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Six Carats of Gorgeous, Genuine, Antique Handcrafted Semi-Precious Burmese Jade Gemstones on 14kt Gold Fill French Hooks.

CLASSIFICATION: Four High Quality (Jadeite) Jade Round/Spherical Gemstones, total gemstone weight approximately six carats. Contemporary high quality 14kt gold fill french hooks.

ATTRIBUTION: 19th Century Burma.

APPROXIMATE SIZE/DIMENSIONS (EACH GEMSTONE):

Approximate Diameter: 5-6 millimeters.

Approximate Weight: 1 – 1¾ carats.

Contemporary 14kt gold fill french hooks.

DETAIL: Jade was extremely valuable in ancient China, there are records of an entire city being traded for a carved ornamental jade piece. Jade jewelry can be found in the tombs of Ancient China's emperors dating back to the 4th millennium B.C. Here's a set of four beautiful antique Burmese Jade semi-precious gemstones mounted onto contemporary 14kt gold filled french hooks. These particular specimens were hand crafted (shaped, drilled and polished) by a 19th century Russian artisan for use in high-end domestic jewelry. Though Russian jade is mined in Siberia, the highest quality Victorian and Renaissance jewelry was fashioned of imported jadeite from Burma (present day Myanmar). These gorgeous, translucent semi-precious gemstones originated from some of the world's finest Burmese fancy (multi-colored) jadeite deposits. These gorgeous jade gemstones have been mounted onto contemporary 14kt gold fill french hooks. These are not cheap gold electroplate earrings, they are high quality 14kt gold fill. Upon request the gemstones could also be remounted onto kidney wires, lever backs, euroclicks, or ball studs if you would prefer; or remounted onto sterling silver. It's a first-class piece of jewelry throughout, designed to provide a lifetime of wearing enjoyment.

Gorgeous, vibrant, richly colored fancy (green, yellow, orange, and white) jadeite such as this is highly prized, and can be quite costly. Though the general impression is that jadeite is green, fancy colored jadeite also is found in white, yellow, orange, and red as well. Upon close examination of the gemstones it becomes obvious that they have been hand shaped and hand finished. The slight irregularities which are the hallmark of handcrafted gemstones are generally regarded as appealing to most gemstone collectors, and is not considered detrimental. Unlike today’s computer controlled machine finished gemstones, the cut and finish of gemstones such as these is the legacy of an artisan who lived two centuries ago. Such antique hand-crafted gemstones possess much greater character and appeal than today's mass-produced machine-produced gemstones.

HISTORY: The highest quality and rarest form of jade is known as “jadeite”, and is found almost exclusively in Burma (as was this gemstone), Tibet and southern China. Nephrite, the more common and less valuable form of jade is found in many parts of the world from California to Siberia. Jade was used in ancient times for weapons, utensils, and ornaments, and has always been especially valued by the Chinese and Japanese as the most precious of all stones. Many beautiful hand carved jade vases, bowls, tablets, and statues produced in ancient China now reside in museums world wide. Records of the use of jade in China in the production of jewelry goes back 5,000 years, and can be found in emperors' tombs dating back to the 4th millennium B.C. Jade was extremely valuable in ancient China, there are records of an entire city being traded for a carved ornamental jade piece. Throughout the Orient jade was believed to help one access the spiritual world. The less valuable form of jade was widely used by primitive peoples as tools and weapons in the Neolithic, especially in Europe, Mexico, Asia, New Zealand, and North Africa (including ancient Egypt).

You might guess I travel extensively for a living. My profession is a purchasing agent for antique gemstones, which generally come from Russia, India, Ceylon, and Siam. I grew up in the Southern Urals of Russia, just miles away from some of the greatest gemstone producing regions in the world’s history. Alexandrite, diamond, emerald, sapphire, chrysoberyl, topaz, demantoid garnet, and many other rare and precious gemstones are produced from the mountains within mere minutes or a few hours from the city I once called home. My interest in the fabulous history of Russian gemstones and the fabulous jewelry of the Czar’s led to further education and contacts in India, Ceylon, and Siam, other ancient centers of gemstone production and finishing. Though perhaps difficult to find in the USA, antique gemstones are commonly unmounted from old, broken settings – the gold reused – the gemstones recut and reset.

