jade

  • About Lotus Gemology

    When you see a fine ruby, it does something to you. It’s not about the value.
    If it were simply the value, I’d go out and buy a kilo of gold. Richard Hughes to journalist Rod Nordland
    “On the treacherous trail to the rare ruby red”  |  1982  |  Asia

    Burmese star ruby. Photo: Wimon Manorotkul, Lotus Gemology.

    Lotus Gemology begins with a simple idea – beauty is the principal source of attraction for precious stones. Thus it should also be the major focus of gemology. In other words, the GEM is the most important part of gemology.

    It is our belief that gemology is not simply about counting atoms; to apply science absent a discussion of how it relates to aesthetics and desire does a disservice not just to clients, but to the jewels themselves. We do not believe that attraction can be reduced to a simple set of measurements, anymore than the beauty of a rainbow or sunset can be expressed by mathematical formula.

    Rest assured, we are not Luddites. We not only appreciate science, but use it daily. At the same time, we recognize that many parts of the human experience extend into realms far beyond science. Thus the gemology at Lotus includes not just science, but weaves into the mix history, culture, art and travel. We do this in the belief that these factors play equal roles in how humans perceive desirability and value. 

    Like a small French restaurant, we believe that crafting a fine meal takes time and individual care; thus our seating is limited. The translation of the intangibles of rarity and aesthetic beauty is our strength.

    Precious stones are among the most compelling examples of Mother Nature’s artistic genius.

    Lotus Gemology operates from a base of over 80 years of collective experience in the study, purchase, sale and appreciation of precious stones. Our lives have been enriched beyond measure by our involvement with these gifts of nature and we believe if we characterize them with the appropriate reverence and care, we can open this magical world to others. This is our goal.

     
     
  • Book | Broken Bangle | Jade Nomenclature Order Page

    Broken Bangle | The Blunder-Besmirched History of Jade Nomenclature | Cover image

    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

    Broken Bangle | The Blunder-Besmirched History of Jade Nomenclature

    Broken Bangle | The Blunder-Besmirched History of Jade Nomenclature contents page

    Broken Bangle | The Blunder-Besmirched History of Jade Nomenclature Authors

    Broken Bangle | The Blunder-Besmirched History of Jade Nomenclature sponsors

    Broken Bangle | The Blunder-Besmirched History of Jade Nomenclature preface

    Broken Bangle | The Blunder-Besmirched History of Jade Nomenclature | Jade in China 

    Sample Interior Spreads 

    Broken Bangle | The Blunder-Besmirched History of Jade Nomenclature Chapter 1

    Broken Bangle | The Blunder-Besmirched History of Jade Nomenclature Chapter 2

    Broken Bangle | The Blunder-Besmirched History of Jade Nomenclature Chapter 3

    Broken Bangle | The Blunder-Besmirched History of Jade Nomenclature Chapter 3

    Broken Bangle | The Blunder-Besmirched History of Jade Nomenclature Chapter 4

    Broken Bangle | The Blunder-Besmirched History of Jade Nomenclature Chapter 5

    Broken Bangle | The Blunder-Besmirched History of Jade Nomenclature Chapter 5

    Broken Bangle | The Blunder-Besmirched History of Jade Nomenclature Chapter 5

    Broken Bangle | The Blunder-Besmirched History of Jade Nomenclature | Chapter 6 | References

     Broken Bangle 114 115

     

  • Book | Broken Bangle | The Blunder-Besmirched History of Jade Nomenclature | 2024

    Book | Broken Bangle | The Blunder-Besmirched History of Jade Nomenclature | 2024

    Broken Bangle  •  The Blunder-Besmirched History of Jade Nomenclature

    Liu Shang-i, Richard W. Hughes, Zhou Zhengyu and Kaylan Khourie  |  2024

    In recent years, jade nomenclature has been upended by the discovery by gemologists that the gem being sold as "jadeiite" is actually a rock composed of three different pyroxene minerals. But the problems of jade nomenclature run much deeper, literally to the application of the words nephrite and jadeite to jade in the mid-19th century. Already by the 1930s, mineralogists realized that one should not apply the name of a mineral species to a rock, but this knowledge sadly never made its way into the gemological lexicon. Broken Bangle tackles jade nomenclature from the earliest times to the present day, advocating that the mineral species names jadeite, omphacite and kosmochlor not be used because their application to rocks does not follow standard mineralogical/geological practices. In addition, breaking down rocks into their mineral components is not done anywhere else in gemology. Instead, the authors suggest that the traditional Chinese term fei cui be used for the pyroxene jade gems.

