Overview: Our main character, Marco Gentolini first discovers jade on a visit to a Tibetan Buddhist Temple in Bendigo. This Temple is home to the largest carving of a single piece of gem quality jade in the world. The jade was imported and Marco is curious why Australian jade wasn’t used. As a student journalist, he decides the story behind jade in Australia may be worth telling. Australia is said to have only low quality jade: black and dark green, with no translucent green or white which Asians value most highly. So the experts say.
On his way to a jade mine in Cowell, South Australia, Marco takes on Tom Owen, a passenger down on his luck, mostly self-made, though a person with quirky stories. Tom is more cautious in his approach to life compared to Marco, a typical Gen Y-er. As Marco and Tom seek out key people and key places in the jade game in Australia, they hear whisperings that naturally occurring white jade may indeed exist in Australia. Their quest soon becomes more earnest and their odd chemistry allows them to follow a trail of clues towards a supposedly impossible goal. They meet dead ends and false trails, but they refuse to give up.
Personal Comments: After writing one book on jade, I had so much momentum, I didn’t want to stop. And it was a great excuse to travel, to visit Bendigo, Broken Hill and Cowell, as well as Tamworth. I now feel committed to writing the third leg of a jade trilogy. I hope it happens, though I don’t know when. These things can’t be forced. Meanwhile my jade collection continues to grow.