[Jewelry making - Article 01043] - Re: [Orchid] 2500 BC diamonds for polishing

[Gary Bourbonais]

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coralnut wrote:

>         I have never been able to find the specific text(s) that refer
>     to this practice but in discussing the subject with some of my old
>     Chinese friends several have made reference to a
>     'K'ungCh'iehTao....  The Tao means knife but I have never found
>     the characters for K'ungCh'ieh to confirm them. (Note: K'ungCh'ieh
>     may also be a reference to the green color of the Kingfisher bird
>     to describe some of the finest jades.  At times it was used in
>     place of 'Yu' the common character for jade.  Thus they may have
>     been referring to a 'jade cutting knife or implement'!) 
> 

Hi Don....List....

    Until the mid 1700's, jade in China was essentially nephrite
    jade..... Then came the influx of jadeite from Burma (Myanmar).... 

    Because of it's toughness...jade was used as a source material for
    tools and weapons..... Nephrite was at one time known as "axe stone",
    among other names.... 

    So... 
    Could indeed be cutting knife or implement.... 

    And I've seen that kingfisher reference also somewheres...the
    Lovejoy antique/murder/mystery novels....? 

Gary W. Bourbonais
A.J.P. (GIA)

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