The World Jewellery Confederation – CIBJO just released its first CIBJO JADE GUIDE, a comprehensive document discussing terminology, technical information, and sources of the gem materials known in the West as “jades”.
To illustrate this, I’ve selected what is considered among the best jadeite jade jewels ever reported: The Hutton-Mdivani necklace, featuring 27 graduated drilled beads of fine-quality emerald-green translucent pyroxene jade (known in the trade as “imperial jade”), ranging from 15.4 mm to 19.2 mm, with a ruby and diamond clasp signed by Cartier dated 1933.
Known in China as Fei cui (翡翠), not jadeite jade, this granular to fibrous polycrystalline aggregate, composed solely or principally of the minerals jadeite, omphacite and kosmochlor was introduced in the Chinese market by the mid-18th century after the peace treaty between China and Burma during the Qianlong period of the Qing dynasty.
The necklace, gathering a considerable number of matching beads of the highest quality, was a gift to American heiress Barbara Hutton on the occasion of her wedding to Georgian prince Alexis Mdivani in the 1930s, hence the name.
Given its unique high calibre, it is believed that the necklace previously belonged to a distinguished member of the Chinese imperial court of the Qing dynasty.
It was sold at auction in 1988 for US$2 million, in 1994 for US$4.4 million and in 2014 at Sotheby’s Hong Kong for US$27.4 million to the Cartier Museum Collection.
Photos © Sotheby’s
Guest articles by Rui Galopim de Carvalho:
https://gem-spectrum.com/category/rui-galopim-de-carvalho
About the author:
Rui Galopim de Carvalho is a renowned independent Gem Education Consultant, author, luxury industry training expert and popular international lecturer on gemmology and on the history of gem materials. During his 30 year experience as a gemmologist, Rui has studied important collections in both public and private museums, notably the Portuguese Crown Jewels.
Founder of the popular Home Gemmology webinar series launched during the COVID-19 lockdown, Rui has a long history as a gemmology communicator, notably on social media where he is a popular figure.
Rui Galopim de Carvalho can be reached through his website:
