In ancient times the minerals comprising or included in this important
group were commonly known by the name Lapis Nephriticus or Kidney Stone,
and from this name in the 18th century Dr. A. G. Werner suggested the
term Nephrite. To the Nephrite varieties the general term Jade is
universally applied. The name occurs in old writings as jad and jadde,
and is derived from the Spanish Hijada, kidney. Sir Walter Raleigh in
1595 wrote of this “kinde of stones which the Spaniards call Piedras
Hijadas and we use for spleene stones.” Chemically the species included
under the name “jade” are not the same, the nephrite jade being a
silicate of lime and magnesia and the jadeite a silicate of sodium and
alumina, but the modern scientist in common with the ancient scientist
binds them together under the one denomination—kidney stone. In the 19th
century Professor A. Damour demonstrated the chemical difference between
jade and jadeite. The well-known Camphor Jade of China is a white
jadeite, some specimens containing certain percentages of Chromium
exhibiting those apple-green patches so highly praised by gem
collectors. Burmese Jade, known as Chauk-Sen, (which since the 13th
century has been principally exported to China) is chiefly jadeite, and
the Imperial Jade of charming pale or apple-green colour, known as
Feitsui and set down by some writers as chrysoprase, is more properly
Prehnite. The nephrite charms—Piedras Hijadas—known in Mexico as
Chalchihuith when the Spanish invaded that country were probably
jadeites. The Chinese have held the jade family in the highest esteem
and reverence for many centuries, and it poetically expresses to them
all the virtues of many precious stones blended together. It is said
that most of the nephrite used by them came from the Kuen-lun mountains
in Turkestan, but the discovery of the mineral at no great distance from
Peking in 1891 helped to make that city a great working centre. The
Chinese word for jade is YU, expressed in their hieroglyph as a cross
over a kind of semi-circle. Jade stone they know as YU-CHI, and precious
objects of jade as OUAN YU. The words KHITCHINJOU-YU indicates a gem
rare as jade, and the Imperial Academy was known as Jade Hall. The
Turkestan name for jade closely resembles the Chinese YU in its form
YASHM, YUSHM or YESHM.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account