United States. Jadeite is usually more pure of a stone and is famous for its gem variety. Jadeite is extremely rare in comparison to Nephrite and as such is considered more valuable.

History of Jade

As early as 3000 B.C. jade was known in China as “Yu,” or the “Royal Gem.” In China jade has had special significance in the long history of the art and culture of the Chinese empire. Its value to the Chinese was comparable to that of gold and diamonds in the west.

Historically it has been used as material for weapons and tools because of its superior toughness. The fibers of this stone are extremely dense, making it vary valuable as a tool because it is not easily worn down. The toughness of its fibers make the stone unique because many pieces of Jade are completely transparent. Jade has also been used for the finest objects from figurines to grave furnishings for the imperial families.

The earliest history documented of jade began with Nephrite Jade. Nephrite Jade is the most common of the two jades. Nephrite Jade is the true “Stone of Heaven” and the Chinese considered it more precious and reverent than any other thing on earth because it was considered extremely virtuous.

Confusius explained how the Chinese viewed jade by explaining how
“The wise have likened jade to virtue. For them, its polish and brilliancy represent the whole of purity; its perfect compactness and extreme hardness represent the sureness of intelligence; its angles, which do not cut, although they seem sharp, represent justice; the pure and prolonged sound, which it gives forth when one strikes it, represents music. Its color represents loyalty; its interior flaws, always showing themselves through the transparency, call to mind sincerity; its iridescent brightness represents heaven; its admirable substance, born of mountain and of water, represents the earth. Used alone without ornamentation it represents chastity. The price that the entire world attaches to it represents the truth. To support these comparisons, the Book of Verse says: ‘When I think of a wise man, his merits appear to be like jade.’”

Scientific Properties of Jade

Metaphysical and Other Properties of Jade

The metaphysical properties of jade can vary by its color and type (either Nephrite or Jadite). You can find more specific information on their corosponding pages found in the menu under “Jade Color”.

• Chakra: Third Eye, Soma (varies depending on color)
• Zodiak Sign: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Libra (Jadeite Aries, Nephrite Libra)
• Planet: Venus
• Benificial for: Longetivity, self-sufficiancy, detoxification, filtration, elimination, supraneal glands, cellular and skeletal systems, stitches, fertility, childbirth, hips, spleen, water-salt-alkaline ratio Good luck stone, prosperity, deep wisdom, compassion, peace, balancing of male/female energies, courage, wisdom, justice, mercy, emotional balance, stamina, love, fidelity, humility, generosity, peace, harmony, serenity, wisdom, practicality, tranquility, balance, harmony, moderation, perspective, equilibrium and stability, knowledge, compassion, wealth
• Physical: Heart. Hips. Kidneys. Spleen. Healthy hair, thymus, immune, cleansing blood, nervous system. Vibrates to the number 11
• Element: Water Jade has been used as a scared stone for centuries.

Used for serenity, wisdom, balance, all things associated with the best of spiritual practices. This gem stone is the ultimate symbol of calm and serenity. It helps bring serenity to the mind by releasing negative thoughts. A stone of balance and healing, it alleviates anxiety and fear based emotions. Vibrates in harmony with the Heart Chakra unlike any other stone. Opens up the heart Chakra to love energy .

• Spirituality: Jade is said to encourage self-realization and help us to recognize ourselves as spiritual beings.
• Longevity: For almost a thousand years, jade has been worshiped and ingested for its life-extending powers, believed to bring the holder a long and fruitful life .
• Luck:Know as a good luck and prosperity charm for centuries. Detachment: Helps you to be calm and accept your surroundings for what they are, instilling a sense of detachment to the chaos, and not claiming it for your own.
• Discernment: Jade helps the wearer to sense the truth in all situations. Dreams: Helps one with remember their dreams, and provide help with dream-solving. Aids dream recall if placed under pillow.
• Desires: Also helps you in bringing your dreams into reality, and in making all things possible.
• Love Stone: Jade is given by lovers as a statement of their love and devotion to each other, and used in lovemaking for its known erotic properties and the enhancement of sexual performance.
• Humanitarian: Jade helps you to tune into the needs of others, rising above yourself, and gives you insight into their problems.
• Priorities: Helps you to put things in the proper perspective, and focus on the primary concerns for today.
• Confidence: Jade assists in self assurance, self reliance, and self sufficiency. Jade has long been a sacred stone.

It was often included with Chinese grave goods to give vitality to the deceased. It was also often used for “weather magic” to call up snow, mist and rain. A protector against danger for children, Jade can undo physical harm. It is also a symbol of purity, serenity, and nuturing and is a “dream stone”.

Placed on the soma chakra it can bring insightful dreams.

Jade symbolizes the personality and helps to integrate mind and body. Jade encourages you to become who you really are, recognizing yourself as a spiritual being on a human journey.

Jade is the “prince of peace” and tranquility. It acts quietly as a consciousness raiser of human development.

Jade dispels negativity by the constant emission of soothing and cleaning vibrations.

Jade symbolizes the Confucian virtues of wisdom, compassion, modesty, justice and courage as well as the female erotic.

The mysteries of Jade are ancient and to this day jade still persists to mystify admirers with its unique qualities as the “Stone of Heaven”. Jade is believed to bring its wearer good health, good luck and protection. For this reason Jade is considered priceless as it stands for the essence of purity and the symbol of life. Jade also helps to calm one down. It helps you to accept things that are difficult in your life and makes things appear to go much smoother than they really are. It keeps you from disconnecting from your inner peace. Jade is a stone that helps you to realize the needs of others. It is also good for helping you to understand what is of prime importance for you to do on this day. It brings confidence and self-assuredness, self-sufficiency and to be self-reliant.

Related posts:

1. Jadeite
2. How to Identify Jade
3. Green Jade