The Journey of Jade

Jade was found in the smoke-filled caves and huts that sheltered prehistoric people. Around the world, Stone Age men shaped this gemstone into weapons, tools, ornaments, and ritual objects. Their carvings invoked the powers of heaven and earth and the mystical forces of life and death.

Jade has been valued for thousands of years. It is considered pure and durable enough to inspire spirituality yet sensual and luxurious enough to satisfy earthly desires. Asian consumers have never lost their fascination with jade. Today, non-Asian buyers are drawn to it more than ever. All are captivated by its rich heritage, as well as its beauty, durability, and rarity.

 

The ancient connection between this precious stone and humanity endures today among indigenous societies in New Zealand and parts of North America. In China, it has evolved into an artistic tradition with a 3000-year-old history.

In Central America, the Maya and Aztecs valued jadeite jade. They used it for medicinal purposes, as well as for jewelry, ornaments, and religious artifacts. The name jade comes from the Spanish term piedra de ijada - literally "stone of the side pain."

Spanish explorers named it after seeing locals holding pieces of the stone to their sides to treat or relieve various pains. Jade also symbolizes prosperity, success, and luck.

It was in China - where the tradition of carving was thousands of years old - that jade reached its peak as an important artistic medium. The first jade arrived in China from Burma (now known as Myanmar) in the late 1700s, and in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, carvers created masterpieces that remain unsurpassed in concept, design, and technical execution.

The Chinese associate jade with clarity of mind and purity of spirit. Some of the ancient symbolic motifs still used in contemporary jade carvings (both nephrite and jadeite) include:

• Bat - happiness
• Butterfly - long life
• Dragon - power, prosperity, and virtue
• Peach - immortality
• Bi (a flat circular disc with a hole in the center) - heaven

 

Jade is also recognized as a nephrite in the international gemstone and jewelry industry. It ranges from translucent to opaque and can be light to dark green, yellow, brown, black, gray, or white. Its colors are more muted than those of jadeite and are often spotted or striped.

Modern gemologists use the term "jade" as a general term for both nephrite and jadeite. These gemstones have been linked throughout history. The term jade is also applied to many gemstones and decorative materials that resemble jade, and even some man-made equivalents resembling jadeite and nephrite.

 

What is Nephrite?

Nephrite is a metamorphic rock made up of dense, fibrous, felted, or granular aggregates formed from heat and pressure, and there are two types.

"Nephrite" is composed of:

• Hydrated calcium magnesium iron silicate with a specific gravity of 2.90 to 3.02
• Refractive index between 1.60-63 and 1.62-65
• Hardness on the Mohs scale of 6.5

 

It comes in various shades of green, but can also be white, yellow, or red. "Jadeite," which is stronger and rarer and therefore more valuable, is a sodium aluminum silicate with a specific gravity of 3.30 to 3.36, a refractive index of 1.645-1.667, and a hardness of 7 (steel, incidentally, is 6.5, and diamonds are 10). Jadeite can be found in green, white, pink, red, black, brown, and violet.

 

Where does it come from?

Today, Myanmar (Burma) is the largest exporter, with some exports coming from Guatemala, New Zealand, and Australia. Trade from Canada is growing. Although jade is most commonly associated with China, its supplies are mostly depleted. Since few or no records are kept, it can be almost impossible to determine the origin of a piece of jade.

 

The Largest Jade Pieces

The largest stone ever found is in Kachin, Myanmar, valued at around 170 million US dollars. It is said to weigh 3000 tons and is buried forty feet underground, measuring twenty-one meters by five meters by ten meters.

 

The Power of Jade

Each color has its attributes. Red dispels tense situations. Yellow and orange bring inner peace. Green is the color of healing, providing hope, and soothing, and can lead to romance. Blue helps one meditate. Black is protection against negative situations. Brown is associated with the earth. White and cream can enhance energy.

Peace, tranquility, and deep wisdom are just some of the attributes of Jade, the "Stone of Wisdom and Prosperity." It is believed that jade carved into a butterfly attracts love. A wise Chinese person would never make an important decision without holding a piece of genuine jade.

