I guess it’s inevitable when folks get old. My mum called my sister and I to her bedroom and pulled out some of her treasured belongings, wanting to distribute them to us.
It was a bitter-sweet moment as she sorted through jewellery familiar to us from childhood, and through various other bits and pieces such as watches and brooches.
One of the gemstones uniquely dear to people of Chinese heritage is jade. I’m very fond of it myself as I like the various colours it comes in, how cold and smooth it feels against the skin and the cultural heritage of it. It’s been a beloved stone in Chinese civilisation since B.C. times. It is believed that the stone has protective properties and the colour will clarify and deepen with continued wear. I wear a lavender bangle on my wrist constantly.
The price of jade can vary greatly. The choice of piece that appeals to you is also incredibly subjective. It’s not easy to measure the quality of it with objective classification criteria like diamonds. Lots of people prize the type called Imperial Burmese jade which is an apple green, but there are also plenty of people who value nephrite jade, which has a completely different colour spectrum. I personally like jade with interesting markings, for example, of the type known as “moss in snow” - basically white with green colour patches.
I was very happy to be gifted a ring from my mother today. It is something I have always wanted.
She gifted me with a beautiful jade bracelet, pre-COVID, which was her 21st birthday present from her father. I told her I’ve wanted it ever since I was a child. Now I am so honoured and happy that she has given it to me.
My mum was given this stone by her aunt, and she got it set in her home town in East Malaysia.
