Chinese nephrite has long been associated with imperial courts and the stone was so highly valued that Confucius ascribed to it 11 virtues (benevolence, intelligence, righteousness, propriety, music, loyalty, good faith, heaven, earth, virtue, and the path of truth and duty).
500 years later, the scholar Hsu Shen states in Shuo-wen Chieh-tzu (a lexicon from 100 AD) “Jade is the fairest of stones, It is endowed with five virtues: 1) charity is typified by its luster, bright yet warm; 2) rectitude (purity) by its translucency, revealing the color and markings within; 3) wisdom by the purity ...
Chinese culture considers jade to be a lucky stone. To them, it is known as “The Stone of Heaven.” Jadeite is so precious that there is a saying that goes, “gold is valuable while jade is priceless.” Jade symbolizes prosperity, success, and good luck. It is also a symbol of renewal, longevity, and even immortality.
Confucius elaborated his meaning in a passage from the Book of Rites: Anciently, superior men found the likeness of all excellent qualities in jade. Soft smooth and glossy, it appeared to them like benevolence. Fine, compact, and strong—like intelligence.
Jade (nephrite) was regarded as the most precious stone in ancient China, and it symbolised purity and moral integrity. Prized for its durability and magical qualities, the stone was laboriously carved and polished into all manner of objects from jewellery to desk ornaments.
Throughout ancient Chinese history, jade was seen as a sacred material. Although the forms and decorations of jade objects varied over time and in keeping with fashions, jade has remained the favoured in Chinese culture. The deep-rooted significance of jade to Chinese culture is revealed by its long history.
Jade is a highly valued stone that symbolizes gentleness, serenity, harmony, and balance in feng shui, or the practice of bringing balance to your life and home with energy. Jade has many meanings, including strength, luck, and good health. Jade is also revered for its healing properties balancing the body's processes.
While both the Chinese and Japanese use jade, it is more commonly used in China.
- Jade and men, both are sharpened by bitter tools (Chinese proverb). - A gold branch with a jade leaf (Thai proverb). - In face of evil, one would rather be a jade broken than a brick intact (Chinese proverb). - A speck on a jade stone won't obscure its radiance (Chinese proverb).
A jade Buddha can represent many things. But people mainly wear it as a symbol of good luck, fortune, and a protector from evil things.
The finest source of Jadeite Jade in the world comes from Kachin state, Myanmar (Burma). It's also the only commercial source for Jadeite in the world. Other small deposits are found in Kazakhstan, Russia, Japan, Guatemala, and USA.
The “Chou-li” or “Zhou Li”(chinese ancient book of rituals), itself probably first compiled in the Han dynasty, ascribes the circular bi as representing the heavens, the cong as representing the earth, the gui the east, the zhang the south, the hu the west and the huang the north.
For the Chinese, the Stone of Heaven – more precious than gold – is juhk (Cantonese), yù (Mandarin), or jade. It is also known as the “stone for eternity” because its hardness and durability are associated with immortality.
They are prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance. They form a virtue theory of ethics. The term cardinal comes from the Latin cardo (hinge); virtues are so called because they are regarded as the basic virtues required for a virtuous life.
Jade symbolism includes associations with nobility and wealth. Many consider it a protector of generations, living and dead. Jade has been and always will be the "Gem Supreme" and the "Jewel of Heaven," stone of the heart.
The Jade Emperor (Yuhuang or Yudi) was considered to be the ruler of Heaven. He was thought to be like a human emperor, in that he ruled over a heavenly court populated by all the important gods of China.
Over the years, jade has also been used for ceremonial objects, decorative items, and jewelry. At least according to myth. One claims jade is crystallized moonlight while another says it was created by thunder and captured the force of the heavens. Hence, its nickname, the Stone of Heaven.
The history of jade goes back several thousand years when jade was first used to make tools and weapons because of its toughness. Both nephrite and jadeite were used from prehistoric periods for hardstone carving. Jade (nephrite) was regarded as the most precious stone in ancient China.
Jade is traditionally revered in many Asian cultures, where it's considered more precious than gold or diamonds. Legend has it that it protects the wearer from misfortune — if your bangle breaks, that's because it was absorbing the evil intentions directed towards you.
Jadeite comes in a wide range of colors. The most valuable is an intense green called Imperial.
Among the Daoists the religious symbolism of jade was given a more precise focus. The Daoists believed that jade embodied the principle of cosmic life and could thus ensure immortality if used in connection with certain alchemical practices.
In addition to bringing its own wonderful energies into your life and the space around you, jade crystal has the ability to transform negative energies into positive ones that promote joyfulness and love. Calming and harmonious, the stone also can help you heal from emotional and physical injuries and illness.
1. Jade is believed to bring luck. Just like a four-leaf clover is considered a symbol of good fortune, jade is thought to have protective, lucky-charm energy. That's why you'll often see jade statues used in feng shui, and why babies in Asian cultures are often gifted jade bracelets when they're born.
White Jade is a gemstone that holds a lot of meaning and plenty of healing properties. White Jade has been used with this purpose for hundreds of years. It was considered to be a lucky stone, whether it came to health, love or business.