402 JADE. 



JADE. 



A HISTORICAL, ARCHAEOLOGICAL, AND LITERARY STUDY OF THE MIN- 

 ERAL CALLED YU BY THE CHINESE 



By S. Blondel, of Paris. 

 [Translated by Dr. E. Foreman.] 



If among mineral substances there is any one which particularly 

 deserves attention, it is jade. For a long time cabinets of mineralogy 

 possessed this precious material in only humble specimens, acquired, 

 however, at very high prices ; but now, owing to closer relations between 

 western nations and those of the extreme east, Chinese antiquities have 

 become less rare, new and important collections of them have been 

 formed, and the museums of Europe have been enriched with the most 

 splendid works of art and pieces of the choicest quality. We therefore 

 believe that it would be useful to oriental archaeology to publish this 

 memoir on jade, a mineral so highly valued by amateurs, and one whose 

 curious history is so little known. 



The jade, so common in the Indies and in China, as we all know, 

 varies between a greasy white, or the color of old ivory, and a deep 

 olive-green color, depending on the oxides of iron and of chrome which 

 enter into its composition. Of all the various pebbles it is the hardest 

 aud heaviest, being fine-grained and compact in texture. Its polish, at 

 the same time that it is attractive, always exhibits to the eye and sense 

 of touch a greasy sensation, giving the appearance of inspissated oil 

 or of wax. Although its more ordinary color is some shade of green, 

 the classical variety is of a milky whiteness and nearly opalescent. 

 In this.case its limpidity, its fine texture, and tenacity are so great, that 

 to the hand of the workman it feels as if glazed, qualities which make 

 it sought after for the execution of valuable works. Pale green jade is 

 likewise often used for cutting vases of every form and those orna- 

 mented with elegant reliefs. Its shade of color is uniform and agreeable, 

 aud it has a close, fine grain, susceptible of a high polish. Some pieces, 

 having molecular peculiarities and a cloudiness which gives tbe stone a 

 dull tarnished aspect, are employed in making vases of large dimen- 

 sions, or even bracelets. Jade is sometimes even black, but not on 

 that account much undervalued; it is sometimes clouded, and speci- 

 mens are seen which recall the crystalline watering sometimes seen on 

 tin or zinc which have been acted on by dilute acids. " But," says M. 

 Albert Jacquemart, " of all kinds the two most rare are the orange 

 jade, of which examples are known in Europe, and the imperial jade, a 

 gem beyond price, worthy of being ranked with tbe finest emerald when 

 of a fine green, and which, of variegated green and white, produces an 

 effect superior to the richest agates. Ancient authors likewise speak of 

 specimens of a citron yellow, deep blue, turquoise blue, and red. If it 



