Halley's Comet

This is a surprise find in the museum - a small sculpture depicting Halley’s Comet carved from Pilbara jade, a prized rock that is transparent if carved thinly enough. Jade is only found in a few places around the world – SE Asia, New Zealand and the Pilbara, and it can range from yellow through to dark greens that are almost black. In China, where jade has been mined for at least 8,000 years, it is considered to be the "imperial gem", equivalent to gold and diamonds in the west. It was Pilbara jade that was used in the medals for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The museum has a collection of jade sculptures that includes cups and spoons, and a large fig tree made from very dark green jade.