Chinese Jade Toggle Bead

An olive-green bead shaped like a plump, polished capsule.

This toggle bead is from China. It is jade. Jade was generally the most preferred and valued material for toggles, a precious stone integral to Chinese culture since the Neolithic Period and often called the stone of heaven. A tall, barrel-shaped form with softly rounded ends and a narrow hole bored through the top. The color is an even mustard-olive, and the surface is smooth with a gentle sheen and no decoration. It is 0.5 inches long and 1 high.

Plain-spoken and polished to a quiet shine.