Chinese Jade, Just Jewelry?

Everyone in China wears jade, you will too, if you stay there long enough. It’s one of the first things noticed as a traveler, a red string around someone’s neck, dangling a jade pendant. Sometimes the string is long and the stone can't be seen, but you know it’s there. Sometimes the string is short and the stone rests against the chest. Most commonly seen is a Bi Pi Disc, a donut shaped jade dangling from a red string. Infants, children, teenagers, adults, seniors, all wear jade in an unassuming manner. But to a foreigner, it pricks your curiosity and you are quick to investigate the mystique surrounding the stone.

Most commonly, the jade people are wearing comes from one of five areas on the mainland. From the mountains or riverbeds of the provinces of Xinjiang, Shanxi, Henan, Gansu and Liaoning, jade finds its way into the lives of the Chinese people. Jade has been quarried or panned for eons. Mining for jade puts the Stone Age on a slow boat. At that time, it was already being used for tools and ornamentation. Carried down from the hills or swashed from rivers, the Chinese say gold has a price but jade is priceless.

Not a false conception of causation

To the Chinese, superstition is quite simply, a way of life. And the popularity of jade is not without its timeless tradition in superstition. The bank teller sliding your deposit slip under the window is probably knowledgeable of the fact that the Han dynasty emperors were buried in jade gowns. Gems inserted into every orifice of their body to prevent decomposition and Qi from leaving the body. But today, the teller is wearing a jade bracelet to keep her safe, as she hands you the receipt. The waitress bowing politely as she takes your order, is wearing a beautiful green jade necklace, more for good luck than its positive beauty. Nothing bad is going to happen to her. Your taxi driver is wearing three jade rings and a bracelet of beads. It’s not because he’s hip to fashion. For him, jade has a calming mental effect, the stone relaxes his mind as he meanders through traffic. The elderly couple sitting on the park bench sipping tea probably aren’t thinking about their ancestors who prepared elixirs for long life containing jade powder. They are hoping those earrings on their grandchild sleeping in the carriage, will keep illness from the infant.

Would a visitor to China know that jade emits a radiation that penetrates the body, improving blood circulation in the system? Those jade pendants are worn for more than beauty. The stone’s composition is comprised of 30 elements, all of which are needed by the human body. Jade beaded pillows and cushions, walking canes, combs, exercise balls, as well as bracelets, necklaces, rings and pendants, when worn or kept in near vicinity for lengthy periods, will have long term health benefits. For every ounce of jade mined, there’s probably a story. Who cares how they end, happy, sad, good or bad. A minutely carved piece of fine jade is truly an enjoyable work of art.

Tips for authenticity

So with all this jade, how does one know if it’s genuine? Some don’t know. Others, offer a few tips for testing. Real jade feels cool in your hand. Lick it and it may pucker your lips a little bit. Put a drop of water on the stone. If it beads on the surface and doesn’t dissipate, it’s real. Use a magnifying glass. Look for bubbles. Real jade has none. Experts can tell by tapping it with a solid object then placing it to their ear. This just names a few.

Beware of “fools jade”. The plastic, glass or composite fakes. Plastic is light in weight and has a rough surface. Real jade can be sculptured with minute detail. Fake can’t get that far. Glass, when put up to or under a light, has bubbles, not what you’re looking for. Composition jade may look clearer than real jade, but upon close inspection you can see little cracks of green and blue. Purchasing any gem stone involves a certain amount of risk. However, a certification of authenticity is offered at major retailers.

If you’re in the market for jade, good luck.

“It’s better to die as a jade than live as a tile.” (China)

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