From the mystical white and green Jade of the Orient to the intriguing allure of Australian black Jade, exquisite jewellery and art objects carved from this beautiful stone have attracted attention and wonderment for centuries, from imperial dynasties to loving friends.
As one of the world's oldest decorative stones, Jade (in New Zealand called 'greenstone') has been revered across the globe from Ancient China, South America and the Pacific to modern day Europe and America and its beauty, lustre and elegance continues to hold special appeal and charm.
Australian Jade's exquisite collection of carved jewellery is created from Nephrite, one of the two, equally prized forms of Jade (the other being Jadeite).
Nephrite bears an almost silky lustre and ranges in colour from a pearly cream, through the highly popular emerald-green to the deep, almost mysterious black-green variety.
Believed to be the first decorative stone that ancient cultures valued for its ornamental and practical qualities, Nephrite Jade is also the world's toughest mineral while continuing to embody 'mystical' properties, making it an enduring favourite for sculpture, jewellery, religious statuary and ornaments.
As with the various shades of gold, and other precious stones, colour and design is a personal preference and Australian Jade is proud to release an extensive collection of carved Jade jewellery, which is sure to appeal to every taste.
Its polish and brilliancy represent the white of purity;
Its perfect compactness and extreme hardness represents sureness of intelligence;
Its angles, which do not cut, although they seem sharp, represent justice;
The pure and prolonged sound it gives forth when one strikes it represents music;
Its colour represents loyalty; its interior flaws always showing themselves through the transparency call to mind sincerity;
Its iridescent brightness represents heaven.
