Jade eventually lost all its religious significance and became objects of value for anyone who could afford and appreciate it, as decorative art objects and personal jewelries. Significant influences also came from Buddhism and Taoism as both religions flourished in Tang China. Jade items for daily necessities like plates for belt decoration, cups, dishes, and vases started to appear in Tang Dynasty. Absorbing Central Asian influence, jade even though remained as objects of the elites, became integrated into daily life. Jade decorated Han nobilities elaborately in life and at death. As religious significance became less, class distinction and wealth expression became more. During the Shang and Zhou period, jade continued with the religious significance, but gradually became an expression of class distinction and wealth. Such spiritual association established the belief that jade has a mythical power that can protect both spiritually and morally, a belief that lasts till today. It deeply expressed religious beliefs and hence were important items in ritual and burial. During the Neolithic time, the Hongshan and Liangzhu cultures, jade was regarded high in the spiritual realm, a medium between the ancestor kings and the shaman rulers.

Yet in different period, jade also has different styles, forms, and function, distinctly associates with the period culture.

Only jade broke through such period boundary and became the sole representation and symbol of the Chinese culture. Grey limestone Buddha statues, cave murals, and glazed pottery statues associated with the Tang Dynasty, and porcelain during the Ming and Qing Dynasty. The Shang and Zhou Dynasties was bronze, with Han Dynasty lacquer wares and silk. In the Neolithic time, the Hongshan and Liangzhu cultures was jade. Foundations of Chinese Art: From Neolithic pottery to modern Architecture. Throughout the Chinese history, different period has different representation of the period culture. The distinction between nephrite and jadeite is important because they undergo a different chemical weathering pathway when buried and weathering chemical secondary products on the jade surface provides proof of period genuineness. Yet since before the Ming Dynasty nephrite is the only jade, nephrite will be the subject of discussion here. The importance of mutton fat white nephrite as jade was gradually replaced by green jadeite since its importation from Myanmar 250 years ago. Any stone with beauty is referred to as jade, and as nephrite is the one most available in China, has always been referred to as such.

Jade in China has an 8,000-year history since the Neolithic time.

Beast by Mark Carver