| This unusual pendant measures about a large 80mm x 50mm x 5mm. Beautifully hand carved. We only have a very limited stock of these! For 5,000 years Imperial China used the word "jade" as something precious - because jade is said to have all the attributes most valued in society. A symbol of purity and serenity, it’s delicate, but will not break - is beautiful, but not impermanent, it can be flawed with lines, but still pleasing. Jade is believed to radiate divine unconditional love and balance the emotions. Held in the hand it improves judgment - ancient silk traders held jade while bartering. A small piece of jade worn around the neck was said to drive away illness.
Chinese jade first arrived in the West during the sixteenth-century, brought from Canton by the Portuguese. Today jade continues to be a symbol of love, virtue, and status. The best jade has a waxy, pearly appearance. Feeling cool and so smooth, it seems soft to the touch. Yet hard enough that pressure from a sharp knife will not leave a mark.
The most famous type of jade carved in China is from Burma, with shades of green, lavender, yellow, white and grey. These colors form over millions of years from minerals in the rock. Nephrite Jade is usually black and known as a heart stone. It’s said to help the heart and kidneys function, thus prolonging life.
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