Dedicated to my 3-year-old daughter Giada,
“With all the Love of my Heart that, if it could,
for You
would move Heaven and the other Stars”
A new variety of Jade valued more than Imperial Jade: Little Jade!
She is the Gem of Paradise.
For thousands of years Jade has been desired by men and has a special meaning, especially in Asia and Liguria. It is the Mystical Birthstone of March and is the Gem of the 12th wedding anniversary.
She is the Precious Stone that often makes the auctions talk about her, fetching unbelievable prices. In November 1997, the famous Doubly Fortunate, composed of marvelous Jade beads, was sold by Christie’s Hong Kong for only 9.3 million dollars..
But the most incredible of Jade varieties does not come from Burma, nor from the best jewelry auctions, but rather comes directly from Genoa. Her story does not begin 5000 years ago, like that of the homonymous Gem, but begins on the wonderful afternoon of September 27, 2013, in Genoa.
And she is definitely the most enchanting variety of Jade: Little Jade!
Jade mines are located all over the world, but high-quality Gems are truly rare.
For 5000 years in China, Nephrite was mistaken for Jade, until in 1784, the Chinese discovered in Burma (current Myanmar) a spectacular mine, immediately appreciated by the Chinese Emperor Qianlong. The Emperor (from whom Imperial Jade takes its name) ordered that all the rough be brought to Beijing.
For this reason we can say that the first to have adorned themselves with the Gem of Paradise and to have used it as a weapon or as a tool were not the Chinese, but rather the inhabitants of Guatemala.
Where to find Jade and where to find Little Jade
Currently the kingdom of Jade is in Burma, in Hpakan or Hpakant, Kachin State, where only the most daring dare to enter due to the inhospitable conditions of the terrain.
On the morning of November 22, 2015, a huge landslide killed 116 people. In addition, near the mine, at least a hundred people were counted as missing.
Currently the kingdom of Little Jade, on the other hand, is in a much more comforting scenario, that is, at kindergarten, where she gives the first gemological lessons to her classmates.
Little Jade, your world is full of colors!
But how many colors can we count in Jades?
It is not only Imperial green that makes people talk. In fact, the lavender color makes Lavender Jade one of the most precious and sought-after varieties on the market.
But this marvelous Gem also appears in nature as black, as happens in Guatemala, in Motaga Valley. Here a Black Jade mine with very beautiful luster has been reopened. The black variety, called Maya Black, has had a sales surge in recent years.
The range of colors with which Jades appear to the world certainly does not stop here, since these marvelous Gems have a substantial range of colors.
In the times of the conquest of Mexico by the Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes, who destroyed the Aztec empire to subjugate it to Spain, Jade was so highly valued by the Aztecs that it cost much more than gold. Although hundreds of years have passed since the times of the Conquistadors, the concept in Genoa remains unchanged: the Little Jade variety is worth much more than all the gold on the terrestrial globe.
The Gem that wards off the evil eye
The most characteristic cuts made on Jades are the carvings used to create Hololiths (Gems carved entirely from a single piece of rough) and the cabochon cuts. The Hololith is usually carved with the purpose of forming a bracelet. It is of very ancient use, and its extreme hardness allows it to be worn even in areas exposed to knocks.
The hololith carves out an important part among the most celebrated historical legends of Gems. In fact, in Asia, for thousands of years it has been strongly and superstitiously believed that from the moment a hololith breaks, the worst misfortunes begin. Certainly, to break such a hard bracelet, one really has to be quite unlucky..
Confucius himself, with his great wisdom, tells us how much the Chinese loved Jades, but it was Xu Shen who made the list of the five virtues possessed by this marvelous Gem:
1) righteousness
2) wisdom
3) courage
4) equity
5) benevolence
How to treat Jade and how to treat Little Jade
Soft enough to be engraved and resistant enough to bear hammer blows, the Gem of Paradise adapts well to all types of settings. But if you own one with a beautiful central color and a less homogeneous side color, the saddle setting, which gives life to the classic saddle ring, is certainly the most recommended.
Unlike the great hardness of Jade the Gem, my Little Jade is of remarkable sweetness and loves her daddy so much!
To you who are the engine of the love of my heart
Daddy