    Broken Bangle •  Order Page 

  • Book | Inside Out | GEM•ology Through Lotus-Colored Glasses | 2020

    Inside Out | GEM•ology Through Lotus-Colored Glasses (2020)

    Inside Out  •  GEM•ology Through Lotus-Colored Glasses

    E. Billie Hughes, Richard W. Hughes, Wimon Manorotkul  |  2020

    From the dawn of time, precious stones have both attracted and fascinated humans in ways that few other items could. For while objects of desire are found throughout the natural world, physical beauty is too often ephemeral. From the allure of a man, woman, flower or butterfly, through the fleeting moments of a sunset, there is little that lasts and practically nothing that can be passed down to our descendants. The exception is precious stones. Not only are they the most durable creations of Mother Nature, but their visual splendor is truly eternal.

    This book presents a completely fresh approach to the subject. Dubbing it humanistic gemology, the authors take readers around the world, showing the places they have explored in their search for gems, along with the people and cultures encountered along the way. Within this volume, remarkable photographs of the human world are interwoven with images of the microscopic realm of the gems themselves. In a lifetime beset by time control, where living is broken into ever smaller bits, as you browse through these pages suddenly you plunge into a domain of frozen time, one that affords vistas of millions or even billions of years. For jewels offer not just superficial beauty, but a window on the primordial forces that birthed both our planet and universe.

    Inside Out – Gemology Through Lotus-Colored Glasses represents a fascinating new direction for gemology, linking the external and internal worlds of precious stones for the first time. 

    Inside Out | GEM•ology Through Lotus-Colored Glasses Order Page 

  • Book | Inside Out | Gemology Through Lotus-Colored Glasses | Order Page

    Inside Out • Gemology Through Lotus-Colored Glasses • Book Order Page • Lotus Gemology

    Inside Out: Gemology Through Lotus-Colored Glasses

    Introducing…

    Inside Out: GEM•ology Through Lotus-Colored Glasses

    by

    E. Billie Hughes  |  Richard W. Hughes  |  Wimon Manorotkul

    with a foreword by Paolo Minieri

    Chinese translation by Jason C.H. Kao (高嘉兴), with Jinding Yu (俞瑾玎) and Bonnie Chao (晁艳)

    From the dawn of time, precious stones have both attracted and fascinated humans in ways that few other items could. For while objects of desire are found throughout the natural world, physical beauty is too often ephemeral. From the allure of a man, woman, flower or butterfly, through the fleeting moments of a sunset, there is little that lasts and practically nothing that can be passed down to our descendants. The exception is precious stones. Not only are they the most durable creations of Mother Nature, but their visual splendor is truly eternal.

    This book presents a completely fresh approach to the subject. Dubbing it humanistic gemology, the authors take readers around the world, showing the places they have explored in their search for gems, along with the people and cultures encountered along the way.

    Within this volume, remarkable photographs of the human world are interwoven with images of the microscopic realm of the gems themselves. In a lifetime beset by time control, where living is broken into ever smaller bits, as you browse through these pages suddenly you plunge into a domain of frozen time, one that affords vistas of millions or even billions of years. For jewels offer not just superficial beauty, but a window on the primordial forces that birthed both our planet and universe.

    Inside Out – Gemology Through Lotus-Colored Glasses represents a fascinating new direction for gemology, linking the external and internal worlds of precious stones for the first time. 

