Animals

Thursday Thirteen ~ Jade

Thirteen Things about Jade

Jade with its discreet yet rather greasy lustre comes in many fine nuances of green, but also in shades of white, grey, black, yellow, and orange and in delicate violet tones.

Jade has been known to Man for some 7000 years.

The name is derived from the Spanish 'piedra de ijada', loin-stone, jade having been recognised by the Amerindians as a remedy for kidney ailments.

Jade is regarded as a symbol of the good, the beautiful and the precious. It embodies the Confucian virtues of wisdom, justice, compassion, modesty and courage, yet it also symbolises the female-erotic.

In ancient Egypt, jade was admired as the stone of love, inner peace, harmony and balance.

'Jade', or yu, as it is called in China, is strictly speaking a generic term for two different gems, nephrite and jadeite.

Nephrite ranges mainly from mid to dark green or grey-green, but it can also be white, yellowish or reddish.

Rarer, and somewhat tougher, jadeite displays hues which include green, but also white or pink, and reds, blacks, browns and violets.

In both minerals, the way the colour is distributed varies a great deal. Only in the very finest jade is the colour evenly distributed. Both nephrite and jadeite often have veins, blemishes and streaks running through them, though these may not always be regarded as flaws. On the contrary, some of these patterns are considered particularly valuable.

Nephrite deposits have been found in China, New Zealand, Russia, Guatemala and the Swiss Alps. Dark green jade, so-called Canada jade, is also found in Western Canada.

Jadeite is found in China, Russia and Guatemala, but the best stones come from Burma, now known as Myanmar.

In general, the value of jade is determined according to its colour and the intensity of that colour, the vivacity and texture, and its clarity and transparency.

In gemstone therapy it is said that jade 'stimulates creativity and mental agility on the one hand, while also having a balancing and harmonising effect.' So this beautiful gemstone brings us joy, vivacity and happiness all at the same time

- Scylla On Sunday
One of our favourite places to spend a lazy morning is the Butterfly Garden. If you go outside early enough it is still nice and shady down there, and pleasant to sit. Our neighbor gave us two new plants. Mommy can't remember the name of the one...

- Thirteen Things About Sapphires
Thirteen Things About Sapphires Blue is the main colour of the sapphire. The sapphire belongs to the corundum group, the members of which are characterised by their excellent hardness (9 on the Mohs scale). Indeed their hardness is exceeded only...

- Thursday Thirteen #19
Thirteen Things about Emeralds Fine emeralds are even more valuable than diamonds. The name emerald comes from the Greek 'smaragdos' via the Old French 'esmeralde', and really just means 'green gemstone'. In ancient Rome,...

- Thursday 13 ~#2
Thirteen Things about GarnetsGarnets come in different colors.Garnet comes from the Latin word, “granatus” which means grain.Garnets have several species.Pyrope is found in Arizona (pyrope comes from a Greek word meaning "fire like").Almandine garnets...

- Alasandra's Book Club - Trading Places
What happens when wild card Lizzie Jade, professional gambler extraordinaire, trades places with her identical twin sister the cop. Read Trading Places by Fern Michaels to find out. I am still bawling over the happy ending. ...

Animals