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| Jade and Gemstones |
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Asian
Art Mall Reference - Jade and Gemstones |
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 Jades
are extremely hard stones ( 6.5 to 7.0 ). They were shaped
and carved using ropes and bamboo with grains of sand. The piece was
coated with sand which was rubbed back and forth with the rope or
bamboo to slowly wear away the stone. A single piece could take months
to produce. Today, modern diamond tipped tools, drills, and grinders
make the job much quicker. The art of Jade carving has been in existence
in China since 3500 BC. The most famous Jade works were produced in
Suzhou, which still produces some of the finest Jade and Stone carvings
in the world. Nephrite Jade that was used by the Chinese came from
East Turkistan. Throughout history, China has gained and lost control
of that region which had greatly affected the supply and quality available
to the craftsmen. During the periods of low supply, smaller pieces
were produced. Craftsmen were required to produce Snuff Bottles using
very low quality Jade, much of which had off-color inclusions. These
inclusions were frequently worked into the design of the piece. Many
of these low grade pieces are extremely valuable today. Jade ranges
in color from pure white to black, and pale yellow to dark green.
It has a very creamy appearance, and has always been considered more
valuable in Chinese society than any other substance. Jadeite is very
similar to Jade in appearance, however it is a completely different
substance. It is harder, more translucent, and has a crystalline structure.
Jadeite is found in all the colors of Jade, but also in shades of
purple and blue. Most of the Jadeite used in China comes from Burma.
New Jade and Serpentine Jade is basically anything that might pass
for Jade...but isn't |
Gems and Stones
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Quartz is a hard crystalline stone. It is found in many varieties and
referred to by many names. We will  discuss
the most common ones here. Amethyst is a pink to purple variety of Quartz.
The typical color is a rich, dark violet. Most pieces made from Amethyst
have sections of light and dark. Most of the Amethyst used in China came
from parts of the Soviet Union. Rose Quartz is similar in color to lighter
examples of Amethyst but has a very cloudy appearance which quickly distinguishes
it. Rose Quartz is mainly comes from Brazil, The US, and Madagascar. Colorless
Quartz ( Rock Crystal ) is the most common of all Quartz. This type is usually
crystal clear and almost indistinguishable from glass in some of the examples.
Some Rock Crystal contains prisms of black tourmaline. This variety is referred
to as Bristle Crystal or Hair Crystal. Hair Crystal is much more difficult
to carved because it is more brittle and has a tendency to split, which
make these snuff bottles more valuable. Chalcedony is quartz that contains
other organic material. It is found in almost every color imaginable. Many
of the colors of Chalcedony have their own names. They include Jasper, Onyx,
and Agate. Jasper can be found with several different colors throughout
a single piece, whereas Agate and Onyx typically are solid colored or repeated
lines of two colors. Chalcedony is generally shades of brown. Lapis Luzuli
is the most valuable of all opaque hard stones. It is a rich deep blue color
with flecks of gold colored pyrite, and white and gray veins. The best quality
Lapis Luzuli is found only in the Ural Mountains in Afghanistan. This is
where the Chinese brought it from. Serpentine is a translucent, light green
stone very similar in appearance to Jade. In fact it is frequently referred
to and sold as Serpentine Jade or New Jade. Serpentine is native to China
and Korea. This is probably why many objects made in China are made from
this rather than imported Jade. Malachite is one of the easiest stones to
identify, with its sharply contrasting layers of different shades of green.
A snuff bottles could have as many as 20 different layers or stripes. The
Malachite used in China comes primarily from the Soviet Union. As far as
stones go, it has a relatively low value, but still makes an attractive
addition to your collection.
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