Before this happens, before these gorgeous antique gemstones are recut, I try to acquire the best of them in their original, antique, hand-finished state – most of them centuries old. I believe that the work created by these long-gone master artisans is worth protecting and preserving rather than destroying this heritage of antique gemstones by recutting the original work out of existence. That by preserving their work, in a sense, we are preserving their lives and the legacy they left for modern times. Far better to appreciate their craft than to destroy it with modern cutting. Not everyone agrees – fully 95% or more of the antique gemstones which come into these marketplaces are recut, and the heritage of the past lost. But if you agree with me that the past is worth protecting, and that past lives and the produce of those lives still matters today, consider buying an antique, hand cut, natural gemstone rather than one of the mass-produced machine cut (often synthetic or “lab produced”) gemstones which dominate the market today.

In my travels back and forth between the USA, Asia, and Eastern Europe I also tend to accumulate a lot of books, CD’s, and audio recordings. So I oftentimes have lightly used CD’s, once-read books, audio recordings, and even some antique books I buy in Europe for sale as well. And occasionally I will find such a good buy on contemporary jewelry for my clients that I will purchase a few extra pieces to offer on eBay. These are always offered clearly labeled as contemporary, and not antiques – just to avoid confusion. I also end up with boatloads of jewelry and gemstone samples which were not fully distributed to the retailers I purchase on behalf of. Some really great pieces, including antiques, pearls, as well as some pieces of antique Russian jewelry.

I have always been fascinated with jewelry and gemstones. Bangkok, Taipei, Hong Kong, Moscow, and Bombay are great places to find incredible deals on both gemstones and jewelry, and over the years I have made many friends within the trade in these five cities. So you can look for a steady flow of little treasures I discover in my travels, and I will be happy to share with you the best deals I can find through my industry acquaintances in these far-off Asian lands. Though I spend a good part of each year in Europe and Asia, most of the year I am here in the United States, and that's where all of my little treasures are. So you can count on quick shipping and careful packaging. And if I am not home - I have someone who does it for me!

Domestic shipping is $3.99 for first class mail or $6.99 for Priority Mail. Domestic rates include USPS Delivery Confirmation (you might be able to update the status of your shipment on-line at the USPS Web Site). Canadian shipments are $3.99 for Air Mail; International shipments are $4.99 for Air Mail (and generally are NOT tracked; trackable shipments are EXTRA). I can add most other items I sell to the shipment for only $0.99 each. Your purchase will ordinarily be shipped within 48 hours of payment. We package as well as anyone in the business, with lots of protective padding and containers. Insurance is available for both domestic and international shipments ($2 for domestic shipments; $3 for international shipments; ONLY required when PayPal is used – you may deduct this amount if you prefer an uninsured shipment AND you pay by check or money order). We do NOT recommend uninsured shipments, and expressly disclaim any responsibility for the loss of an uninsured shipment. Unfortunately the contents of parcels are easily “lost” or misdelivered by postal employees – even in the USA.

If you intend to pay via PayPal, please be aware that PayPal Protection Policies REQUIRE insured, trackable shipments. If you do NOT want an insured shipment, send us a check or money order and deduct the invoiced insurance premium. We do offer U.S. Postal Service Priority Mail, Registered Mail, and Express Mail for both international and domestic shipments, as well United Parcel Service (UPS) and Federal Express (Fed-Ex). Please ask for a rate quotation. I prefer your personal check or money order over any other form of payment – and I will ship immediately upon receipt of your check (no “holds”). If upon receipt of the item you are disappointed for any reason whatever, I offer a no questions asked return policy. Send it back, I will give you a complete refund of the purchase price. We do offer a certificate of authenticity (COA) upon request for all of our items. There is a $2 fee for mailing under separate cover. Please see our "ADDITIONAL TERMS OF SALE."