Jade’s History – The Beginning

Among the oldest of known gemstones, jade has been appreciated at many different levels throughout history: first as an object used in daily life, then in pagan times as an object of ritual. Later, it acquired economic status as an item of barter and wealth, and today it has become a medium of art and personal adornment.

Jade refers, actually, to two chemically different stones: jadeite, a pyroxene or a silica-bearing mineral, and nephrite, an amphibole, or a ferro-magnesium silicate. Although different, they share many common characteristics. The Chinese were aware of the difference by the mid-1700′s while, in Europe, the technical differences were first published in 1863. We regard both forms simply as “jade.”

Nephrite jade, which the Chinese grew to appreciate so deeply, was the form of jade that they first encountered in the Neolithic period. When jadeite jade was first introduced into China, it was called Fet’Sui or kingfisher jade because of the brilliance of colors it manifested and to distinguish it from the traditional nephrite form of jade. In time, jadeite eclipsed nephrite in terms of value, and today it is considered gem jade. Today’s fine jewelry market uses jadeite jade almost exclusively; nephrite is generally valued for its antiquity, carving excellence and other historical considerations rather than its intrinsic material value. Interestingly enough, both the terms jadeite and nephrite refer to the kidneys because of early beliefs that jade was effective for diseases of the loins.

Apart from its technical aspects, however, there is a magic about the stone that inspired cultures as diverse as the Chinese, the Mayans, even the court of Czarist Russia. Its charms elude precise definition; jade reveals itself in the language of myth and legend. Contrary to popular belief jade has never come from China. The earliest known jade used by the Chinese (nephrite) probably came from Turkestan, northwest of China.

Jade and jade jewelry, especially jadeite and jadeite jewelry, continue to dominate the Asian jewelry markets. The price and popularity of jade jewelry is on the rise with no end in sight. Jadeite maintains its investment value in addition to its acclaimed beauty.