a beautiful cobble of white jade from Hetian

In China, Confucius raved about jade, the ancient Olmecs of Central America treasured it far more than gold. Maori in New Zealand were so fond of it they killed and ate ten British sailors who tried to steal some of it. In more recent times, spoiled heiresses with more money than sense and hard nosed businessmen who should have known better squandered fortunes collecting it. If you want to know about the pirates who poisoned a man to get hold of it or how many slaves the Inuit would swap for a piece of it, then this is the book for you.

A perfectly preserved jade dagger carved more than three thousand years ago

A new jade discovery

Chinese prisons offering lessons in jade carving

A coffee table and sofa made from jade

Apple green Wyoming slick. Private collection