Throughout the history of humanity we have been attracted by the great variety of resources in nature, but undoubtedly the gems have captivated us for centuries and continue to do so. Their shapes, their colors, their brightness and the properties that some cultures have attributed to them are their main reasons for this fascination. Jade is one of the best known, although its best known colors are green and white, varieties have also been found in orange, yellow, gray and black, depending on the impurities in its composition.
The truth is that the term "jade" is used to designate two types of metamorphic rocks, jadeite and nephrite. Those that have white tonalities are called "lamb fat", the black jade with natural inlays of gold, silver or platinum is called "galactic gold", while bright green varieties are called "imperial jade".
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When we talk about this stone we immediately associate it with China, this is not uncommon because Chinese culture from the beginning was attracted by this gem, they even called it "The sky stone" and used it for ornamental purposes. They also attributed special qualities such as power, spirituality and good luck.
However, it was also a stone very appreciated by the Mayan culture, because for them it represented nature, life and fertility. They also used it for ornamental purposes, making weapons, accessories and decorations for their deceased as death masks.
One of its physical characteristics is its hardness, which made it a material very resistant to the passage of time, unlike iron, which was less resistant and could be oxidized. For this reason when the diamond arrived in China they used it to carve the jade, something quite ironic. Even for the Mayans it was more valuable than gold.
Both cultures believed that jade would grant them immortality, for this reason they used it during their funeral ceremonies, they even thought that it could return people from death. They also used it to combat fatigue and some diseases.
In one way or another remains a gem with an exceptional beauty that even with the passage of time we still like. For this reason it has a fairly large market that grows more every year.