NINE DRAGONS

JADE IS HIGHLY VALUED type, and then we decided by East Asians, for whom it to make three pens, which represents beauty, nobility, were pre-sold. After that, perfection, constancy, three more sold. Six is not power and immortality. The really a good number, so Chinese character for jade we thought about doing (pronounced “yu” in seven. When people told Mandarin Chinese) is very me to do eight, then I similar to the character sig- thought I should do ten nifying king; it is an image pens. There will be ten in of a king with a stone in all, and only two are still his pocket, because jade is available. Eight have sold.” revered as a royal stone. Not bad considering that When Patrick Chu, designer each sells for a quarter and founder of the million dollars. Loiminchay pen brand, “The prototype took the decided to make the ulti- longest because I submit- mate pen, jade was the ted the drawings to the only material he consid- jade sculptors—a select ered. His newest creation group of skilled artists— is the Nine Dragons. who then sculpted the “All Chinese emperors three prototypes with a called themselves dragons, much cheaper grade of and the highest dragon is jade. That took about one the nine dragons, because and a half years,” Chu con- nine is the imperial num- tinues. “We then assem- ber,” he explains. “I don’t bled everything in France.” look at Nine Dragons as a From start to finish, pen; I look at it as an objet concept to final product, d’art. It is for people who the Nine Dragons project love both antiques and took Chu about seven jade. We made one proto- years. “From the time the

Written by Keith W. Strandberg; photography by Pen World.

84 The Loiminchay Nine Dragons and its black lacquer pen rest. The pen sells for $250,000.

jade carvers get the jade in heard he wanted to make a their hands, it takes about pen. They usually want to two months for each pen,” turn high-quality jade into Chu details. “The jade is the greatest number of expensive, so they can’t products possible: earrings, afford to make a mistake. rings, bracelets, pendants, If they don’t feel like work- etc.; they don’t want to ing, they don’t work.” find a great piece of jade Jade has grains and and have it monopolized in textures that aren’t the manufacture of a few revealed until the pen is fine pens. sculpted, so sometimes the It’s important that the artists modified the shape jade for all parts of the pen of Chu’s design to follow matches. That means a the structure of the jade. huge amount of jade has Chu says, “If one of the to be earmarked for each dragons is planned to be pen. “The finished pen is horizontal and as they cut 8.25 inches long, so the and carve they think verti- uncarved jade has to be at cal would be better least 9 inches long, and because of the grain of the that’s really a lot of jade,” stone, they inform me, and Chu admits. “The jade I usually agree.” sculptors, engravers and The biggest challenge agents can make a lot in the entire process was more money by selling the finding the jade. Because stone for rings and jewelry. of the Nine Dragons’ physi- They also didn’t want to cal size, it was nearly sell to us because such a impossible to find large big pen was a new chal- enough pieces of jade of lenge, and no one really the quality Chu insists on. knew if it could be done.” As Chu recounts, most jade The search was ulti- brokers didn’t even want to mately successful. “I had talk with him when they been searching for the jade

85 for these pens for five gambling as much.” years,” Chu continues. “I The Nine Dragons pen finally found an excellent is a remarkable achieve- agent who was able to find ment and a project of a block of jade in 2003.” which Chu is justifiably The Burmese jade for the proud. “I tried to keep an Nine Dragons pen came easygoing attitude about from Myanmar’s Jade my Nine Dragons pen Mountain. No one knows through all the trials and the worth of any single tribulations,” he says. “A stone until it is cut open, pen like this has never so buyers often bid “blind” been made before, so it is on the raw jade, which can a serious pen, but the peo- be boulder-sized with a ple who will own it should rough brownish exterior. have fun as well.” Chu paid a premium to Next up for Chu is a have a corner of the stone porcelain pen, although cut off, so he could have a that is down the road a clue as to what kind of bit. After so many years jade was inside. “There is a focusing on the Nine tremendous amount of Dragons, he’s earned a bit competition at these mar- of a respite. kets,” Chu explains. “It’s Telephone 917.553.6275 like a gamble. I paid more or 212.941.7488 or visit to make sure I wasn’t online, loiminchay.com.

Guangzhou is an important but mysterious center of the jade trade.

The crown of the pen is carved in a representation of a dragon’s head; China’s Great Wall.

86 THE CHINESE JADE MARKET

NO ONE KNOWS BETTER One wrong move and the than jade traders the chal- piece, the precious jade, lenges of buying and sell- will be ruined. ing jade. It is nearly “There is almost a impossible to determine mythical quality to jade,” the quality of an uncut says Patrick Chu of block of jade, and uncut is Loiminchay. “You look at it exactly how the jade in the light, hold the jade arrives at auction. Buyers in your hand to feel the travel to the Guangzhou warmth, and determine if (Canton) countryside, you want to own that jade, where the jade auctions emotionally. People who are held, to bid blindly on know jade consider the the uncut stones, hoping to grain and the texture, the acquire quality jade. The softness and the hardness competition at these auc- of the jade. Green jade is a

from left—The unfinished surface of a piece of black jade; view of a temple; Hong Kong street scene. Traditional Chinese architecture often includes elaborate carvings.

