Antique Jade Bracelet

Antique Chinese gold bracelet set with natural jadeite jade and diamonds in 22k.

The floral jade slices are carved very fine and respond heartily to light.

It is saturated green and turns a bright hue when light runs over. This is also the deeper green of old jadeite.

The beauty of this bracelet is showing jade in a super petite carved ‘charm’ form. Many antique jade bracelets that are made this delicate are now lost to us.

Much of contemporary deep green jade is set in white gold, due to modern favour. This bracelet has an old world charm with its memorable white-yellow-green color palette.

The high karat gold pushes against the deep green, but nothing is big in this bracelet. The jade flowers are 8mm and the gold links are only 5mm, much thinner than usual.

Like many Straits Chinese bracelets, these dainty bracelets were habitually worn with different others.

This piece in particular, seems to ‘break’ the monopoly of gold when paired with other wrist jewels.

The work of its color palette makes the bracelet an effortless pairing with jewelry, jade or not.

The cluster diamonds are old single cut diamonds, weighing 0.5ctw.

Straits Chinese clasps from early pieces feature a two-part lock mechanism as this. The bracelet chain links are thick but solid, wholly ‘soft’, another sign of older craftsmanship.

It is possible the bracelet dates to the early 1900s, circa 1910s.