The Rise of Jadeite in Chinese Jade Culture

China is one of the cradles of world civilization and has a long history. China's jade culture is as old as Chinese history. This is not empty talk. The jade artifacts unearthed from the Hongshan culture and Liangzhu culture are proof of this.

China is also the only country that combines jade with human nature. In the hearts of Chinese people, jade symbolizes nobility and purity, representing noble character. In the Western Zhou Dynasty, it became popular among the aristocracy to wear jade pendants. Confucianism highly praised jade, and literati used jade to compare noble character, "A gentleman compares his virtue to jade", "A modest gentleman is as gentle as jade", and "The man on the street is like jade, and the young man is unparalleled in the world."

In the history of Chinese jade culture, the well-known He Shi Bi has been rendered legendary by history and is a priceless "treasure shared by the world." Every change of ownership was accompanied by a bloody massacre. The "Return of the Jade Intact to Zhao" also brought out the gentleman's integrity of "rather die with honor than live in dishonor".

The Emperor's Seal, which is "mandated by Heaven and will bring long life and prosperity", is a token of "the divine right of imperial power and its legitimacy". Emperors of all dynasties regarded the seal as a divine will and treated it as a rare treasure, the most important piece of national treasure. From then on, the imperial seal tied jade to imperial power. Jade was not only a symbol of wealth, but also a symbol of power. It was exclusively owned by emperors and generals. It was even said that "the man is innocent unless he possesses a treasure." Who would not like wealth, power, and who would not like jade? !

Chinese people admire beautiful jade, but jadeite is not among the four famous jades. Jadeite only appeared in the late Ming Dynasty and became a tribute until the Qing Dynasty, adding a chapter to the history of Chinese jade culture. However, this rising star in the jade world was able to surpass Hetian jade and sit on the throne of the king of jade in just over three hundred years, relying on its own strength.

According to historical records: "Red emerald, green emerald and water-colored jade are the kings of jade, and they are meticulously carved heirlooms. They were all born from Pa-Gan." "Travels in Yunnan and Guizhou" records that "jade comes from Tengyue". The so-called "jade comes from Yunnan" also refers to the Longken and Hpakant areas of Myanmar, which originally belonged to Yunnan. In 1885, after Britain invaded Myanmar, the area around Hpakant was incorporated into Myanmar's territory. Since then, jadeite has been produced in Myanmar. To this day, jadeite raw stone transactions at Myanmar public auctions are still settled in euros.

The story of jadeite's entrance onto the historical stage of Chinese jade culture is full of drama. Legend has it that it was a green stone that was accidentally discovered by a Yunnan caravan. Its inadvertent appearance attracted the attention of businessmen, and it was loved by local people because of its bright color, warm and transparent texture.

During the Qianlong period, an official went to Yongchang County (now the western part of Yunnan Province and the eastern part of Kachin State, Myanmar) to buy gems. When he saw jadeite, he thought it was more beautiful than Hetian jade, one of the four famous jades, so he presented the jadeite to Emperor Qianlong. Emperor Qianlong was so pleased that he named it "Emperor Green" and ordered the purchase of a large number of jade articles. As a result of the court's promotion, dignitaries were extremely honored to be able to obtain a piece of fine jade, and the price of jade rose rapidly.

In the late Qing Dynasty, Empress Dowager Cixi, who was extremely extravagant and loved money like her life, used her imperial power to collect large quantities of precious treasures and jades from the people for her own enjoyment. Cixi owned countless jadeites throughout her life, which greatly enriched the collections of the Qing Palace. Because of Cixi's special admiration for jadeite, jadeite products were also widely circulated among the people in the Qing Dynasty. Since then, jadeite has replaced Hetian jade, the first of the four famous jades, to become the "King of Jade", and jadeite culture began to enter its heyday. The jade treasures owned by Cixi were widely circulated among the people, and were coveted by countless people after her death. Even Sun Dianying dug up her grave and stole the treasures, and many jade treasures ended up among the people. Since jade was revered in the Qing Dynasty, most of the antique jade artifacts we see today are products of the Qing Dynasty. By the end of the 18th century, jade had become a valuable treasure, which attracted the British to plunder it and invade Hpakant and incorporate it into the territory of Myanmar.

Why did Qianlong and Cixi love jade so much? Why was it possible for jadeite to surpass white jade, which has a cultural foundation of thousands of years, and become the "King of Jade" in just a few decades of its short history of a few hundred years?

First of all, the clear and bright beauty of jade is different from that of most jades. Jade has very rich colors. Jade has all the colors in nature, red jade and green emerald, which are gorgeous and varied. It is dominated by the main color of nature, green, which is so lush and full of vitality. The color of jade is bright but not vulgar, and rich but not dry, surpassing any other gem.

Secondly, the production area is single, and it is only produced in Hpakant, Menggong and other areas in northern Myanmar. The output is scarce, the resources are very limited and non-renewable. At the just concluded 57th Myanmar Public Auction, 21.5 kg of jadeite rough stone was sold for 130 million yuan, 43 times higher than the reserve price, which is a sky-high price!

In addition, jade has high hardness (6.5-7) and good heat resistance. Diamond will burn into charcoal ash when heated to 800°C, while jade can only melt into glass at 1000°C. Jade is stable in the air and will not change. It can be preserved permanently and has the qualities of a high-end gemstone. The longer it is worn, the more moist and bright it becomes, making it a top choice for heirlooms.

No other jewelry is as universal as jadeite. Children can wear jadeite, men can choose black jadeite, and women have an even wider range of choices. Whether it is a bracelet, ring, necklace, pendant, or green, purple, or yellow, you can always find a jadeite that pleases your eyes. Therefore, jadeite’s title of "King of Jade" is well deserved!

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