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THE JOY OF JADE JEWELRY
 Jade jewelry has been highly valued for thousands of years. The term “Jade” actually describes two distinct minerals: Jadeite and Nephrite. Broadly speaking, Jadeite is the more precious of the two, and is used in finer pieces of Jade jewelry. The origin of these terms relates to ancient beliefs associated with the stones which are quite fascinating. It is believed that the term “Jade” comes from the Spanish term “piedra de ijada,” used by the ancient Aztecs and Mayans, which translates to “loin stone.” This refers to the healing powers associated with the stone by these ancient peoples; it was believed that wearing jade near the kidneys or liver cured ailments associated with these organs. The term “Nephrite” likely came from the Latin term, “lapis nephriticus,” meaning “stone of the kidney.”
Though the origins of the term “jade” are relatively recent, jade has been valued by various cultures for thousands of years. It is a very hard gemstone, having a Mohs hardness of about 7.0 where a diamond rates at 10.0, and thus was valued for its use tools and weapons, in addition to its beautiful appearance. Furthermore, as previously mentioned, different cultures associated the stone with having healing powers. The Mayans and Aztecs believed jade could cure various ailments, while the Chinese have believed for thousands of years that wearing jade jewelry brings good luck and health.
Most of the world’s supply of fine jadeite comes from Burma. A certain kind of highly translucent, emerald green jade originally mined by the Burmese, commonly referred to as “Imperial Jade,” was the most expensive kind of jade traded between the Burmese and Chinese, as it was collected by Chinese emperors. The mines which produced this jade have long since been exhausted; however, sellers of jade jewelry often label it as “Old Mine” or “Imperial green jade” to indicate comparable appearance and quality.
The Burmese began bringing jadeite to the Chinese in the mid-eighteenth century, where it quickly became coveted highly above the native Chinese nephrite. The trade was and remains highly treacherous, as it is very difficult to bring the mined jade boulders through the jungles of Burma which are ridden with bandits and drug traffickers. Once the jade reaches China, it is then bought and sold in a very ritualistic manner. The jade is bid for via a system of secret handshakes, made underneath a cloth or newspaper so as to remain concealed from the other bidders; in other words trading jade is not an amateur task and remains a highly complex, risky and cultural process.
HOW JADE IS VALUED
 The jade in jade jewelry is valued according to the three T’s: tone, texture and translucency. Tone refers to the depth or darkness of the color of the jade. Jade comes in a variety of colors, some more valuable than others; and it is the tone or saturation of these colors that further determines the value of the jade. The translation of tone to value is necessarily a somewhat subjective process, but in general the more vivid the color, the more valuable the jade.
Texture refers to the presence of inclusions in the jade in the form of veins, spots, clouds, and so forth. The most valuable jade has no or very few inclusions and even color throughout the piece. While veins in the jade reduce its value, this type of jade is more valuable than jade with cloudy inclusions. The least valuable jade is jade with many inclusions so as to give it an opaque appearance.
Finally there is the translucency of the jade. The two most translucent types of jade are referred to as “water jade” and “honey jade.” Water jade is the most valuable, and is nearly transparent and the presence of any inclusions is readily ascertainable. Next is honey jade, which is also very transparent, but the stone has much more color than the water jade. As the translucence of the jade decreases, so does its value; opaque jade is the least valuable, and the presence of any internal inclusions cannot be determined.
It is important to be wary of dyed jade or jade substitutes in jade jewelry. Many different stones can easily be mistaken for jade, such as emeralds, agate and serpentine. In addition, jade may often be dyed to achieve a more desirable shade, and technologies had advanced to the point of making it very difficult to tell natural jade from dyed jade. Therefore, it is especially important to purchase your jade from a reputable source.
JADE JEWELRY
Jade has been highly valued and used in jewelry for many centuries. Though most often in green, it also comes in a variety of other colors such as lavender, red, black and yellow. It looks especially beautiful when paired with diamonds, pearls, platinum and yellow gold. Jade looks stunning when carved into a smooth cabochon, set in gold or platinum and surrounded by diamonds, and jade is also often carved into beautifully ornate jade pendants that are often true works of art. Also very popular is the platinum ballerina setting, which serves as an ideal compliment to the jade cabochon.
Beladora carries a large selection of gorgeous contemporary and estate fine jade jewelry, including jade bracelets, necklaces, brooches, earrings and rings.
What is special about jade jewelry is that it that the stone is infused with a lot of symbolism. White jade means good luck. Green jade brings good fortune. Red symbolizes abundance of life and lavender symbolizes happiness. Jade jewelry is stunning and has been treasured for thousands of years throughout the world. Its most desirable form in jade jewelry is the jade cabochon. Also jade is often made in the form of jade bangles and jade beads and jade carvings. Jade pendants also quite popular. As jadeite is much stronger than nephrite, it can achieve a more desirable, highly polished finish, which, in addition to its relative scarcity, also makes it more valuable than nephrite.
JADE JEWELRY - A GIFT WITH MEANING
Jade jewelry is special in that it symbolizes more than just a piece of jewelry; jade has been treasured by the most ancient of civilizations as a gemstone with special powers and meaning. Choosing a beautiful estate jade diamond ring or jade necklace makes a truly special gift. Jade has retained its value over time and produces striking and highly coveted jewelry. It can be carved into beautiful pieces of jewelry that are truly wearable works of art.
A beautiful piece of jade is further enhanced by diamonds, pearls or platinum, and many of the stunning pieces of jade jewelry featured at Beladora feature these complimentary pairings. Beladora carries a wide inventory of estate and contemporary jade jewelry from many design periods, including Art Deco jade and diamond jewelry. Beladora’s stock is updated every week with our latest finds, so be sure to check back often for new selections of estate jade jewelry, including estate jade rings, jade necklaces, jade pendants, jade earrings and jade brooches.
With its offices located in the heart of Beverly Hills, Beladora (1-800-680-9569 or sales@beladora.com is recognized as one of the best sources of estate jade jewelry on the Internet. Beladora is owned by Kazanjian Brothers, Inc., a company with almost a century of jewelry expertise. At Beladora, we’re thrilled to be able to connect with customers through our website, bringing our carefully selected beautiful and unique pieces to jewelry lovers across the globe. In addition to carrying jade jewelry, Beladora carries gorgeous jewelry of all kinds from the Art Deco, Art Nouveau, Retro, Victorian, Edwardian, Mid-century, Modern and Contemporary periods. You’ll find an extensive range of gorgeous necklaces and pendants, bracelets and rings, earrings and brooches.
Our Gift Boutique makes it easy to find the perfect present using your preferred price range to narrow down choices. And remember - keep checking our site periodically for new arrivals as inventory is constantly updated! For more information on jade jewelry or to inquire about custom designs, please email sales@beladora.com or call 1-800-680-9569 and thank you for visiting Beladora.com!
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