Belt plaque with dragon, Ming Dynasty (1368-1279 AD)


Belt plaque with dragon, Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368 AD)


Jade-dragon belt clasp, Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD)


Jade dragon, Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD)


Jade coiled serpent, Han Dynasty (202 BC-220 AD)


A jade bi with dragons, Warring States (403 BC-221 BC)


Jade dragon, Warring States (403 BC-221 BC)


Jade dragon ring, Shang Dynasty (1600 BC-1050 BC)




Jade is an ornamental stone.
The term jade is applied to two different rocks that are made up of different silicate minerals. Nephrite jade consists of the calcium- and magnesium-rich amphibole mineral actinolite (aggregates of which also make up one form of asbestos). The rock called jadeitite consists almost entirely of jadeite, a sodium- and aluminium-rich pyroxene. The trade name Jadite [sic] is sometimes applied to translucent/opaque green glass.Nephrite and jadeite were used by people from the prehistoric for similar purposes. Both are about the same hardness as quartz, and they are exceptionally tough. They are beautifully coloured and can be delicately shaped. Thus it was not until the 19th century that a French mineralogist determined that "jade" was in fact two different materials.