What Is the Meaning of the Jade Elephant?

Carved from semi-precious green stone, jade elephants are considered symbols of good fortune that bring many positive characteristics or powers. Used as talismans, jewellery or to increase a room's feng shui, jade elephants symbolise the ability to strengthen power, love or luck. Green jade has also been used for centuries as a powerful healing agent that dates back to 10,000 B.C.

According to the website Allegheny Candles, jade elephants were celebrated in Buddism because they gave wishes and flowers as gifts to the god, Buddha. In ancient China, jade was seen as a symbol of heaven and earth, and the ancient Chinese believed that carving it into the shape of animals and birds was a form of worship. Confucius believed that green jade had 11 virtues, which included wisdom, sincerity, benevolence, fidelity and etiquette.

Jade elephants symbolise the ability to strengthen the union of a romantic couple, protect a home, inspire intelligence, dignity, longevity, vitality, power, strength, wisdom and prominence, and grant wishes. The jade elephant is the representation of the head of a household or business. According to Chinese tradition, an elephant with an upturned trunk symbolise happiness and good fortune.

According to the website Allegheny Candles, a feng shui jade elephant should be placed in the bedroom to solidify the strength in a couple's relationship. In an office or business setting, placing a jade elephant in the room will enhance the company's wisdom, strength and power.

Jade elephants represent the final animal in the four animals of power and energy, according to the website Mystic Feng Shui. A symbol of strength, sagacity and prudence, the jade elephant is joined in power by the leopard, which represents bravery and marital strength; the lion, which is a symbol of valour; and the tiger, which represents courage and bravery.

Called "yu" in Chinese, green jade is made from the mineral nephrite or jadeite, and has been used by the Chinese people since the Neolithic Age, which started in approximately 10,000 B.C. According to the website Tiger Cat Jewelry Store, green jade was used by ancient Chinese as a talisman to aid in blood detoxification or to treat the lungs, heart, thymus, immune system and kidneys. In ancient China, when a person was dying, he or she was given a powdered form of green jade as an embalming solution.