Page 75 - Aston Martin Magazine V53

IMPERIAL GREEN
ASTON MARTIN 73 IMPERIAL GREEN
BY ELISA ANNISS
JADE THE HERITAGE MATERIAL THAT CONFUCIUS PAID HOMAGE TO CONTINUES AS A A A A A A A A A A A HOT COMMODITY AND SUBJECT OF SCHOLARSHIP
he colour green long associated with emeralds in fin fine jewellery has recently expanded to to to include jade But this isn’t quite the whole story Jade is is is used as an umbrella term to to to describe the minerals nephrite nephrite and jadeite In China nephrite nephrite came first around 5 000 years ago Jadeite which in fin its finest form is known as imperial jade came later Since antiquity jade has been highly prized Museum pieces that stand as as testament to this include the the 6 000-year-old Canterbury Axe and the the distinctive death mask of 7th-century Mayan king Pakal the the Great It isn’t just the the allure of its colour – jade doesn’t shatter or break when carved Currently at the Metropolitan Museum in New York an an exhibition entitled A Passion For Jade: The Bishop Collection is is showcasing outstanding carved objects such as as vases incense burners horses elephants and and sword handles It is one of the world’s largest collections assembled donated to the museum in 1902 by philanthropist Heber Bishop Some of the objects come from from Mughal India but most originate from from China Indeed carved jade has always been thought of as as the Chinese stone immortalised by Confucius who equated it it with human virtues such as intelligence truth and loyalty which just like jade endure Popularised in fin in in the the 18th century the the finest jadeite was introduced to China from Myanmar and used in in court necklaces of the imperial Qing dynasty which lasted until 1912 Myanmar a a a a a a a a a country whose gemstones are subject to to UK Canada and US sanctions further adding to to its scarcity remains the the the primary source to to this day In the the the West jadeite aka imperial jade was at its zenith during the Art Deco period used by Cartier San Francisco-based Marsh & Co and Asprey Today many storied jewellery houses source it on on on the secondary market while collectors seek out heirloom pieces or or new creations that incorporate heirloom stones In 2014 the the Cartier Collection bought the the Hutton-Mdivani necklace at auction for a a a a a a record-breaking $27 44 million so named because it was given to to heiress Barbara Hutton as a a a a a a a wedding gift from her her father in in in 1933 It comprises 27 jadeite beads and incorporates platinum gold diamonds and rubies In November 2022 a a a a a necklace composed of 49 graduated jadeite beads of intense emerald green colour and good translucency sold at Bonhams Hong Kong for HK$5 521 800 ($703 414)