Treasured across cultures for wisdom, harmony and protection.
The aesthetic
Jade covers two different minerals, jadeite and nephrite, which look alike and have been carved for the same reasons for thousands of years. Colour runs from near white through every shade of green to lavender and almost black, often mottled or veined within a single piece. Polished, it takes a soft waxy lustre rather than a glassy one, and it is tough enough to hold fine detail, which is why so much of it turns up as a carved figure rather than a raw specimen.
The dynamic
Jade is traditionally associated with wisdom, harmony and protection. It has long been tied to emotional balance and inner peace, to drawing in good luck and abundance, and to encouraging compassion and self-love.
Some variations
- jadeite
- nephrite
- white jade
- green jade
- lavender jade
- black jade