14K Gold Jade Drop Earrings - Fu Blessing Disc on Fine Chain

Fu Blessing Drop Earrings - Carved Jade on a Fine Gold Chain

Each earring begins at the lobe with a small openwork disc carrying the character fu, cut through the gold so the shape reads as line rather than surface. Below it a fine trace chain gives about a centimetre of free movement, and at the end hangs a polished teardrop of natural jade measuring 18.5 x 7.4mm - green shading through soft grey-white, the mottling that tells you a stone grew rather than being made. The pair weighs 2.084 grams in 14k solid gold.

The chain is what makes this design work. A jade drop mounted rigidly sits still and reads as a single flat colour; hung on a link, it turns constantly, and because jade is translucent the light passes through the thin edges and lifts as it moves. That is the whole argument for wearing jade rather than looking at it. Long enough to show beneath short hair, light enough to forget by the afternoon.

FAQs

1. What does the character on the stud mean?
It is fu - blessing, good fortune. It is the character you see on red paper at Chinese New Year, and one of the oldest continuously used good-luck symbols anywhere in the world. More at JewelMotif™.

2. Is the jade natural?
Yes - natural, untreated jade. The uneven colour is the evidence: dyed material is characteristically too even, and resin-treated stone has a glassy rather than a soft lustre.

3. How long is the drop?
The jade alone measures 18.5mm, with the disc and chain above it. It hangs clear of the lobe and moves as you do, rather than sitting flat.

4. How should jade be looked after?
Gently. Jade is tough but not hard - it resists breaking far better than it resists scratching, so keep it away from harder stones in the box. Warm water, mild soap, soft cloth. Avoid ultrasonic cleaners and sudden heat. Full guidance on our Jade Care Card, and for the gold, the Gold Care Card.

5. Why does jade matter so much in Chinese culture?
Because it was valued for virtue before it was valued for beauty - Confucius compared its qualities to those of a good person. That is a different basis for prizing a stone than rarity or sparkle, and it is why jade is given at births, weddings and farewells. Why Small Objects Hold Big Emotions covers the wider idea.

How to Style the Fu Blessing Drops

Wear them against a plain neckline where the drop has room to swing, and keep gold elsewhere simple so the green stays the only colour in play. They sit well with hair up. Explore the full 14k and 18k Gold collection, browse more Earrings, or visit JewelBuild™ to build a set around them.