[Donn Salt]

Hi Janel,
Further to the last words and query posted. last week.
Yep, the Tucson Gem and Mineral event was all and more than I could have imagined. Acquired some amazing jades from California, British Columbia, Siberia, Guatemala, the Yukon and the list goes on. More samples of material than I’ll have time to explore in the next 12 months.
Hardly time to be tourist as there was an exhibition in which I participated at Antiquities Plus. This was in association with the Friends of Jade and their annual meeting and dinner. A gathering of contemporary jade carvers, Jade Art Now, are attracting a small exhibiting collective of international status and for the fourth year running displayed contemporary jade carving and sculpture. The 2009 Tucson Gem and Mineral season will run from 30th Jan. to the 15th Feb. and again JADE ART NOW will be hosted at Antiquities Plus.
My own attendance was bought about by being at the Jade Festival at Jade Cove last Oct. Showed some work there, met a lot of cool folks and also conducted a jade carving workshop in conjunction with Deborah Wilson after the Festival. So successful, this year’s workshop is booked out with another small one being organized up in Canada prior to the Jade Fest.
So will be back in the US in Sept. Oct. and can highly recommend the Jade Festival as a worthwhile event to checkout. Especially for any who may hold an interest in jade.
Attached are images of a Black Jade Dragon carved for the Tucson show. Size 4.25 in x 4 in.
The colors have been manipulated a little to give greater contrast



Magnus, some time ago you asked about finishing with wax. No, no wax used. Read about the Chinese using a hard wax way back in the '70's and have found no reference since. Would love to know more.

Cheers.... Donn

[Debbie]

outstanding! so graceful and powerful.
Thank you for showing it to us.
I have a question for you, do you feelsome sort of power in jade, something you can't explain but, a power, I can't think of another word for it, but it's almost electric!

[Donn Salt]

Debbie, on Mar 4 2008, 07:13 PM, said:

outstanding! so graceful and powerful.
Thank you for showing it to us.
I have a question for you, do you feelsome sort of power in jade, something you can't explain but, a power, I can't think of another word for it, but it's almost electric!

Thanks Debbie,
Yep you're onto it. There IS a subtle energy within the stone. The higher the quality the more the stone feels 'alive'. The term of quality here relates to how well the nephrite is structured.... how tightly felted.... the lenghth of the fiber needles..... etc. and is not relative to color. Nephrite is THE Stone of Heaven, truly the Gift of the Gods.
This in comparison to jadeite, which has a totally different 'feel'.

You have some experience jade..... care to share ?

Donn

[Debbie]

Donn,
Something in jade has called me, this might sound crazy, but I feel something when I handle it, I don't know how to carve it, I don't feel that I have reached the point of being right to carve it. Does that make sense? I wouldn't even know how to carve it if I felt I was ready. I have always treasured the pieces I have and someday hope to carve them. They are small but someday I hope to have the courage to carve them.
In British Columbia they have a large quary of jade, everytime I go through BC I stop there. They have boulders as big as a car there, and in their store every type of jewelry but they don't treat it right, it's like looking at a dog in a dogpound, they just don't respect it, am I making sense?
That is my only experiance with jade, I wish I had more.

[Donn Salt]

Yes Debbie,
I have an appreciation for the attraction you mention. As soon as I saw a very crude attempt at jade forming way back in the mid '60's the inner fires flared and I have pursued the excitment ever since.

I presume you are referring to Kirk Makepiece in BC who is the main jade operator up there. He had three spots at the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show, all very commercial with virtually all carved pieces being produced in China. That seems to be the way of it these days and such mass production cannot capture the TLC of one off pieces. One cannot place a judgement on this. With access to such a mass of raw material original art pieces require more time to carve than could support the expenses required to sustain an operation the size off his. Original works are being produced though and the beginnings of an exhibiting group of contemporary jade sculptors is emerging. The first of which can be seen at www.JadeArtNow.com. So it is with most prized materials..... only a few create extrodinary works as is very much evident by the skills in this forum.

[Donn Salt]

Just had word in as I wrote this that Kirk is no longer mining with his crews and now contracts recovery out to others.
And the Kutcho mine site is owned by another ( copper ) company.

