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Jade
Source
 It
is the customary and traditional belief of Chinese people that wearing the
jade is the good means of which people will be protected from bad luck,
evil spirit and danger. Jade ornaments are used to symbolize wealth and
are considered from the perspective of Buddhism as the talisman of keeping
away from harm, going close to luck and therefore considered precious.
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Like
other gems, from the raw material to finished products, jade must
undergo a series of treatment processes such as cut, design, rough
stone, carving, sanding, polishing to make a beautiful and exquisite
finished products. |
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After
the French mineralogist, Alexis Damour studied Chinese jade in 1863, he
published his study results, stating that jade can be divided into two
types, one is called "Jadeite", also known as "hard
jade". In mineralogy, it is a kind of pyroxene. Another is the
ancient Chinese jade, called "Nephrite", also known as
"soft jade". In mineralogy, it is a kind of amphibole.
They
comprise two different minerals; so the chemical composition and various
features are different, please see following table:
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(Jadeite) |
(Nephrite) |
| Chemical
Composition |
NaAlSi2O6 |
Ca(Mg,Fe)5Si6O22(OH) |
| Mineral Type |
Pyroxene |
Amphibole |
| Fracture |
Granular |
Splintery |
| Luster |
Glossy or pearly |
Vitreous or silky |
| Hardness |
6.5~7 |
6~6.5 |
| Refractive Index |
1.66 |
1.60 |
| Specific Gravity |
3.30~3.34 |
2.98~3.00 |
| Sources |
Mainly in Burma.
Others like Russia,
Guatemala, US (California), Japan |
Sin Kiang, Russia, South Korea, Canada,
New Zealand, Australia, Taiwan |
The
quality of jade basically covers four areas:
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Tone
and color:- The quality of color, one of the most important issues.
The
best colors are penetrating. They should be pure and evenly
distributed.
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Translucency
and clarity:- Ranges from transparent to opaque. The best quality has a
consistent clarity like honey.
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Texture:-
Ranges from fine to coarse. The best quality is clear and free of
impurities.
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Cutting:-
The shaping of the jade.
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