Jadeite from Myanmar
There are only two places in the world where jadeite is mined commercially. One is in Guatemala in Central America where they began carving jadeite thousands of years ago. The other place is in the Kachin Hills in Myanmar. It wasn't until the reign of the Emperor, Qianlong, in the eighteenth century that it was introduced to China. Chinese people quickly fell in love with it because of its vivid colours. Imperial green jadeite is now famous throughout the world. Thousands of tons are imported into China from Myanmar each year where it rivals nephrite as the jade of choice.
An exquisite carving in jadeite by a Chinese master.
Demand for the best jadeite is huge but tons of earth has to be moved to dig it out of the ground. Even then, only a tiny fraction of the stone that is found is of gem quality and only a tiny fraction of that gem quality jadeite is the much sought after imperial green, sweet lavender or ice jade. The land in the Kachin Hills has been scarred by mechanized diggers gouging out the earth in the hunt for the riches it contains.
The human cost is enormous. Thousands have flocked to the mines in the hope of sifting through the earth and finding a fortune in jade. Very few are so lucky. Hundreds have died in mudslides and thousands have succumbed to disease. It's a bitterly hard life and many have sought release through drink and drugs. There is a big problem with heroin addiction among the miners. This has also led to an epidemic in AIDS. Because of this, The Jadefiend Workshop only buys and deals in Guatemalan jadeite.
Jadeite mining in the Kachin Hills
A jadeite miner injecting himself with heroin.