subject: The mystery of Jade [print this page] The mystery of Jade The mystery of Jade
Jade (also known as Nephrite) is a dense and tough rock felt consisting of intimately interwoven acicular amphibole minerals (actinolite, tremolite), often with talc. It got its name from the Greek word - "nefros" (kidneys): small pieces of Jade resemble kidneys, and therefore from antiquity to the present time this gemstone was used in the treatment of kidney disease.
The usage of this mineral started from the origins of civilization. For several millennia BC men produced tools for hunting, work and rituals from Jade. The Aztecs used ritual knives made of Jade even when they knew and widely used metal. Jade axes and knives, arrowheads and spears, art products were handed down from generation to generation - these products are practically eternal.
In China, in Mexico and Central America, in New Zealand Jade was valued above gold, it served as a sacred stone of the highest wisdom and the symbol of power.
It is striking that during three millennia the Indians of Central America were using Jade as well as residents of China, seemingly without any contact with people from the East. They even had similar beliefs regarding the impact of the stone to human health and life; their jewelry and death masks were made of Jade.
Aztecs and Mayans believed that the symbol of wealth was not gold and silver but Jade. Aztec ruler Montezuma after his first meeting with the Spanish conquistador Cortez allegedly told his advisers: "Glory to God, they need only gold and silver. They know nothing about Jade".
In the East it was believed that heavenly throne of Buddha was made of Jade. In China the throne of the Emperor was cut from Jade and this stone was widely used for worship in the form of large circles. For example, in ritual ceremonies during droughts Chinese priests used round Jade dishes with engraved dragons. In addition, they used a set of thin plates of predominantly white Jade suspended on gold chains and silk laces, which were struck with wooden hammers. Then beautiful bells in black wooden frames were made from such plates.
Chinese nobility ate with Jade chopsticks from Jade dishes. At that time they wrote on Jade plates with Jade brushes. When someone spoke to the Emperor, he had to keep Jade plates in front of his lips, so as not to offend his Heaven Majesty with his breath. For the ancient Chinese in the XII century BC Jade was playing the role of gold and silver which were mined here in small amounts. It performed the role of money and for some time was serving as weights for measuring precious metals and as a benchmark for assessing the purity of gold dust.
In China Jade was considered the stone of Heaven and Earth, Wisdom and Eternity. White jade was particularly valuable. Jade belts and hair pins were a compulsory part of a rich dowry of Chinese nobility. It was believed that food (drink) in a jade vessel stayed fresh longer even under the strongest heat. No price seemed to be too much for Jade, especially coated with intricate carvings. In China this gem was the symbol of high dignitaries of the imperial court. "Gold has a price, Jade is invaluable" - says an old Chinese proverb. Chinese scientists, continued to wear jade ring as a symbol of prestige until the XIX century, devoting many scientific papers to this stone. Thus, in 1776 in China they published an essay about Jade consisting of one hundred volumes and seven hundred beautifully executed illustrations.
In ordinary life Jade promotes happy changes, therefore it is often being considered a talisman of lonely people. In South-East Asia a monkey figurine made of Jade is a reliable amulet so far that brings happiness, especially on the road. A Jade statue accepted as a gift helps women to acquire offspring quicker and to become a happy mother.
Jade is regarded as a barometer of our behavior. They say that it gets dark on a hand of a hopeless man, who persists in his delusions and an unwillingness to refine himself. It is energetically very powerful stone that can convey its charge of energy to the owner and take him out of life impasses, if he so deserves. Red (fire) Jade possessed special power. According to Chinese legend, it was possible to warm up even a boiler on it like on hot coals.
All kinds of Jade enhance spirituality of his owner. In Europe this mineral represents honesty, integrity, courage, loyalty, wisdom, courtesy and cleanliness practices. In the East this gem was attributed to such symbolic properties as knowledge of life, virtue, depth of intellect, wisdom, justice, fortitude, freedom, kindness (mercy), moderation, modesty, courage, chastity and purity.
Jade was used for the manufacture of objects of worship, ritual vases, cabochons, decorative spheres, bracelets, beads, jewellry boxes, pictures of gods and mythical animals (dragons, hydras, unicorns ...), bowls designed for wine and sacrificial blood of grain and water, as well as honorable vases-cups perpetuating the merits and virtues of their ancestors. In China Jade was regarded as the most perfect embodiment of a masculine in nature.
There was a belief that it cures kidney diseases, rescues from a pestilence, earthquakes, and lightning, reflects the "evil eye". Those who wear Jade can get rid of hemorrhoids, eczema and herpes and a color of their face will always be fresh and pink. A contact with a well-polished plate of jade brings comfort, cleans thoughts, protects against fatigue and prolongs life. Gifts made of Jade carvings are a sign of special love and friendship, the eternal gratitude and goodwill. It is called the stone of eternity. Jade talismans preserve life, protect against poisoning, give courage, heal physical ailments, reflect life failure and unhappiness.
Nowadays Jade is also very popular. A wide variety of handmade jewellery and interior decorations is produced from it. It rightfully takes its place among all semiprecious stones.
