The Green Dream.

By Mark Andrews

Australia & New Zealand Magazine (UK). October 2008

Used by the Maori to create weapons and iconic symbols, jade is enshrined in New Zealand’s culture. Now, sculptors use it to create stunning works of art. Mark Andrews explores its history.

The diamond-tipped drill whirrs as it cuts into the hard green stone. I feel a sympathy pang in my tooth as Gordon Wells, of New Zealand’s Just Jade Experience, cuts a circle from a huge slab of the green precious stone with surgical precision, then watch as he skillfully shapes the piece with his high-speed grinding. Next, with a series of ever-finer grades of sandpaper, he smooths the surface to create a glossy finish: a laborious process taking up to four hours.

When finished, the light seems to glow off each piece – captured within the translucent green stone that is strangely warm to handle, almost as though it’s alive. Even the most sinuous curves and complex symbols appear somehow organic – as though the design was already sitting at the heart of the gemstone – just waiting to be uncovered.

You can read the full article here

Mark Andrews has written about everything from Japanese houses to heli hikes on New Zealand glaciers, test drives of Chinese cars to bar and restaurant reviews. He currently specialises in travel articles and reviews of Chinese cars plus articles about the Chinese auto industry.

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