Broken Bangle — The Blunder-Besmirched History of Jade Nomenclature: Book Review

The Traditional Gemological Definition of Jade

To call jade a complex subject would be a gross understatement. Case in point, imagine my bewilderment when I visited the Shanghai Natural History Museum and found turquoise in a showcase labeled jade! Given the history of jade goes back more than 10,000 years before the advent of modern gemological classification, this should have come as no surprise.

Traditionally, jade has been divided into nephrite or "amphibole jade" and jadeite or "pyroxene jade." The authors propose that gemologists call "pyroxene jade" fei cui rather than jadeite.

What is Fei Cui ?

Fei cui can consist of three closely related pyroxene minerals: jadeite, kosmochlor, and omphacite. As the authors write:

In recent years, it was also discovered that some intense to vivid green fei cui specimens formerly thought to be pure jadeite are, in fact, inter-growths of jadeite, omphacite, and/or kosmochlor.

Hence, there is a need to reconsider jadeite as fei cui.

Broken Bangle Photos

Broken Bangle is resplendent with stunning photos of fei cui, ranging from carved Mayan ornaments over 1,000 years old to exquisite contemporary fei cui sculptures by the Chinese Master Qingfang Zhuang. Whether you are a hardcore gemologist or just a garden-variety jade lover, Broken Bangle — The Blunder-Besmirched History of Jade Nomenclature is the book for you. Buy it, read it yourself, and give it away. I enthusiastically give Broken Bangle two thumbs up!

Broken Bangle — The Blunder-Besmirched History of Jade Nomenclature can be purchased at Lotus Gemology.