A Noble Man Has the Same Characteristics as Jade
 
The Chinese and the modern western science view jade differently. In western mineralogy and petrology, rocks and minerals are studied based on physics and chemistry. Scientists research their ingredients and how they were formed. They are classified and appraised based on their investigations. However, the ancient Chinese studied rocks and minerals with a connection with the realm of thoughts.
 
There is an ancient Chinese phrase: "A noble man never leaves his jade behind without a reason". Confucius told us, "A noble man has the same characteristics as jade." The purpose of wearing jade is to constantly remind oneself to keep the moral values and traits like a jade's. Confucianism believes a noble man should show respectful and submissive behavior but be tenacious in his heart. A noble man should show great tolerance to others but be strict with himself; a noble man should not show off his excellence but instead keep it within himself. Jade's characteristics are very similar to a noble man's. So, Chinese use and wear jade for moral and spiritual reasons.
 
Chinese classify jade based on its softness, density, and tenacity, not its ingredients. The color is also critical. Only jade with monochromatic colors is classified as high grade. A noble man with a righteous mind is the essence of Chinese moral values and what Chinese people pursue to become. Those with various colors will be ignored. Only the jade with a pure color will be selected and further used. The jade with pure white color like suet is believed to be very special and the best of the best. The jade from the Hetian area of the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region is soft, dense, tenacious, and white in color. Chinese Emperors favored this kind the most. "A noble man compares his morality with his jade's traits." This saying not only shows that jade is spiritually high-end, but it also says that a noble man and jade are similar as well.
 
In ancient times, jade was not collected for value appreciation in the way modern people do. The ancient Chinese believed in the existence of Gods. Gods protected people, and people, in turn, conducted themselves according to moral standards set forth by Gods in order to lead a better life. To thank the Gods for offering them a good life, people started to hold memorial services. From then on, people started to use jade to show respect to Gods, heaven, and earth.
 
Why did people choose jade? It was because of its special characteristics. It is solid, compact and impossible to erode. Even when it is covered with dirt, its characteristics do not change. After hard scrubbing, it reveals its true self.
 
There were a lot of strict rules on how to use jade in ancient China. The emperor, ministers and officials all used jade differently. Wearing jade was not for the purpose of showing off wealth, but to remind oneself to watch their mind and behavior. Of course, along with the jade being widely used, a carving technique was applied to the jade. However, that was not so mainstream. It was inappropriate if people paid too much attention to that.
 
Nowadays, people make money with jade or use it for decoration. Some even use it to show off their wealth. Along the way, people started to apply artificial colors to jade and use other techniques to make more profits. The true meaning of the jade has been forgotten, and today, very few people know the fundamental usage of jade.
 
君子如玉
 
玉石，在中国的认识与西方现代科学对矿物岩石的认识是不同的。西方的矿物学、岩石学是以物理化学为基础，着重研究物质成份、形成过程等，并以此为基点对岩石与矿物进行分类、鉴定。而中国古代对岩石矿物的认识是不同的，牵扯了思想领域的问题。
 
中国古语有“君子无故，玉不离身”，孔子说“君子如玉”。佩戴玉石的目地是时时警醒自己的道德修养与品格应像玉石一样。儒家认为君子应当是外带恭顺，内具坚韧；待人宽则己严；光华内敛不彰不显。玉的品质是与君子的品质最为近似的，所以中国人对于玉石的应用、佩戴是基于道德与精神的原因。
 
中国人对于玉石的分类也不是以成份为标准，而是以玉石的温润程度、致密程度、坚韧程度为标准。同时对于颜色也十分重视，只有正色的玉石才被认为是上品。正人君子是中国的道德追求与渴望。杂色者将不被重视。玉石中只有纯色的，才会被利用。特别是白色，纯正的白色如羊脂，是上上品。新疆和田地区出产的玉石温润坚韧，白如羊脂，被中国历代帝王所推崇。“君子比德于玉”，这不仅是精神上的认同与警醒，更是物质上的相近。
 
古代在玉石的应用方面，也决不是现代所认为的保值增值为目地。中国古代人们是相信神的存在。神庇护着人，人们按照神告诉的道德与行为标准生活才有美好的天地。人们为了感谢天地给人带来的美好生活，从而开始了祭奠。也就开始了用玉石“礼天地四方”。
 
为什么用玉石呢？当然是玉石所具有的特性，坚韧、内敛、外物难入，虽被污浊遮盖、石皮隐藏却不可能改变其本性，经过艰苦的琢磨就会显出本来的面目。
 
古代用玉是有严格的规定的，帝王、公侯、将相等都有明确的分别，即使是佩戴，也不是为了显示财富，而是警醒自己的思想与言行。当然随着玉石的应用，带来的雕刻技法等等方面的东西。但这不是主流，如果人们将心思用到这些方面那是不合适的。
 
而今的人们把玉石当作发财的工具，漂亮的装饰，甚至财富的炫耀，随之而来的作假、上色、优化等等手段只是为了经济上的获利，完全忘了玉石的真正意义，今天很少有人知道玉石的根本用途。