Nephrite Buttons. Nephrite is one of two different mineral species called jade. The other mineral species known as jade is jadeite, which is a variety of pyroxene. While nephrite jade possesses mainly grays and greens (and occasionally yellows, browns or whites), jadeite jade, which is rarer, can also contain blacks, reds, pinks and violets. Nephrite jade is an ornamental stone used in carvings, beads, or cabochon cut gemstones. It is also the official state mineral of Wyoming. Reference: Wikipedia
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Below are some examples and price guides of nephrite buttons including a set of six nephrite scarab buttons and an antique Chinese Flower button.
This button or ornament was made within the Mughal empire in the late 18th or early 19th century. It has been fashioned in nephrite jade and was once set with gold and a gemstone. As with many such objects, when they fall into disuse, the gold and gems were subsequently removed and presumably recycled.
Reference: © Victoria and Albert Museum
TWO JADE CARVINGS The first a two-section nephrite belt buckle, each wide section gently curved, with a raised button to the underside, the dragon-head hook well fitted to the simple square loop, the pale celadon-white matrix with minimal inclusions; the second a jadeite garment hook in circular format, the front carved in low relief with a wandering poet and a landscape, reversed with two waisted square-shaped buttons, the mostly white stone mottled with pale apple green patches.
Sold for US$ 600 (£ 435) inc. premium at Bonham’s in 2012
A Set of Six Jewelled Gold-Mounted Nephrite Scarab Buttons Marked Fabergé, Moscow, 1899-1908, scratched inventory number 23824 Each oval scarab button within a rose-cut diamond border, in original fitted wooden case, the cover stamped with the Imperial warrant and in Cyrillic ‘K. Fabergé’
Sold for GBP 34,850 at Christie’s in 2010
Antique Chinese Nephrite White Jade Flower Button, size: 17mm
Sold for $124 at Rose’s Antiques in 2014
