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The Power of Jade

Jade is the second most important material after bronze in the history of Chinese culture, and the belief in its magical powers is evident in Chinese mythology, religion, philosophy, folklore and social life.

Protection

It is believed that Jade can protect one from evil and bring good luck. People have been said to escape accidents because they had a piece of Jade on them. In some of these cases, the Jade piece broke, leaving the person unharmed.

Healing

Jade is frequently used in Chinese alchemy and medicine. The Chinese believe Jade has the ability to confer immortality, eradicate shortness of breath and thirst, as well as improve the health of the heart, kidneys, lungs and throat. Some people believe that scars on the face and body can be removed if constantly rubbed with a piece of white Jade.

Comforter to the Dead

Jade articles have been used by both the living and the dead. "The living wear Jade as a symbol of their mortal integrity, and Jade accompanies the deceased to comfort their souls". Sacrificial utensils made of Jade were used for offerings to ancestors and in ceremonial respect to the gods of heaven and earth.

Jewelry

Jade is a favorite material used for jewelry such as necklaces, rings, earrings, bracelets, combs and hairpins, and is also often set in walking sticks, caps and sashes

Practical Use

Jade has also been used to make practical items such as brush holders, water cups, armrests and brush washers.

Symbol of Nobility

Jade was frequently worn by the nobility as a sign of their office and authority in early times, Jade axes and spades were carried by the nobility, and these later evolved into Gui - an elegant Jade tablet. The Emperor would also dispatch an official with a Jade "tablet of authority" to proclaim the task assigned to him.

The other early historic/ dynasty in the other area:

Prehistoric and Early Historic Korea

Korean National Treasure No. 191, a gold crown with comma-shaped jades, was excavated from the Heavenly Horse Tomb of Silla and dates to the 5th century AD.The use of jade and other greenstone was a long-term tradition in Korea (c. 850 BC – AD 668). Jade is found in small numbers of pit-houses and burials. The craft production of small comma-shaped and tubular 'jades' using materials such as jade, microcline, jasper, etc in southern Korea originates from the Middle Mumun Pottery Period (c. 850–550 BC). Comma-shaped jades are found on some of the gold crowns of Silla royalty (c. AD 300/400–668) and sumptuous elite burials of the Korean Three Kingdoms. After the state of Silla united the Korean Peninsula in AD 668, the widespread popularisation of death rituals related to Buddhism resulted in the decline of the use of jade in burials as prestige mortuary goods.

Māori

Nephrite jade in New Zealand is known as pounamu in the Māori language, playing an important role in Māori culture. It is considered a taonga, or treasure, and therefore protected under the Treaty of Waitangi, and the exploitation of it is restricted and closely monitored. It is found only in the South Island of New Zealand, known as Te Wai Pounamu in Māori — "The [land of] Greenstone Water", or Te Wahi Pounamu — "The Place of Greenstone".

Tools, weapons and ornaments were made of it; in particular adzes, the 'mere' (short club), and the Hei-tiki (neck pendant). These were believed to have their own mana, handed down as valuable heirlooms, and often given as gifts to seal important agreements.

One name used for nephrite jade in New Zealand English is "greenstone." While widely used to describe the material used for jewellery items made for the tourist trade, it is a misnomer and simply engenders confusion. The stone should be correctly referred to as "nephrite" or "nephrite jade". Nephrite jewellery of Maori design is widely popular with locals and tourists, although some of the jade used for these is now imported from British Columbia and elsewhere.

Mesoamerica

Jadeite Pectoral from the Mayan Classic period. (195mm high)

Jade pendant, found in a tomb in Tikal, Guatemala

Jade was a rare and valued material in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica. The only source from which the various indigenous cultures, such as the Olmec and Maya, for example, could obtain jade was located in the Motagua River valley in Guatemala. Jade was largely an elite good, and was usually carved in a variety ways, whether serving as a medium upon which hieroglyphs were inscribed, or shaped into symbolic figurines. Generally, the material was highly symbolic, and it was often employed in the performance of ideological practices and rituals.

Today, Guatemala produces jadeite in a variety of colours, ranging from soft translucent lilac, blue, green, yellow, and black. It is also the source of new colours, including "rainbow jade" and the unique "Galactic Gold," a black jadeite with natural incrustations of gold, silver and platinum.

Prehistoric and Historic India

Jain Temple at Kolanpak or Kolanupaka, 80 KM from Hyderabad, State Capitol of Andhra Pradesh on the route to Warangal : has a 2,000-year-old Jain temple of Mahavira which is a famous place of worship for Jains in the country. The temple is embellished with beautiful images of Tirthankaras. The temple has more than 5 ft high image of Mahavira is carved entirely out of jade (Largest single Jade rock sculpture in the world)