Andrew Shaw – Jade Carver
It takes great patience to carve jade – even with modern tools. Nephrite and Jadeite are two of the toughest natural materials in the world. Each carving is a labour of love and a testament to the skill and patience needed to craft each piece.
In the workshop.
Short films, tips and hints on jade carving.
Cobra Pendant. A fine example of seeing the design inside the stone.
A carving of an oyster in its shell, using a high quality piece of ‘Xinhua’ jade - which is the name given to layered blackand white nephrite
Gem quality jade is such a valuable commodity that material is never wasted. After a bangle has been carved from a sheet of jade, and after the core has been fashioned into pendants, then the bits inbetween are often fashioned into things of beauty.
Jade necklaces are very popular in China. They beads of jade come in various sizes. Nearly all beading is done by machine. Once they have been sized and shaped they then need polishing. This workshop does nothing but polish beads. They polish thousands every day.
A marvellous example of getting the maximum number of high quality white jade bangles from a single cobble of jade (10). While also having a great deal of jade left over to make pendants and beads.
A good example of how to use the rind of the jade to carve a rabbit pendant. Rabbit pendants were all the rage in 2023 which was the last Year of the Rabbit in the Chinese zodiac.
A monkey clinging to bamboo, using the brown skin of the jade and the white stone to great effect
A very good example of using the distinctive orange rind of Siberian jade to incorporate it into the carving
Carving is not always necessary. Sometimes, a pebble of jade is so beautiful it doesn’t need to be altered. I sometimes get a request for such a stone to be wrapped in gold or silver. This is the customer’s choice. Personally, if a pebble looks too good to carve it doesn’t need any adornment. It just needs stringing so that it can be worn as a pendant. Tips on stringing can be found in the next section.
Bangle carving is done on an industrial scale in China. Once they have been carved, they need sanding and polishing. This woman’s job is to sit at her work station every day and sand bangles. It’s a tough job.
This is a great little film of a peanut in its shell being carved. For jade artists it clearly shows the design process and tools needed. The son of the dragon resting on it is a bonus. Peanuts are a popular carving. They hold a symbolic meaning in Chinese culture related to prosperity, abundance, and good luck
Stringing techniques
Once a jade pendant, necklace or bracelet has been carved, sanded and polished, it needs stringing. It tends to be men who carve the jade. Women focus on sanding, polishing and stringing. Here are some short films showing some basic techniques on how to string jade.
Various techniques at double speed. A great introduction to basic stringing
Bead Stringing Two
Bead Stringing Four
Adding a Pendant to a Bead Necklace Two
A simple technique for making an adjustable cord
Different knotting techniques
Stringing a Butterfly pendant
How to thread cord through tiny holes
Bead Stringing One
Bead Stringing Three
Adding a Pendant to a Bead Necklace One
Stringing a jade bead bracelet with elasticated cord so that it can fit different size wrists
A simple knot for an ankle bracelet
Tidying up the stringing of a pendant with the final knot
Stringing a Dragon and Phoenix pendant
A more complicated way of making a jade bracelet but very elegant. More commonly used with pearls but it works equally well with jade beads.