water
are supplied on the jadeite pieces, that are being cut. Then comes the
shaping and polishing. The jade pieces are mounted on bamboo sticks by
means of sealing wax, and are ground with great skill in abrasive
tablets of different grades. The cut pieces are polished on slabs of
very fine textured stones, brass, leather, etc. Final polishing is done
on dry bamboo with water, and finally boiled for 15 minutes in a
solution of soda, lime and water. After this treatment, it is cleaned
with cloth and is ready for sale. The boring of holes for bangles and
making of jade bangles demand great skill and is mostly done in China.
A little work is done at Mandalay as well. The carving on jade also
requires great skill and care. Jade cutting and carving form a great
industry in China, the important centres being Canton, Shanghai and
Peking as also Teng Yueh in Yunnan.
Jadeite trade
Jadeite
is valued at the mines, and the owner has to pay a commission of 5% to
the valuation committee in the jade mines, though the valuation in the
mines is kept too low. If the stone is valued at Rs.100 or more, the
owner has to pay the coolies half the value of the stone after paying
10% to the Diwa in whose jurisdiction the stone is found. In sales and
valuation, prices are not mentioned openly, but a conventional system
of finger pressure .under a cloth is followed as is the case in the
Ruby Mines area. The stone is taken to Mogaung where 33% of the value
has to be paid to the government licensee. But there is a lot of
underhand dealing in all these transactions.
Boulders
of jadeite are shipped from Rangoon to Hong Kong, Canton, etc. There is
also extensive smuggling across the border besides the normal trade.
About 25% of the jadeite is consumed in Burma, and the remaining 75% in
China and Japan, whence a small quantity goes to Europe and America.
The Chinese
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