Harder than steel, jade is an extremely tough gemstone and in prehistoric times was used to make tools and weapons. In ancient China and among the Maya and Aztecs in Central America, it was said to be more valuable than gold. It symbolizes all that is good and precious and has been for thousands of years.

A piece of jade carved into a deer symbolizes a high rank, and when carved into a duck, it symbolizes love; carved into bamboo, it signifies noble conduct, into a fan, benevolence, into a lotus, holiness, and shaped into a cabbage - wealth and prosperity.

 

Healing Powers

Jade was first discovered in the rivers of Chinese Turkestan. Two of these rivers still bear its name, the "Black Jade River" and the "White Jade River," and because it is considered to have the power of Yang. To attract it, you need the power of Yin - the female energy. This is why naked women collected the jade. To preserve their privacy, they gathered at night.

Nephrite, the softer jade, was first carved into amulets to relieve stomach pain, improve heart function, and calm the nerves. It strengthens blood vessels and improves vision and hearing. As such, it harmonizes the body, protects from fear and anxiety, and helps achieve longevity.

But it wasn’t just the Chinese who believed these things. So did the Egyptians, the Maori, and the Koreans. The Mesoamericans, the Aztecs, and the Maya gave us the Western name jade. When the conquistadors arrived in South America, they found people wearing jade stones around their waists to relieve kidney and stomach problems. They called it Piedra de Jada, "the stone of the groin," and adopted this practice.

Considered a natural transmitter of far-infrared rays, jade has a similar wavelength to the human body. It also contains a variety of life-supporting minerals. It’s not too much of a mystery how these health claims came to be.

Jade assists in accessing the dreams of the heart and the endurance and vigor to bring them into the physical world, says Mariah K. Lyons, a crystal healer, herbalist, and Reiki master who created a gemstone line.

Compare this with rose quartz, which has a softer and more soothing appearance. "Jade works with the heart on a physical level, helping to support circulation, as well as energetically with the heart, helping to move trauma and past wounds to find a deep place of understanding, love, and openness."

With this in mind, it’s no wonder that cultures worldwide have long used jade for healing and spiritual rituals. Lyons points out that the ancient Maya used it to clear negative energy. Chinese medics used it in healing and cosmetic treatments; and the Maori tribes in New Zealand carved it into sacred talismans. But how can you use it in your life?

 

3 Key Things to Know About Jade

1. Jade is believed to bring good luck. It is considered a lucky charm, similar to the four-leaf clover. That’s why you’ll often see jade statues used in feng shui. Babies in some Asian countries are gifted jade bracelets when they are born.

 

2. Represents balance and harmony: If you feel uncomfortable in some aspect of your life, crystal specialists believe jade can bring you back to your center. "It’s a perfect stone for grounding, balancing the body, and calming the nervous system." It’s also thought to bring balance to relationships, so consider getting a jade stone if you envy your friend’s love life.

 

3. It can also attract money: Yes, jade is one of many crystals believed to bring fortune. How does it work exactly? "Jade helps heal trauma related to financial problems." Its unique molecular vibration is said to help calibrate your energy so that you can see all the abundance around you and trust the Universe. Of course, this is not a scientific claim. But it certainly wouldn’t hurt to tuck a piece of jade in your wallet just in case, right?

 

Jade for More Love, Beauty, and Prosperity

Though not as common as rose quartz, it has recently become much easier to buy jade. All you have to do is visit EM ART and pick up a jade stone at an attractive price.

Jade is also a must-have for your daily skincare routine. A jade facial roller helps increase circulation and blood flow to the face, supporting the lymphatic system and removing stagnant energy. It leaves the face brighter and smoother and reduces puffiness.

 

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*Note

The mentioned healing properties do not replace a doctor’s consultation and do not guarantee effective treatment if needed by a specialist in a given field. Natural stones can aid in recovery but don’t replace conventional treatment. EM ART is not responsible for the effectiveness of alternative treatment.