Human Civilizations: Diversity in the World

Diversity within this world is what makes every one of us unique in our own way. The different cultures of the world are the principle of various human civilizations, which we have come to recognize and accept on a global level. As one of the largest countries in the world and one of the four ancient civilizations, China bears many cultural traditions and scientific developments that are extremely imperative and influential. Many aspects of the Chinese’s rich and profound culture could be traced back many centuries ago through its written history (China Highlights, 1998).

Geographically, a green gemstone called jade is found in Burma, Central America, Brazil, Canada and India. Although prized by many other civilizations, no other culture can resemble China’s appreciation for jade and the intricacy upon its jewelry and other objects (Cultural China, 2014). The usage of Jade dates back to almost nine thousand years ago around the 1700s when Chinese civilization was first established (Jackson, 2013). According to Minerals.net, there are two different forms of Jade made from two different minerals known as Jadeite and Nephrite. Jade is extensively recognized for its vibrant green color, but there are many varieties of other colors as well. Some of these colors include purple, red, orange, and blue. In some cases, jade could possibly be multicolored (Minerals.net, 2014). Traditional jade made from nephrite, also known as “Yu” in Chinese, was defined as beautiful stones by Xu Shen in the first Chinese dictionary according to an article written by Jun Shan. Since China only had soft jade until jadeite was imported from Burma during the Qing dynasty (1271-1368), the Chinese traditionally refers to the soft jade as “traditional jade”. ...

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...erves as an example of what qualities an “ideal” person should have in life (Tee, 2009).Therefore, the gemstone’s purpose is to deliver a message to the Chinese people through the 11 virtues that it holds. Superstitions of the jade such as longevity in life, bringing good luck and protecting against bad luck, and replenishing a soul will be passed on from generations to generations. As an independent invention, jade is globally useful and popular all over the world but valued for different reasons. Unlike many other countries that found jade an important aspect of their lives, the Chinese viewed jade as something much more than a stone, mineral, a jewel, or even a tool. They have incorporated meaningful morals and significance within a vibrant green stone. As the Chinese saying goes: “Gold has a value, jade is invaluable.” (Shan, 2014)