Basic Introduction to Manas Nephrite
Manas nephrite is mined from the depths of Tianshan Mountains in and around Manas County, Northern Xinjiang. It has a long history of exploitation and is one of the earliest types of jade developed and utilized in China, ranking as a mid-range gemstone.
The color of Manas nephrite is bright, with a fine texture and good luster, its quality is on par with Kunlun jade and Hetian jade. The Manas jade mine was once owned by the Song Imperial family and later designated for imperial use by Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty.
Product Features
The color is spinach green, interspersed with speckled and streaky white spots, and there are also ink spots. Those with gray-green, dark green, or black spots, black points, or jade veins are of slightly inferior quality. Nephrite contains over 90% tremolite, has a fine texture, is translucent, and exhibits an oily luster, classifying it as a mid-range gemstone. Uneven hues with gray and black spots are present, with pure dark green being the best grade. The color is deep and solemn, suitable for carving large landscape ornaments or weighty, rustic vessels. There are many excellent examples of nephrite in the jade collection of the Forbidden City.
Historical Folklore
The Manas nephrite mine in Xinjiang had already been exploited in ancient times and has a long history, becoming well-known during the Qing Dynasty. Historical records indicate that over 200 years ago, during the reign of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty, the Qing government established an official green jade factory in Manas. In the book “Three Prefectures Collection” compiled during the Jiaqing period of the Qing Dynasty, it is mentioned: “Over a hundred li from Manas City lies a place named Clear Water Spring. Another hundred li westward lies Hou Gou. Yet another hundred li westward lies Da Gou, all of which produce green jade. In the fifty-fourth year of Qianlong (1789), the green jade mines were sealed and mining prohibited.”
In “Xinjiang Atlas – Industry Section (Part Two),” there is a note about the green nephrite produced along the Clear Water River in Manas County: “The source of the Manas River is clear, producing jade, hence it is called Clear Water River. The jade is dark green with variegated colors. Large pieces can weigh dozens of catties. Further north, after flowing a hundred li into the Wulan Wusu River, there is abundant green nephrite. To the west of Clear Water River and east of Wulan Wusu is Kuke River (also known as Ningjia River). Its source comes from the Qilatuolu Mountains, where there is much green jade, and an old green jade factory was set up here. Also, over a hundred li west of Suilai City are Hou Gou and Da Gou, both of which produce green jade.”
“Xinjiang Atlas” introduces: “Qilatuolu Mountain is 180 li south of Suilai City, rich in gold and jade.” This means that the riverbanks are rich in placer gold and the riverbed produces jade, truly a “land of gold and jade.” “Western Regions Atlas” records: “Jade from Zunghar is called Ha Si, mostly greenish-blue, far inferior to Hotan jade.”
After the green jade factory stopped mining in the Qing Dynasty, the original deposits of raw nephrite remained unknown for many years. Over a long historical period, the primary deposits of Manas nephrite lay buried underground, undeveloped.
In 1973, at a national gemstone conference convened by the Ministry of Light Industry, it was proposed that the sources of Xinjiang's green nephrite resources should be identified and exploited as soon as possible. After several expeditions into the mountains by the Xinjiang Bureau of Geology's Fifth Brigade (Second Regional Geological Survey Team) to conduct surveys, they finally found the original production site of jade in the southern mountains of Manas in 1973. The local government attached great importance to this discovery, and in 1974, the Manas Jade Factory was established, producing tens of tons of green nephrite that year, supplied to more than ten jade carving factories in Shanghai, Yangzhou, Guangzhou, and other places. At the same time, a jade carving factory was founded in Manas County, producing products such as imitation antique vases, incense burners, bowls, wine cups, bracelets, and fitness balls.
Awards and Honors
In 2012, Xinjiang's Manas nephrite received its own “identity card,” with the Manas County People's Government organizing a press conference to announce and implement the “Manas Nephrite Quality Grading” standard. This standard was formulated by the Manas County Quality and Technical Supervision Bureau.
This evaluation and identification standard primarily stipulates the definition, classification, identification methods, identification characteristics, and quality grading of Manas nephrite. For example, it preliminarily divides Manas nephrite into light green, dark green, bluish-green, and dark green according to color; into mountain material, mountain flow water, and pebble material according to geological occurrence; and into superior, excellent, and ordinary grades based on sensory perception, color, and size.