A round jade pendant cut as a pierced disc, thick and domed on both faces, in a deep green that lightens and darkens in patches. It hangs by a knot from a plum-coloured braided cord, beneath a small red bead. No metal touches the stone.
In four lines
- A pierced disc of jadeite, thick, domed on both faces.
- A deep green, shaded with lighter patches.
- On a braided cord, beneath a red bead: no metal.
- One of the oldest shapes in Chinese jade.
A deep green that moves with the light
This round jade pendant is an intense, deep green, but not a flat one: looking closely, you see lighter patches, darker ones, and a fine grain that gives the stone life. The polish is bright, and each domed face returns a broad reflection that slides as you move.
Worn over a light outfit or against the skin, this green is seen from a distance. It is a pendant that dresses an open collar on its own.
The Bi, and its wearable version
The disc pierced at its centre is one of the oldest shapes of jade in China: the first Bi discs were cut about five thousand years ago. In its ritual version, the Bi is large and flat, and was rarely worn.
This one is its wearable version: smaller, thicker, domed on both faces, with no edge at all. It slips between the fingers, takes the warmth of the skin, and catches on nothing. It is the shape Chinese jewellers kept for everyday wear.
The knot, the red bead and the cord
The stringing is very simple: the cord passes through the central hole and doubles back on itself in a lark’s head knot, with no glue and no metal. Above it, a small translucent red bead brings out the green by contrast. The braided cord, plum coloured, holds the stone straight.
If you prefer a chain, the disc comes free by undoing the knot, and it threads onto a fine chain whose clasp passes through the hole.
Jadeite, and that particular green
The word jade covers two minerals. Jadeite is the one of vivid greens, which it owes to chromium; its fine grain takes an almost glassy polish. It is hard, 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs scale, and tough. A thick disc with no edge is the shape that makes the most of it. Jadeite or nephrite, what sets them apart.
What to wear it with
Over a white tee shirt, an open shirt or directly on the skin, it stands on its own. The cord gives it a simple air, for every day; a fine chain will dress it up.
It is a pendant with no gender: it suits a man as well as a woman, and it is one of the easiest gifts in the shop, since there is no size to choose. Giving a piece of jade jewellery.
Wearing it, and keeping it beautiful
On a corded pendant, it is the cord that wears out first, long before the stone. Take it off for the shower and the pool: a wet cord takes a long time to dry and wears faster. When it tires, it is easily replaced.
For the stone, warm water, a mild soap, a soft cloth. Never ultrasonic, never steam, never solvent. Store it in its pouch, apart: dust and other jewellery scratch a polish. Care in detail, and hardness and toughness.