    Published 2020; Now shipping

    Standard Edition – Hardcover
    Price: Thai Baht 3000 + Shipping & Handling

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    Title Page

    Inside Out: Gemology Through Lotus-Colored Glasses – Title Page

    Introduction

    Inside Out: Gemology Through Lotus-Colored Glasses

    Inside Out: Gemology Through Lotus-Colored Glasses

    Inside Out: Gemology Through Lotus-Colored Glasses

    Sample Interior Spreads

    Inside Out: Gemology Through Lotus-Colored Glasses

    Inside Out: Gemology Through Lotus-Colored Glasses

    Inside Out: Gemology Through Lotus-Colored Glasses

    Inside Out: Gemology Through Lotus-Colored Glasses

    Inside Out: Gemology Through Lotus-Colored Glasses

    Inside Out: Gemology Through Lotus-Colored Glasses

    Inside Out: Gemology Through Lotus-Colored Glasses

    Inside Out: Gemology Through Lotus-Colored Glasses

    Inside Out: Gemology Through Lotus-Colored Glasses

    Inside Out: Gemology Through Lotus-Colored Glasses

    Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide – Index

     

    A few comments from reviewers…

    I am doubtless readers both inside and outside of the gem trade will enthusiastically welcome Inside Out. Buy it, read it, give it away. I am fully confident you will be satisfied, ingratiated and inspired.
    Jeffery Bergman – InColor Magazine
    This book fills a gap in the literature on gems by pictorially exploring the relationship between humans and gems on an artistic and emotional level. It is a work of art that lives from the quality of the photographs and gets by with minimal textual commentary on the images.
    Michael Hügi – Journal of Gemmology
    Inside Out is a truly stunning work reflecting the combnied personalities, skills, knowledge and philosophy of the authors, who have created something exceptional and innovative for the world of gemmology.
    Terry Coldham – Australian Gemmologist
  • Book | Jade | A Gemologist's Guide | 2022

    Jade • A Gemologist's Guide (2022)

    Jade  •  A Gemologist's Guide

    Richard W. Hughes, editor  |  2022

    The study of jade is unlike any other gem, trespassing across all 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 reduction and definition, but an expansion of the mineralogical lexicon to include the cultural aspects of human civilization and life. The word “jade” is the anti-mineral. Because jade is so much more than a simple census of atoms, their valence states, and their places of residence.

    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 in the world of gemstones. It is our heartfelt hope that 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.

    While the literature on jade is vast, perhaps greater than any other gem, there is a distinct lack of a volume 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 the various forms of imitation jade. All of this is together in a single volume for the first time, making this a must-have for all collectors, dealers, gemologists, appraisers, curators and anyone else with an interest in this fascinating gem.

    Jade • A Gemologist's Guide Order Page 

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

    Jade A Gemologists Guide Cover small

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    Jade • A Gemologist's Guide
    Limited Edition

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

    Jade A Gemologists Guide Cover small

    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…

    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)

    Standard & Limited Editions: Sold Out

    Check out our coffee-table style book Inside Out.

     


     

    Title Page & Table of Contents

    Jade A Gemologists Guide title page

    Jade A Gemologists Guide table of contents

    Jade A Gemologists Guide Authors

    Sample Interior Spreads

     Jade A Gemologists Guide Conundrum

    Jade A Gemologists Guide Conundrum3

    Jade A Gemologists Guide Introduction

    Jade A Gemologists Guide History in China

    Jade A Gemologists Guide Geology

    Jade A Gemologists Guide Hetian

    Jade A Gemologists Guide Myanmar

    Jade A Gemologists Guide Mayan

    Jade A Gemologists Guide New Zealand

    Jade A Gemologists Guide Mughal

    Jade A Gemologists Guide Canada

    Jade A Gemologists Guide USA

    Jade A Gemologists Guide Russia

    Jade A Gemologists Guide Japan

    Jade A Gemologists Guide Archaic Identification

    Jade A Gemologists Guide Nephrite ID

    Jade A Gemologists Guide Jadeite ID

    Jade A Gemologists Guide Inclusions

    Jade A Gemologists Guide Jadeite Quality

    Jade A Gemologists Guide Auctions

    Jade A Gemologists Guide Carving History

    Jade A Gemologists Guide Modern Carving

    Jade A Gemologists Guide Symbolism Color

    Jade A Gemologists Guide Books

    Jade A Gemologists Guide Glossary

    Jade A Gemologists Guide Bibliography

    Jade A Gemologists Guide Index 

     

