Book | Broken Bangle | Jade Nomenclature Order Page

Introducing…

Broken Bangle • The Blunder-Besmirched History of Jade Nomenclature

by

Liu Shang-i ('Edward') | Richard W. Hughes
Zhou Zhengyu ('Adam') | Kaylan Khourie

Sponsored by

Zhuang Qingfang
The Gemmological Association of Hong Kong
On Tung Jewellery
Junhao Gemology
Pinde Xuan
Lotus Gemology

Broken Bangle | The Blunder-Besmirched History of Jade Nomenclature takes readers through the entire tortuous history of jade nomenclature, detailing how the current monikers were based on misinformation and misunderstanding of the gems’ true natures. Thus, the Chinese gem yù (amphibole jade) was named “nephrite” by French mineralogist Alexis Damour in the mistaken belief it was the same as the Mesoamerican pyroxene jade that a 16th Century Spanish doctor himself misinterpreted as being used to treat kidney disease (‘nephritus’). Later, Damour created a mineral species he called “jadeite” for what was actually a gem rock already known in China as fei cui.

But this gemological whodunit is much more than a dry recitation of jade nomenclature. It includes a detailed section on the occurrence and mineralogy of both yù (nephrite) and fei cui. Because jade is so intimately connected with Chinese culture, much of the Middle Kingdom’s fascinating history is also woven through its pages.

Did we mention the illustrations? Broken Bangle features dozens of color images of both historical documents and spectacular photos of contemporary jade and stone carving in China. For those whose mental picture of jade sculpture is a cliché Chinese goddess statue, prepare to have your minds blown.

Lead author Liu Shang-i summed up the book’s major aim:

Our understanding of the world is deeply influenced by the names we assign to things. As history, culture, and scientific inquiry evolve, it becomes essential to assign accurate and fitting names to these unique types of jade that embody Chinese heritage. This nomenclature should reflect its cultural significance and resonate with both historical context and contemporary understanding.

Co-author Zhou Zhengyu added:

There is an ancient saying in China termed “casting a brick to attract jade.” Any book or article is only a stage of understanding, and this understanding, if it can be better than before, is progress. Our work is certainly not the last word on the subject, but we hope it will help improve people’s understanding of this gem’s fascinating history and inspire others to research the subject further. Not unlike a brick thrown in the hopes of attracting jade.

This edition of Broken Bangle is limited to just 600 copies. Don’t miss this chance to enjoy not just superb scholarship, but also extraordinary examples of China’s modern jade culture.

Comments from reviewers…

A readable work of art…John Koivula, Gemological Institute of America

This book [is] not only a work of scholarship but of art…Anne Carroll Marshall, Journal of the Gemmological Association of Hong Kong

Beautifully illustrated and a pleasure to read… a valuable contribution not only for the gemologist, but for all who deal with jade jewelry.Eric Hoffman, Hoffmanjade.com

Whether you are a hardcore gemologist or just a garden-variety jade lover, Broken Bangle is the book for you. Buy it, read it yourself, and give it away. I enthusiastically give Broken Bangle two thumbs up!Jeffery Bergman, International Gem Society

…a splendid bookJohn Saul, geologist and author

Wow, beautifully done, a must have to expand one's knowledge of jade.Georg Schmerholz, master jade carver and author

Hardcover | Published September 2024
THB2100 (~US$60)
120 pages; 240 x 280 mm (9.45 x 11 inches), 1 kg (2.2 lb)
Full Color Throughout

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Title Page & Table of Contents

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Book | Jade | A Gemologist's Guide | Limited Edition Order Page

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Jade • A Gemologist's Guide
Limited Edition

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Book | Jade | A Gemologist's Guide | Order Page

Introducing…

Jade • A Gemologist's Guide

edited by

Richard W. Hughes

featuring contributions from…

Ahmadjan Abduriyim • Dale Blankenship • George E. Harlow • Eric J. Hoffman • E. Billie Hughes • Richard W. Hughes • Jiang “Chris” Chenglong • John I. Koivula • Nikolai Kouznetsov • Liu Yicen • Kirk Makepeace • Jeff Mason • Dominic W.K. Mok • Qi Lijian • Mary Lou Ridinger • Donn Salt • Roland Schluessel • Andrew Shaw • Shi Guanghai • Susan Stronge • Wang Mingying • Stewart Young • Zhou "Adam" Zhengyu
with…
Rudolph I. Estrada • Tao Hsu • Jason C.H. Kao • Michael S. Krzemnicki • William F. Larson • Wim Vertriest

Sponsored by the Houston Museum of Natural Science

The study of jade is unlike that of any other gem, trespassing across conventional boundaries, particularly those of the gemological and mineralogical realm. Despite the march of mineralogical orthodoxy and conformity, the word “jade” is a fist in the air of protest, crying out not for further reduction and definition, but an expansion of the mineralogical canon to include the cultural aspects of human civilization and life. Because jade is so much more than a simple census of atoms, valence states, and places of residence. Jade is a lexicon liberator.

While the literature on jade is vast, perhaps greater than any other gem, there is a distinct lack of a volume in English that treats jade as a gemological material. This book is designed to fill that gap, with extensive information on the history, sources, appraisal and identification of both treated and imitation jades. All of this is together in a single volume for the first time, making it a must-have for collectors, dealers, gemologists, appraisers, curators and anyone else with an interest in this fascinating gem.

An understanding of jade is not limited to the technical or exacting; it also incorporates a feeling for the cultural, textural, and ephemeral qualities that make the study of this gem unlike any other. This volume will not just fill the “traditional gemological” gap, but will open readers’ eyes to a world beyond. Because jade is so much more…

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Publishing: 2022

Standard Edition Hardcover with Dust Jacket
US$200
534 pages; 240 x 280 mm (9.45 x 11 inches), 2.75 kg (6 lb)
Full Color Throughout

Special Limited Edition of 100 Signed and Numbered Copies Bound in Thai Silk with Slipcase
US$300 (Sold Out)