tions is intense, and out- hard jade, while white jade siders are not allowed to is softer; purple is in participate in, or even between. The hardness view, the proceedings. alone, however, doesn’t tell Once the jade is pur- you whether it is a good MUST-SEE SITES FOR JADE LOVERS chased, the block is trans- piece of jade.” The Jade Buddha Temple in The Jade Market in Hong ported to the jade cutters Some of the best Shanghai, where tourists can Kong, at the end of Temple and sculptors who will sights to see in China have view an exquisite reclining Street. The Jade Market is transform it into finished a direct link to jade. Buddha and a sitting Buddha open only in the mornings, so pieces of jewelry or art Though tourists cannot go made entirely of white jade. get there early for the best selection. objects. These artisans to the jade market in The Beijing Palace Museum, typically live and work in Guangzhou where Chu where many of the world’s The National Palace small villages. Some spe- bought his raw jade, there finest jade pieces are on dis- Museum in Taipei, Taiwan, cialize in Buddhas, others are several markets where play in the different halls and is by far the best place to see in dragons. Although the finished jade pieces can be buildings. extraordinary jade pieces relat- ing to China’s long history. Art jade trade is very much a found. Although these The Old Town in Shanghai, treasures removed by the business, these artisans markets—in Shanghai, where walking through the Nationalist government to are definitely old school— Hong Kong and Taipei—are jade market takes visitors back Taiwan in 1949 are now in this they work when they feel a lot of fun to visit, they in time. museum’s collection. like it and determine the don’t necessarily offer the pace of a project independ- highest quality of jade. To ently of what clients may find the best jade, shop expect. Carving jade is del- jewelry stores or any of icate work that requires China’s state-operated great skill and patience. department stores.

87 THE COLORS OF JADE

Of the two gemstones that are considered jade, jadeite is considered to be the more valuable one. It is more translucent than nephrite and is usually a light green, while nephrite is dark green with little or no translucence. True jadeite cannot be scratched with a steel object. Color is what determines the value of jade more than anything else. White jade is the purest; the other colors of jade are created through impurities in either the aluminum and sodium that make up jadeite or the calcium, magnesium and iron that make up nephrite. Found in nature, the rock surface belies its interior and is usually a neutral shade of gray when it is found. m

u The light and dark shades of e

s green are the most well-known u

M and sold, but jade can also be t r found in orange, yellow, red, A

n black, brown and blue. The other a i

s colors, while less common, can A be just as valuable and attractive as the two shades of green.

JADE ACCORDING TO CONFUCIUS

One of the most renowned struck, it gives a clear note, Chinese scholars was long, drawn out, dying gradual- Confucius, who lived from 551 ly away and suggesting music; to 479 BC. During a discussion its flaws do not hide its excel- about jade, a disciple asked lences, nor do its excellences Confucius, “Why do men value hide its flaws, suggesting loyal- jade much more highly than ty; it gains our confidence, serpentine? Is it because jade suggesting truth; its spirituality is scarce and serpentine is is like the bright rainbow, sug- abundant?” “It is not,” replied gesting the heavens above; its Confucius. “It is because men energy is manifested in hill and of olden days regarded it as a stream, suggesting the earth symbol of the virtues. Its gen- below; as articles of regalia it tle, smooth, glossy appearance suggests the exemplification of suggests charity of heart; its that of which there is nothing fine, close texture and hard- in the world of equal value, ness suggests wisdom; it is and thereby is Tao itself.” firm and yet does not wound, suggesting duty to one’s neigh- Source: Gary N. Davis, The U bor; it hangs down as though Lian Collection, Kuala Lumpur, sinking, suggesting ceremony; Malaysia.

88 JADED? There is a wealth of color and composition to explore in jade.

EVEN THOUGH IT IS OFTEN ASSOCIATED with the Far East, jade has long held a sacred place in civilizations around the world. Spanish conquistadors observed Central American natives grinding jade into a powder that they used to treat kidney problems and gave it the name piedra de ijada (loin stone), from which the word jade derived. In addition to Myanmar m

(Burma), Japan and China, Central and South u e s

America and Canada are also sources for jade. u M

Two US states, Alaska and Wyoming, have e c a l

named jade as their state gemstone. a P l

Jade comes in many different colors, a n o including white (the highest quality with the i t a

fewest impurities), green (which signifies N e prosperity), blue, red, purple, yellow, brown h t f and black. Nephrite and jadeite are the min- o n o

erals commonly known as jade, and no two i t c e

stones have exactly the same makeup. The l l o

material is extremely difficult to cut, with C white jade being the softest and green jade being the hardest. To the Chinese, it is a tra- ditional material, its first use dating to around 5000 BC. Because jade is thought to have protective qualities, children are given jade at birth, and most babies wear jade somewhere opposite and this page—A “hidden meanings” talisman in white jade; on their bodies. The Chinese and Mayan cul- a Central American piece in black tures also often bury the dead with a piece of jade; bok choy carving of mixed jade for luck. color; red and green jade necklace; Bowenite, also known as serpentine or the carved jade clip of Loiminchay’s Hunan jade, is similar in appearance to jade, Mandarin Supreme fountain pen. but is much softer; unlike jade, it can be scratched with a sharp knife.

Written by Sarah Mertins. Photos courtesy of the National Palace Museum in Taipei, Taiwan, and the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco; additional photography by Carole Wilmot.

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