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Jade Elegance

Taiwanese brand JADEGIA rejuvenates the treasured jade stone with sublime beauty

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More than a precious gemstone, jade has been a symbol of integrity, prosperity, and divine grace in Chinese culture for thousands of years. Its smooth cool surface and ever-changing hues evoke tranquillity and inner peace, inspiring profound reflections on the mysterious connection between nature and the cosmos.

Throughout its eventful history, jade has become the epitome of perfection through the finely crafted jewellery and sculptures that have paid homage to the stone’s timeless qualities. Its refined luminosity and the meticulous artistry required to carve it have been honed by skilled artisans over centuries. Today, JADEGIA, a brand passed down through three generations in Taiwan, has succeeded in infusing this ancient gemstone with a fresh vibrancy.

Hank Cheng, the brand’s CEO, has been immersed in the jade business since the 1980s when he took a leadership role in his family’s company. However, it was Cheng’s early exposure to jade jewellery, sculpture, and antiques that fostered his deep appreciation for the stone’s ever-changing colours, sophisticated texture, and innate brilliance. To him, jade embodies the exquisite beauty and virtue of Eastern culture.

A complex carving process

Driven by this passion, Cheng has collaborated with master jade carvers to craft a collection of stunning jade figurines that harmoniously blend time-honoured techniques with a contemporary artistic vision.

“Jade is a complex gemstone, characterized by an opaque texture and uneven colouration. These natural characteristics present challenges for the carving process but also offer opportunities to create exceptional masterpieces. The uneven distribution of colours and gradients ensures that each piece is distinctively unique,” Cheng says.

JADEGIA’s artisans take the distinct properties of jade into careful consideration. “Before carving begins, artisans must meticulously observe and contemplate the stone’s colours and textures to determine the best approach to showcase its innate qualities in an aesthetically appealing manner. With tremendous patience and expertise, master artisans work to transform raw jade into exquisite works of art that celebrate the stone’s natural intricacies and enduring allure,” Cheng says.

In ancient China, the intricate process of carving and polishing jade was metaphorically linked to the process of self-improvement. The poem “Qi Ao” from The Classic of Poetry, which dates back 3000 years, compares the efforts of a graceful and accomplished prince to refine his character to that of an artist who carefully carves and polishes a jade stone.

That is because the intricate and delicate process of jade carving tests the artisans’ creativity, perseverance, and spiritual depth. “The colour of jade can be unpredictable. Sometimes, despite a planned design, different hues emerge unexpectedly during the carving process,” Cheng says.

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In the piece Majesty, the jade’s natural layers of green, white, and black are skillfully transformed into a harmonious scene of rocks, grass, and magpies. The bird’s eyes, in particular, are strikingly black and bright, exuding a sense of liveliness.

Take the sculpture Majesty as an example. Within a single piece of stone, there are layers of white, green, and black. JADEGIA’s master artisans skillfully used these variations to sculpt elements such as rocks, foliage, and magpies in a tribute to the beauty of nature.

Order the Magnifissance print edition to read the full story.

This story is from Magnifissance Issue 126

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