For those looking for a unique engagement ring, jade is an unusual and unexpected choice. The ancient ornamental mineral is revered in Chinese culture for its healing properties.
With many colours to choose from and good durability, this compelling stone will make an amazing centre for your ring.
Jade refers to two separate mineral: nephrite and jadeite, which are both metamorphic rocks made up of tiny interlocking mineral crystals. The stone appears in various colours, including green, white, orange, yellow, lavender and black. However, the most valued shade is semi-transparent emerald green.
They often have a unique, streaked colouration that provides a compelling visual texture. The tones in nephrite tend to be more muted than that of jadeite, which is also the rarer of the two.
Early Spanish explorers named the stone after the Spanish expression ‘piedra de ijada’ which translates literally to ‘stone of the pain in the side’. They were inspired to choose this name after finding Central American natives holding the stone to their sides to relieve pain. The ancient Mayans and Aztecs are believed to have used jade for medicinal purposes, as well as to create jewellery, ornaments and religious artefacts.
Historically, jade has been used since the time of prehistoric humans, who fashioned it into weapons, tools, ornaments and ritual objects.
Sometimes, carvings were etched onto the stone to invoke the powers of heaven and earth.
The stone has long been considered heavenly. According to the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), the philosopher Confucius wrote that it is like a virtue and it’s brightness represents heaven. In fact, a flat disc of jade with a hole in the middle, known as a ‘bi’, is symbolic of heaven in Chinese culture.
The stone is called ‘yu’ in China, which means heavenly or imperial. This explains why jade is often considered the imperial gem in Chinese culture, and has been found in the tombs of Shang kings.
The stone is also symbolic of prosperity, success and good luck. The Chinese associate the stone with a clarity of mind and purity of spirit. They often carve specific shapes using the stone to represent motifs. For example, a bat is symbolic of happiness, a butterfly of long life and a peach of immortality.
The stone is quite tough and durable, making it a good choice for an engagement ring stone. Jadeite ranks a 6.5 to 7 and Nephrite a 6.0 to 6.5 on the Mohs scale of hardness. Its quality is determined by looking at five key factors: colour, transparency, texture, cut and carat weight.
Feature image: Unsplash
