Jade Necklace Hand Carved Chain from One Piece of Stone, circa 1935

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About the Item

Nephrite jade has been woven into the weft and weave of Chinese culture for thousands of years. 2,000 years ago, when the Han Dynasty princess Dou Wan died, she was buried in a suit made of nephrite jade. Knives and axes for battle and daily work were made from it and chains were carved from single nephrite boulders; chains that would be attached to horses to pull carts. Nephrite is the toughest gemstone due to its fibrous interlocking mineralogical structure. But it's not merely tough and durable; nephrite is beautiful. Indeed, the original "imperial jade" was nephrite jade, not the jadeite we think of today. This 28" necklace was hand-carved in or around 1935 from one piece of nephrite jade. Each link was carved by hand, prior to China's industrial revolution in the 1950s so these links were painstakingly hand-carved using foot-powered grinding wheels and garnet dust. To create a necklace of such uniform links without cracking or damaging a single one in the process would have taken months if not a year or more of relentless grinding and polishing. Which is why this style of interlocking jade links carved from one piece of stone is also referred to as "devil's work" jade. This is an extremely rare necklace form. More commonly seen are three-link earrings or necklaces composed of two, three or four carved link "stations" that are blended with beads and joined with silk thread. I have not seen a carved necklace of this length in many years. The clasp is a gilt silver affair with a safety catch on the side and centered with a cabochon of aventurine quartz. The links display a beautiful soft polish and great translucency. It's an utterly stunning necklace that looks magnificent under all lighting. There are no cracked or repaired links; this necklace has been highly valued and cared for over the years as it should be: think of how much humanity is in every single link. It's absolutely staggering both because of its beauty as a jewel and because of the unfathomable amount of skill and tedious effort required to create it. What a prize this necklace must have been when it was finally finished and presented to somebody as a gift. Much of the beauty of this necklace is the obvious time it took to create it. The necklace is a physical embodiment of time. It's like giving somebody a year that they can wear around their neck. Nothing in life is more valuable than time, of course. And that's really what this necklace is: time itself. It's really quite priceless when you consider it. How much would you charge to sell one year of your life to somebody else?

Metal:
Silver
Stone:
Jade
Stone Cut:
Bead
Weight:
48 g
Dimensions:
Length: 28 in (711.2 mm)
Style:
Art Deco
Place of Origin:
China
Period:
1930-1939
Date of Manufacture:
circa 1935
Condition:
Excellent condition with no signs of damage or repair.
Seller Location:
Southbury, CT
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU158919314922

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