[Debbie]

I had heard of someone taking it over but have not had a chance to get back over to the mine. I am happy someone else has control of the jade now. This summer I will be driving through BC and plan to make a long stop there and see if I am able to buy or trade for some jade. I do feel asw though I must. I have ideas and dreams of what I want to express in jade. My ideas are almost otherworldly and must be expressed in jade. The tools I need I do not have but once I am back in the states I will be able to accuire them. I would want to stay in contact with you to show what I create, you, I beleave, will understand the meaning of what the carvings will depict. I am unable to explain the images.
Debbie

[Donn Salt]

I would be very interested to see what it is you do create Debbie. Your words are intriguing as to your vision. As mentioned above. I may very well be in BC Sept. conducting a small jade carving workshop with Deborah Wilson at her studio in Vernon, BC before going down to the Jade Cove Festival in Oct. Of all places to see jade carving out of the commercial realms this is the one place you would be able to. Both the creative and otherwise.

[magnus homestead]

Hello Don,

Thanks for the wonderful topic here. I am thrilled to become aware of this jade carving association - very impressive work. Don - your work had me blown away by your depth of conciousness expressed the very first time I saw it.

I started carving jade in New Mexico in about 1972. Though I moved into jewelry making as a means of support, I have never lost my intense love of jade and thanks to many events my path has come back to carving jade again.

Debbie - you and Don are right on when you talk about the deep energy of nephrite jade.

I will have to check out this October event and see if we can make it down the coast to connect.

Blessings,
Magnus

[Patrick Hastings]

Hi Donn,
I have never carved jade, but I am an avid Rock Hound and crystal collector that lives in California. I have a handful of California Jade specimens some from the Sierra Nevada mountains and some from the north coast beaches. How do you determine the quality of the "felt"? do you have to work the material?
Thank you,
Patrick

[Donn Salt]

Thanks for the encouraging words Magnus. So..... carving jade again? Would appreciate to see the creations if you would care to show us. When you mention working jade in New Mexico, was this local stone, nephrite - jadeite...? I take it your empathy with nephrite is from hands on experience...?

The Jade Festival is held on Columbus Day, the 1st or 2nd weekend in October. Be great to meet face to face if you can make it.

You're right there Patrick, to recognize the felted structure of a stone is by experience, working with many jades from many sources. A general rule of thumb, from a carving persective is, the more even and smooth the color, the more smooth the surface texture and higher the gloss, natural or cut, ......to eye, are all good indications of potential. The fewer fracture lines the better, as major structure or fine splinter lines. (The fine lines indicate a lossly knit grain, these features usually following a directional flow which reveal the 'grain' of the stone.) Could go on at length, however these are the visual aspects whether looking at any stone, large or small. Even to smaller lenses or veins within a lesser stone.

Jades from theSierra Nevada mountains and 'north coast beaches?' are still unknown to me. However, as I travel around, I am enjoying picking up more and more information and examples from nephrite occurances from all over the world. 'Specially specimens from the US which is coming up with some amazing finds.

[dante lopez]

hi donn ,is very funny because I feel the other way whit nephrite ,to me the one that drive crazy is jadeite ,and yes I do agree in the forse that surround the stone either one ,to me with jadeite it make me vibrate is a forse so strong ,that some times it take me some where else ,I have a question ,I have been invited from antiquities art plus to display my work whit them and I m going ,I'm excited my first event like that ,and to know all the other artist of the jade world is fantastic ,what kind of thing you recommend to take there

[Billy]

Hi Donn.

I'm here in Wellington and mainly carve in bone, but am very keen to get into Poumanu. Is there many conventions in NZ for jade or bone? Do you know of any good jade carvers in the Wellington area?

I love your book by the way. Really enjoy reading about other carvers and their philosophies. And their old stories about getting into carving. Any thoughts on doing another book. I'm an accomplished Art Director who would be more than willing to help....)

Thanks, Billy.

[Donn Salt]

Hi Dante,
Great to hear from you. I was fortunate to handle a couple of your pieces with some enjoyment when in San Francisco last year. And of course have been kept informed via Timeless Jade about the gathering of contemporary jade carvers at the Oct. Jade Cove Jade Festival. Looking forward to meeting you there.

Since this previous posting the few examples of Guatemalan jadeite which have found their way into my hands have proved to be an interesting experience. The structure is totally different to nephrite.... not necessarily better or worse ..... just different! Jadeite with tight knit crystals as compared to the felted needles of nephrite.

Will post up a couple of images of these in the 'New Works' section.

Heya Billy,
The most appropriate person to see in the Wellington area re stone and bone would be Owen Mapp who can also put you in touch with others. Steve Myhre is back in NZ for a few months and is not far from Owen who is also in touch him.
You can contact Owen through his and Hanna's website.
Thanks for the kind words about the book. Yes, another rewrite is in the forming, half way there.

Cheers,
Donn

[Billy]

Thanks for that Donn. I've talked to Owen before about bone, so I'll will follow that up.

Thanks, Billy.