Jade

Mystical healing qualities for Jade are peace and tranquility ≈♥≈ The magic element of the Jade gemstone is divination

Jade is a stone of serenity thought to alleviate anxiety, fear and to promote good luck. Jade not only brings prosperity, but encourages its wearer to hold on to money. A traditional charm for gardeners, jade is said to ensure bountiful harvests. Jade gemstones can include the pure varieties of jadeite and nephrite, as well as jade omphacite, jade-albite and maw-sit-sit.

As the jewel of heaven in Chinese symbolism, jade comes from the interaction between mountain and water, the uni ed powers of yin and yang. It confers good fortune on the wearer. When polished and shiny it represents purity, when smooth and lustrous it shows benevolence. The jade disk with the square hole in the centre (the pi) symbolises the circle of heaven and the square of the earth and is known as the ‘Gate of Heaven’.
There are two types of stones that are called jade – nephrite and jadeite and it was only in the 19th century that these were determined to be different compositions of minerals, and thus different species. The rarer form is jadeite, which can come in a variety of colours from white to lavender-pink to rich soft green most popular in Chinese ornaments.
From earliest times the hardness of jade made it useful for adze- heads (an ancient edging tool), knives and other weapons due both to its toughness and its ability to be shaped by other harder stones such as garnet. Many jade artefacts have been found in a variety of places across the globe.
For the ancient Chinese, jade (and in particular green jade) was the most noble of gems, although in earlier times much of the jade found in China was actually nephrite. They needed to import the ne coloured stone that they treasured from Myanmar (Burma).
The qualities of the stone – smooth compactness and strength – that made it so useful for weapons, also gave it the reputation for developing sureness of mind. This may well be why it’s also used as protection against intangible threats as well – often it appeared as an
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amulet against sorcery, demonic possession, tragedy and depression.
Jade was used as an amulet for those conducting business in China as its attributes of benevolence and righteousness, endurance and ingenuousness made it excellent guide towards good fortune.
For medical purposes it was reduced to a powder the size of rice grains, and used for strengthening the lungs, the heart and the vocal chords. It also prolonged life, especially if silver and gold were added to the powder. Perhaps an easier way to partake of its healing essence was the ‘divine liquor of jade’; a mix of jade, rice and dew-water boiled in a copper pot and then ltered. Drinking this elixir over a period of time prevented susceptibility to temperature extremes, hunger and thirst. It was also a tonic taken to strengthen the muscles, harden the bones, calm the mind, enrich the esh and purify the blood – a good all round green juice by the sound of it!
For those who have a piece of jade, it is recommended that you handle it often as the virtues of the substance are absorbed through the skin. The resonance of the stone was also important (one reason it may have been prescribed for improving the vocal chords), and stone chimes of jade were used in court and religious ceremonies. Disappointed by his lack of success in reforming the morals of his contemporaries, Confucius reportedly consoled himself by playing the jade chimes.
The Aztecs also prized jade, using it for religious rites, and Montezuma’s imperial robe was held with a huge jade clasp. Of course many of their carvings were stolen by the Conquistadors who brought the stone to Europe and gave it the name by which we now know it. The Spanish called it ‘piedra de hijada’ meaning ‘stone of the ank’ which referred to the Aztecs’ use of jade stone for diseases of the kidney. In Europe through the following centuries it was often used as a cure for kidney stones and colic. Over time the name became shortened to jade.
The Maori in New Zealand carved their “hei-tiki” of nephrite jade, found only on the south island. When it was time to make a Tiki the stone-seekers would follow a tohunga (similar to a shaman) who was
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shown the exact location of the nephrite by spirit-beings. The Tiki was so closely associated with the seeker, that it was buried with him when he died, to be exhumed after a time by his nearest male relative.
The lovely clear green of jade relates to the heart chakra and radiates divine unconditional love. The qualities of clarity, modesty, courage, justice and wisdom are all attributed to the stone which is peaceful and nurturing, dispelling negativity and balancing the emotions (as it did for Confucius in the story above).
Across the ages it has been used for eye disorders; kidney, stomach, heart & intestines. The Chinese considered it a cure for all ills. And that would seem to be the case because in addition to the qualities listed above it strengthens heart, kidney, immune system and intestines; it cleanses the blood and increases longevity and fertility.
Jadeite is a relatively hard stone at 5-6 on the Mohs scale. It is never faceted and is more commonly set bezel-style in rings. However it is a tough enough stone to be worn as unset or strung in a pendant.
Some geology:
Jade can vary from pure white to pale blue, yellow, pink or dark green, with clear green being the most valuable. Jadeite is a crystalline form composed of sodium aluminium iron silicate. A very rare stone, it is found in Myanmar, Yunnan in Southwest China, Tibet, Guatemala, California and Japan.
Nephrite is hydrous calcium magnesium iron silicate, which actually means it is a different species of stone according to geological de nitions. It can be found in central Asia, New Zealand, Siberia, USA, Canada, Germany, Poland and Italy.