Description

32mm x 56mm Jadeite pendant featuring Buddha with a Rabbit.

Known as the “stone of heaven”, Jade has been prized throughout history as a stone of mystical power. “Yu” the Chinese word for jade meant “a precious stone of great beauty”. Jadeite is one of the minerals recognized as gemstone jade. (the other is Nephrite.) The name Jadeite comes from the Spanish phrase “piedra de ijada” which means ” stone of the side”. It was believed to cure kidney stones if rubbed against the afflicted person side. Jadeite’s interlocking crystalline structure and its chemistry produce intense colors and glassy finishes. Its translucence can be anywhere from entirely solid through opaque to almost clear. Variations in color and translucence are often found even within a single specimen. Jadeites color ranges from white through pale apple green to deep jade green but can be blue-green, pink, lavender, yellow and a multitude of other rare colors. Typically the most highly valued colors are the most intensely green, translucent varieties, though traditionally white has been considered the most valuable of the jades by the Chinese. It is found in Myanmar (Burma), Guatemala and California.