     

     

  • Book Review | Imperial Jade of Burma & Mutton-Fat Jade of India | Lotus Gemology

    Book Review • Imperial Jade of Burma & Mutton-Fat Jade of India • Lotus Gemology

    Samuels, S.K. (2014) Imperial Jade of Burma and Mutton-Fat Jade of India: Mining, Trade, and Use from Antiquity to the Present. SKS Enterprises, Inc., Tucson, AZ, USA, 248 pp. ISBN: 978-0-9725323-4-1

  • Burma's Jade Mines | An Annotated Occidental History

    Burma's Jade Mines • A History

    The history of Burma's jade mines, as seen through Western eyes, from the earliest accounts through World War II.

  • Burma’s Jade Mines | Tracing the Green Line

    Tracing the Green Line • A Journey to Burma’s Jade Mines

    In 1996, several gemologists set off for Burma's remote jade mines, the first visit by foreigners since the early 1960's. This is the story of their epic journey.

  • Burmese Jade | The Inscrutable Gem

    Burmese Jade  |  The Inscrutable Gem

    Myanmar's jadeite mines occupy a privileged place, representing the planet's principal source of fine jadeite jade. This article covers the deposits themselves, along with the cutting, grading and trading of jadeite.

  • From Fei Cui to Jadeite and Back | Questions and Answers

    From Fei Cui to Jadeite and Back • Questions and Answers

    Recent studies show that the gem known throughout the non-Chinese world as "jadeite" jade is actually a rock composed of three major mineral components – jadeite, omphacite and kosmochlor. These components grow in a submicroscopic aggregate with grains so small that normal lab instruments cannot easily determine the true composition. As a result, China's gem trade has adopted the traditional term "fei cui" (pronounced 'fay choy') to cover all the pyroxene jades. Lotus Gemology has done the same starting on 1 July 2023, dropping the names jadeite/omphacite/kosmochlor in favor of the scientifically more correct "fei cui."

  • FTIR in Gem Testing | FTIR Intrigue

    FTIR in Gem Testing • FTIR Intrigue • Lotus Gemology

    The use of Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) in gem identification, with examples of sapphire & jadeite.

  • Gems & Gemology Lectures | Lotus Gemology Bangkok

    Gems & Gemology Lectures

    Lotus Gemology's gemologists have lectured extensively about a wide variety of gemological topics including ruby, sapphire, jade, and more.

  • Guangzhou Jade Market Puzzle | A Chinese Jade Box

    The Chinese Box  |  A Guangzhou Jade Market Puzzle  |  Lotus Gemology

    An investigation into nephrite and imitation nephrite pebbles purchased in Guangzhou, China's Hualin Street jade market.

  • Jade | A Lifetime In Search of Heaven

    The story of Richard Hughes' four-decade adventure with jade, from Burma's jadeite mines to China's classic mutton-fat nephrite deposit at Hetian, Xinjiang Province. The work of China's modern jade carving masters is also discussed.

  • Jade Buying Guide | Jade Auction Records

    Jade Buying Guide • LotusGemology.com

    This article discusses the factors that influence quality and what to look for when buying both jadeite and nephrite. A list of jade auction records is also included.

  • Jade in Upper Burma | Heaven and Hell

    Heaven and Hell • The Quest for Jade in Upper Burma

    An account of the authors' 1997 visit to Burma's jade mines.

  • Lecture | Broken Bangle | Bangkok | 13 September 2024

    Richard Hughes examines the nomenclature of jade, along with the remarkable renaissance in Chinese jade carving that has occured since the 1990s.

    Richard Hughes examines the nomenclature of jade, along with the remarkable renaissance in Chinese jade carving that has occured since the 1990s.

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