Radiant Splendor: Rock Crystal and Gemstones

Archaeological evidence shows that lapis lazuli and amber objects were present in China by the Han dynasty, with their sources thought to have been in present-day Afghanistan and Myanmar respectively. Baltic amber also reached China after the medieval period. The Qing court held a wide variety of gemstones, many obtained from Myanmar, Thailand, and other parts of Southeast Asia. According to the Chinese introduction, the red gemstones in the exhibition were identified as ruby, red spinel, red tourmaline, and carnelian, while the reserve collection also included red garnet. Qing court approaches to gemstone setting differed from those of India and Turkey; the introduction therefore notes the selection of two foreign objects for comparison. (33)