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Jadeite, prized for its durability and beauty as a gemstone, holds deep cultural significance in Chinese tradition that exts beyond its physical attributes. The rise of China's economy has significantly boosted the demand for this rare material, driving prices up due to limited supply.
The history of jadeite is intertwined with civilization itself, dating back thousands of years where it was utilized not only as a precious stone but also as tools and weapons due to its remarkable ability to withstand breakage. This property played a pivotal role in ancient societies for crafting items that required toughness agnst harsh use or wear.
Today, China remns the primary hub for the polishing of jadeite with the traditional methods passed down through generations still being employed by craftsmen near Myanmar's open markets in Hpakan, Lonkin, Mogaung, and Mandalay. Many artisans there continue to honor ancient techniques using hollow bamboo lathes treated with sand and water.
The craft of fashioning jadeite into jewelry is a meticulous process that involves creating distinctive traditional forms like bangles, rings, pants, as well as more complex designs such as hololiths – entire pieces carved from single blocks of rough material. Among these, cabochons cut for rings and other jewelry are most prized. Cabochon grading focuses on symmetry, proportion, thickness while calibration is less critical for top-quality stones where the m is often to maximize weight retention.
Beaded strands of jadeite are also highly valued in Chinese culture symbolizing peace and protection; longer or larger strands can command exceptionally high prices due to the difficulty involved in matching color and texture. Hololith bangles, made from a single piece of rough with significant weight loss during fashioning, typically cost more than those assembled using metal hinges.
Rings of jadeite often feature an all-jadeite band with uniform coloration that circles around the finger. The bi shape, representing the Chinese eternity symbol with its convex or plump disk and central hole, is considered extremely important to many collectors due to its deep spiritual significance, ideally more than twice as wide as the hole.
Size plays a crucial role in determining value for cabochons, beads, bangle bracelets - larger pieces t to fetch higher prices when all quality factors are equal. In the case of imperial jadeite, slight variations in size can result in dramatic differences in valuation due to its superior rarity and desirability.
In , while this ancient material retns its timeless beauty and cultural significance today, of fashioning it into wearable art remns deeply rooted in tradition even as modern techniques continue to evolve.
This article is reproduced from: https://www.gia.edu/jade-quality-factor
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Chinese Jadeite Cultural Significance Economy Drives High Demand for Jadeite Ancient Civilizations Use of Jadeite Traditional Polishing Techniques in China Jadeite Jewelry Crafting Process Value Determination Factors for Jadeite Stones