the
present time. Among early man, however, in Europe, Asia, America, and
Africa, the use of jade seems to have been well-nigh universal.
Ornaments and utensils of this stone are found among the remains of
the lake dwellers of Switzerland, the ancient peoples of France,
Mexico, Central America, Greece, Egypt, and Asia Minor. The remarkable
similarity in the material from which these objects are made, as well
as their resemblance in form, has led some authorities to conclude that
they came from a single region, and indicate a migration of people from
one locality and a commerce in this stone. If the evidence to this
effect were sufficiently convincing it would make possible many
deductions regarding the peopling of the globe of which we have as yet
little certain knowledge. Those who oppose the view of the distribution
of jade from a single source declare that the stone was found in each
different country, and was similarly selected at a certain stage in
the development of each people. This view seems to be supported by the
fact that the so-called jade objects of different peoples are not
composed exclusively of the two minerals above mentioned, but include
any stone having about the same physical characters and color. Still,
the two minerals jadeite and nephrite largely predominate. The two are
equally used by the Chinese of the present day, who do not seem to
distinguish between them. Their name for jade is Yu, or Yu-shih
(Yu-stone). In general it has been found that the peoples nearer the
equatorial zone of the earth use more jadeite, and those nearer the
poles more nephrite, but whether this use is anything more than
accidental cannot be said.
The name jade is from the Spanish piedra de hijada, " stone
of the loins," and was given by the Spaniard Monardas in 1565 to the
jade brought from Mexico and Peru because these stones were reputed to
be of value in kidney diseases. For this purpose it was much worn as an
amulet, or taken internally. The name was given the Latin form lapis ncphriticus by
Clutius in 1627, and hence comes the word nephrite. Jade is also called
ax-stone because of the amount of it used in making these objects.
The Aztecs applied the name chalchihuitl to
a greenish stone which they used extensively and prized highly. This in
some instances proves to be jade and in others turquois. It is probable
that much of the so-called emerald of ancient writers and historians,
both of Europe and America, was jade.
