About Jade

The Chinese call Jade "The Stone Of Heaven". They treasured Jade beyond any other stone. The Chinese centered their culture around Jade, having moved from the use of decoration, on to others such as worship and burial. Although other materials like gold, silver and bronze were also used, none of these have ever exceeded the spiritual position that jade has acquired in peoples' minds - it is associated with merit, morality, grace and dignity. In the funeral objects of the people of the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC - 24 AD), for example, we can see only high officials were buried with jade articles. Jade has influenced all walks of life. In ancient times, people expressed abstract notions with concrete patterns of Chinese character, which were influenced by Taoism and Buddhism. Jade craftworks were among the most precious and luxurious ones; people wore and decorated rooms to indicate loyalty, elegance, beauty, and eternity. The most popular patterns were: peach (longevity), mandarin duck (love), deer (high official ranks), bat (blessing), fish (affluence), double phoenixes (thriving), bottle (safety), lotus (holiness), bamboo (lofty conduct), and fan (benevolence), etc.

In Chinese, jade is pronounced as 'Yu', and most words related to moral include this word such as 'Unpolished jade never shines,' indicating that one cannot be a useful person if he is not educated. Jade also implied honor and conviction. Many girls in ancient times were also named with jade to reflect the love of their parents. One of the Four Beauties in Chinese history, Yang Yuhuan, the beloved concubine of Emperor Xuanzong in the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907), was their representative. Yang is her surname and her given name Yuhuan means simply 'jade ring'.

People believed that jade was the expression of the most beautiful stone. A beautiful piece can be more valuable than fifteen cities and a man's life

The stone "Nephrite" is a stone found in China. It is a green stone that fooled the ancient Chinese and they treasured it as Jade. They did not know the difference between the two stones.

Nephrite is still sold as Jade. It is hard to know if a stone is Nephrite or Jade without tests.

True Jadeite is found in Burma, California, Guatemala, Russia, Japan, Hawaii, and Switzerland. The Jadeite found in Burma is then cut and carved in many of the Asian countries like Burma, Thailand, and China and then sold. Jadeite from Burma was not introduced into the Chinese market before the late 1800’s. Replacement of nephrite by Burmese Jadeite came quickly as the preferred stone, due to the unique colors of the Burmese Jadeite (green, lavender, yellow and orange, and its greater translucent quality. Today Jadeite from Burma suggests fine quality Jadeite.

The most important factors in determining the value of Jadeite is the color and transparency.

Color - From rich brilliant greens to deep lavender, these are the colors that demand the highest prices.

The more light that shines through the stone, the better is the quality.

We sell only fine quality, all natural Burmese Jadeite

First, avoid bumping on hard surfaces as jade is delicate. Although sometimes a crack cannot be seen by the naked eye, the interior structure may have been damaged. As time goes on, it will appear and reduce the value of the piece.

Second, protect jade articles from dust or greasy dirt. If tainted, they must be scrubbed with a soft brush and light suds and washed with clean water. Because Jadeite is hard, durable and resistant to most chemicals, caring for this stone is safe and simple (soap and water will easily clean it

Third, when left unused it is best to store the jade in a case or box to protect it from being bumped.

Fourth, jade should be kept away from perfume, perspiration or chemicals. The brightness of jade risks corrosion, especially emerald and other high quality jade, so it is better to clean it with a soft cloth after wearing it.

Fifth, do not expose jade to sunlight for a long time, or it may expand and the quality will change slightly.

Finally, jade has certain water content so keep it in an area of humidity to protect it from over-drying.