|
Home>News Center>Life | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
The legend of disappearing jade
Gold has a price but jade doesn't, says a Chinese proverb. Unlike gold, with standard quality and weight, whose value can be roughly estimated, the value of jade is difficult to appraise.
Zhou Yan bought her first jade bracelet in a shop near the City God Temple two years ago. Unfamiliar with the jewellery and unsure about its value, she spent around 800 yuan (US$96) on it. Months later, when she had some money to burn and a better understanding of the jade culture, she went back to the shop and returned the bracelet, asking to pay more money for a better bangle. The boss readily agreed so she kept coming back to upgrade her jade. She's now walking round with a 4,000 yuan (US$482) bracelet. Chen Yanyu, owner of Xin Yuan Ge jade shop said that many customers bought jade in this fashion. Some white collar women now wear 10,000 yuan (US$1,204) worth of jade, she said. Chen explained that the price of jade has remained stable, making such "upgrading" possible. Also, it is believed that jade is a living mineral. It goes on evolving when it is worn. "The jade absorbs heat and oil from its wearer and develops a warm luster," Chen said. Jade jewellery also becomes more transparent over time. This is so-called "people nourished jade." As long as the customer doesn't break it, the shop is willing to take back a jade piece after it is worn. It was believed in ancient China that jade nourishes people too. "You wear a highly valuable bracelet or ring on your hand. You cherish it and fear that it will be broken if you move around in full fling," Chen said. "You learn to move gracefully as a lady should." The Chinese started to use jade thousands of years ago. Jade ornaments have been unearthed dating back 4,000-5,000 years. These beautiful stones were carved into various shapes. A Chinese saying widely used today, "Stone from other mountains can grind jade," reveals the ancient processing method of jade: to grind it with other materials, such as stone. A jade ornament may take a craftsman's lifetime to make, which makes it very valuable. Jade was widely used in offerings to heavenly gods and ancestors. Emperors and army generals usually had personal stamps made of jade, representing supreme power, as fake duplicates were hard to make. Jade, known for its beautiful colours and high rigidity, was often cited by poets, comparing it to such virtues as purity, righteousness, and faith. A man unwilling to make a compromise could say that he prefers to "break as jade, rather than remain safe as tile." A famous line in a poem by Wang Changling (698-756) reads "My heart is a piece of ice in a jade vase." The line is often quoted to signify one's will is unchanged, remaining pure and noble. 'He's jade' A good piece of jade could buy towns or start wars. There are stories from history about famous jade in the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476BC). Officials found an old man holding a stone, crying at the foot of a mountain who claimed to be Bian He, and the stone contained very precious jade. He tried twice to present the jade to the king of Chu, but was called a cheat and had both his legs chopped off. The officials took Bian and the stone to the new king, who had the stone cut open. It turned out to contain a very beautiful piece of jade. Hundreds of years later, the jade, known as "He's jade" went to the king of Zhao. The ambitious Qin king offered to swap 15 towns and their land for the precious stone, but as the exchange was taking place, the Qin king broke his word, stole the jade and refused to give up his land. Zhao's messenger, Lin Xiangru, charmed the Qin king with his wit and managed to bring the jade back safely. In 221 BC, the Qin king, Yingzheng, destroyed all the remaining kingdoms and united China, starting the Qin Dynasty. He's Jade was made into the Emperor's stamp. Today modern machinery makes the processing of jade fairly simple but the mineral is becoming increasingly scarce, especially high quality jade, marked by bright colours, strength and transparency.The best jade mines in Asia are now found in Burma. A tradition remains in today's jade trade. As jade is covered in hard rock, miners burnish the surface until traces of green jade is exposed. Unsure of the size and value of the jade hidden in the rock, the miners stop, and bring the rock-covered jade to the market. Experienced traders, ready to take risks, offer a price according to the look of the rock. "Sometimes the burnished rock turns out to be very precious, high-quality
jade," Chen said. "But sometimes, it is just rock, with a very thin trace of
jade. Isn't it a thrilling business!?"
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
