Basic Introduction to Xiuyan Jade
Xiuyan jade, also known as Xiuyan jadeite, is named after its place of origin, Xiuyan Man Autonomous County in Anshan City, Liaoning Province, and is one of the four famous jades in Chinese history. Broadly speaking, it can be divided into two categories: one is the Old Jade (also called Yellowish-White Old Jade), where the pebbles are known as River-polished Jade, which belongs to the tremolite jade category. It has a simple and substantial texture, with a pale yellowish-white color, making it a precious raw jade. The other type is Xiuyan Green Jade (also known as Wagou Jade), which belongs to the serpentine mineral group. Its texture is firm yet warm, fine and rounded, mostly ranging from green to lake green, with deep green and transparent pieces being particularly valuable.
Nutritional Value
Jade is a rare treasure, and jade contains more than 30 trace elements beneficial to the human body such as selenium, zinc, nickel, cobalt, manganese, magnesium, and calcium. The medicinal and health benefits of jade were discovered by humans long ago. Famous Chinese medical texts such as “Shennong's Herbal Classic,” “Tang Herbal Classic,” and “Compendium of Materia Medica” all have relevant records. In “Compendium of Materia Medica – Volume Eight, Section on Minerals,” it is recorded that jade has the following effects: “Eliminates stomach heat, relieves shortness of breath and irritability, nourishes hair, nourishes the five organs, strengthens tendons and bones, quenches thirst, moisturizes lungs and heart, assists vocal cords, soothes the soul, improves blood circulation, and brightens the ears and eyes.”
Product Features
In Xiuyan jade, the folk classification includes: Green Jade: single green color, with a smooth, lustrous, delicate texture, firm, and good transparency, making it an excellent material for jade bracelets. Black Jade: single black color, but pure black blocks are rare. It has a smooth, lustrous, delicate texture, is firm, and not transparent, suitable for small decorative items. Yellow Jade: single yellow color, with a smooth, lustrous, delicate texture, firm, and good transparency, making it an excellent material for jade bracelets.
Brown Jade: single brown color is less common, usually light brown or light yellow-brown, with a fine texture, firm, and not transparent, commonly used for small decorative items. Variegated Jade: mixed with light green, green, dark green, yellow, yellow-green, black, light brown, light yellow-brown, and gray-white, often dominated by one or two colors.
Greenstone: a mixture of serpentine and tremolite jade, with colors blending white and green (or yellow). It is generally used for carving large jade sculptures, such as the common symbol of wealth.
Historical Folklore
According to archaeological findings, there was human activity in the Xiuyan region as early as 10,000 to 20,000 years ago during the Paleolithic period. In the Neolithic period, about 4,000 to 5,000 years ago, jade artifacts from the Hongshan culture were unearthed in the Xiuyan area. Examples include the “Jade Pig-Dragon” excavated in Jianping County, Liaoning Province, and the “Jade Hooked Dragon” found in Xinglongtai Village, Wengniute Banner, Inner Mongolia. These artifacts represent the typical style of Xiuyan jade. Throughout history, numerous Xiuyan jade artifacts have been left behind. Notable examples include the “Bird and Beast Patterned Jade Goblet” and “Kneeling Human Figure Jade” from the Xia-Shang-Zhou periods, the “Beast-shaped Jade” from the Warring States period, the “Yixie Jade” from the Qin-Han periods, the “Dragon-headed Tortoise-clasped Jade Seal” from the Eastern Jin Dynasty, the “Beast-shaped Jade Paperweight” from the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the “Beast-head-shaped Jade Cup” from the Tang-Song periods, the “Jade Bottle with Pierced Ears and Lid” from the Yuan Dynasty, the “Dragon-headed Jade Cup” from the Ming Dynasty, and the “Nezha Jade Immortal” from the Qing Dynasty. The “Gold-threaded Jade Suit” made up of 2,498 pieces of Xiuyan jade unearthed in 1968 from the Han tomb in Lingshan, Mancheng, Hebei Province, and the two Xiuyan jade artifacts from the Xiajiadian Culture, “Green Jade Chi Pendant” and “Blue Jade Bird and Beast Patterned Handle-shaped Artifact,” preserved in the Beijing Museum, are all carved from Xiuyan jade. Additionally, jade artifacts from the Liangzhu Culture of the Neolithic era found in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, and over 700 jade artifacts excavated from the tomb of Lady Fu Hao at the Yin Ruins in Anyang, were also made from Xiuyan jade.
Authenticity Identification of Xiuyan Jade
Jade is expensive, and selecting it requires high technical expertise. Most consumers find it difficult to discern the quality and authenticity, and a slight mistake can lead to purchasing inferior products or fakes, resulting in significant financial loss. There are many stores selling jade, and jade is generally divided into two major categories: soft jade and hard jade. Hard jade is also known as jadeite. Chemically, soft jade is a silicate containing calcium, magnesium, and iron, while hard jade is a silicate containing sodium and aluminum. When examining the jade under a magnifying glass, primarily look for cracks; those without cracks are considered high-quality jade, while those with cracks are of lesser quality. Even if it is genuine jade, the value decreases significantly with the presence of cracks. The more obvious and numerous the cracks, the lower the value.