Jade is a term covering two distinct minerals: nephrite and jadeite. They differ in rarity, value, and the cultural traditions that prize them across Asia, Mesoamerica, and Maori culture.
Made With Purpose
A fixed bail commits the pendant to whatever chain it's on while a hinged bail opens and can be easily changed. Hinged bails add visual presence at the connection point that fixed bails avoid, and they add chain versatility that fixed bails don't provide.
Meet The Maker
When Cartier, Bulgari, or Van Cleef & Arpels put an animal motif at the center of a signature collection (the panther, the serpent, the bird of paradise) they're offering something beyond the design. Decades of high-craft interpretation that have made those forms recognizable as house icons, which adds a layer of provenance to the gift that transcends the motif itself.