Jade is an important stone in many cultures throughout Korea, Japan, and China. Jade holds significance and meaning in many applications throughout Korean culture, especially in jewelry and accessories. Incredibly, the use of jade has been used for thousands of years. One of the earliest pieces of jade jewelry found on the Korean peninsula dates all the way back to the Neolithic people. Let's take a look at the history of jade, its uses in jewelry and accessories, and what it means to Korean culture.
What is Jade?
Jade is a stone that is best known for its shades of green, both translucent and opaque, with beautiful variants in colors and designs. It's one of the oldest and most prized gemstones across many cultures. While green is the color most people think of, jade can actually come in shades of whites, lavenders, blues, blacks, reds, grays, and oranges. The jade stone is made up of two different types of minerals: jadeite and nephrite. Jadeite is the most prized of the two.
History of Jade in Korean Culture
Jade carvings in jewelry and figures date back to the neolithic period, with discoveries made along the Nangang river in Korea. Jade was worn by the higher classes in society through jewelry and accessories from the Three Kingdoms period through the Joseon Dynasty, which is considered the golden age of jade. Jade was often carved into Buddhist motifs, cicadas, and good luck talismans.
In Korean culture, jade is believed to bring good fortune, ward off evil spirits, and dispel diseases. It's even been used in medicinal methods that are still in practice today. It's also been said to possess magic powers and mysterious abilities that can bring good health and long life. Jade has been used in many jewelry pieces, crowns, and hair accessories worn exclusively by the royal family and some higher-ranking officials.
Jade ornaments and carvings excavated from tombs of the Three Kingdoms period included symbols and beads attached to crowns, earrings, rings, necklaces, and even incorporated into swords. It highlighted the skills and artistry that went into the jade carvings in that area. Following the Three Kingdoms period, the Joseon Dynasty produced more ornate and intricate jade jewelry and objects such as instruments, wine cups, hairpins, pendants, and more.
Throughout time, Korean people have carried jade objects or worn jade jewelry for the good fortune and health benefits it can provide. Today, jade is still a prominent stone used in many jewelry pieces, architecture, figures, and more, with the same ideals held across the culture thousands of years ago.