What are the different types of Chinese Jade?

Distributed on the northern slopes of the Kunlun Mountains, which stretch for 1,500 kilometers in Shache - Tashkurgan, Hotan - ü-Tepe, and Qimo counties in Xinjiang, *** there are nine origins. The mineral composition of Hotan Jade is dominated by tremolite - actinolite. It also contains traces of tremolite, serpentine, graphite, magnetite and other minerals. It forms different colors such as white, lime green, black and yellow. Most of them are monochrome jade, and a few have mixed colors. Jade is semi-transparent, with a fat-like luster when polished and a hardness of 5.5 degrees to 6.5 degrees. Hotan Jade is found sandwiched between mountain rocks at an altitude of 3,500 meters to 5,000 meters above sea level. After a long period of weathering and disintegration into pieces of varying sizes, it crumbles down the mountain slopes and then flows into the river through rainfall. When the river dries up in the fall, the pieces of jade collected in the riverbed are called seed jade, and those mined in the rock formations are called mountain material. The earliest jade artifacts made of Hetian jade that have been discovered are from the tomb of Wuhao in Yinxu. After the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, Hotan Jade gradually became the main material for jade, and was collected as seed jade, while mountain material was first mined during the Qing Dynasty. During the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, the jade mountain of Dayu, which weighed more than 10,700 pounds of green jade, was extracted from the Miletta Mountains.

The economic value of Hotan Jade is assessed on the basis of color and purity of texture. Its main varieties are:

1) White Jade: Containing more than 95% of the flash translucent stone, white color, pure texture, delicate, glossy and moist. It is a high-quality variety of Hetian jade. In the Han Dynasty, the Song Dynasty, the Qing Dynasty, several jade production boom period, are extremely important to the selection of materials, high-quality white jade is often carved for the "heavy".

2) White Jade: The best white jade, with a pure and delicate texture containing up to 99% tremolite and a white color with a subtle luster like congealed fat. With the same weight of jade material, its economic value is several times higher than that of white jade. The Han Dynasty, the Song Dynasty and the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty highly prized white jade.

3) Greenish white jade: The texture is not significantly different from that of white jade, and the jade color is only white with a faint greenish tint, which is the third grade of jade material in Hetian jade, and its economic value is slightly inferior to that of white jade.

4) Green Jade: Light green, greenish-green and grayish-white in color are all called green jade, with uniform color and fine texture, containing 89% tremolite and 6% actinolite. It has a greasy luster. It is rich in reserves, and has been the main variety of jade collected or mined throughout the ages.

3. Nanyang Jade

Nanyang Jade is mined in Dushan Mountain, also known as "Dushan Jade" and "Doyu". Nanyang Jade is a plagioclase jade with a fine, pure texture, greasy or glassy luster, good polish, and transparent or slightly transparent. Its hardness is 5.5 to 6.5 degrees. Nanyang Jade is multi-colored. It is commonly composed of two or more than three shades of multi-colored jade, with bright colors, and is known as: water white jade, white jade, black white jade, green jade, green white jade, sky blue jade, green jade, green jade, purple jade, bright brown jade, topaz, yellow jade, yellow hibiscus jade, nephrite, and miscellaneous jade colors. Nanyang Jade has a long history of exploitation. Examples of Nanyang Jade being used as the material for jade have been found in the jade axes of the Longshan Culture of the Neolithic Age unearthed in the Shiwang roundabout of Shenmu in Shaanxi Province, the Yin Ruins jade artifacts discovered in 1952, and the jade artifacts unearthed from the tomb of Muhao in 1976. The Yuan Dynasty Dushan jade urn now displayed in Beihai Tuancheng is also made of Nanyang Jade. According to documents, Nanyang Jade was mined on a large scale during the Han Dynasty. To date, there are still more than 1,000 ancient jade mining pits on Dushan Mountain, which shows the long history and scale of Nanyang jade mining. The reserves of Nanyang Jade are quite rich, and large-scale production can still be formed today.

4. Lantian Jade

Produced in Lantian, hence its name. Lantian Jade is one of the main famous jades in ancient times. Lantian Jade has a fine texture, a hardness of about 4, good workability, and is mainly beige and apple green in color. It is used in large quantities to make jade pillows, fitness balls, and tea and wine utensils, and is a popular low-grade jade material. 5. Xiu Jade

Produced in Xiuyan County, Liaoning Province, it is also known as Xiuyan Jade.

Ciu Jade is a serpentine jade with a variety of colors, mainly light green, but also yellow, white, and brown, with a fine texture, greasy or waxy luster, and translucent.

Sui Jade is found in jade artifacts of the Hongshan and Liangzhu cultures, indicating its long history of use. Because of its beautiful color, low hardness, and good workability, Ciu Jade was often the first choice for large jade carvings and small to medium-sized furnishings. It is also widely used to make small ornaments and artifacts such as figures and animals.

Along with Liaoning Cui Jade, which belongs to the serpentine group, there are the following varieties in China:

①Southern Cui Jade: referred to as "Southern Jade," produced in Xinyi, Guangdong, and also known as "Xinyi Jade," it is dark to green in color, with a low degree of transparency and a heavy waxy texture. It is dark green to green in color, with low transparency and a heavy waxy texture. It is a low-grade raw material for jade carving and is generally used to make large jade carvings.

②Qilian Jade: Also known as Jiuquan Jade and Jiuquan Cui Jade, it is dark green in color, with black spots, clusters and bands, and is semi-transparent and of poor quality.

3) Kunlun Jade: Also known as "Kunlun Cui Jade," this is very similar to Liaoning Cui Jade, but is less transparent. It is produced in the foothills of the Kunlun Mountains in Xinjiang.

4. Beijing Yellow Jade: Also known as "Beijing Yellow Jade", it is yellowish to yellow in color. Produced in the Old Military Hall of the Thirteen Tombs in Beijing.

5 Junan Jade: Also known as "Junan Cui Jade," it is blackish-green in color and is produced in Junan County, Shandong Province.

6 Yunnan Jade: Also known as Yunnan Cui Jade, it is green in color and often contains chlorite.

6. Jiuquan Jade

Produced in the Qilian Mountains of Gansu Province, it is also known as the City of Qilian Jade. Belongs to the serpentine jade. Translucent, green color, with uniform black spots. Hardness of 4.5 degrees to 5 degrees. Jiuquan jade mining history can be traced back to the Neolithic era, Wuwei Niangtai site unearthed Qijia culture of the exquisite jade jade, that is, made of Jiuquan jade.7 Topaz matrix for the white jade, due to long-term surface water in the iron oxide filtering in the crevices to form a yellow tint. It is named according to its chromaticity: dense wax yellow, corn yellow, okra yellow, yellow flower yellow, egg yellow, and so on. Dense yellow and okra yellow are extremely rare, and their value is comparable to that of white nephrite. In the Qing Dynasty, due to the yellow jade for the "emperor" resonance, there are very rare, once the economic value of more than sheep's fat white jade. 8. ink jade tremolite in the clip graphite, magnetism, that is, the composition of the black. Ink jade is mostly gray or gray-black jade with black spots, named according to the shape of the "dark clouds, light ink light, gold sable beard, beautiful sideburns" and so on. Those with heavy and dense black spots are called pure lacquer black, and their value is higher than that of other varieties of nephrite. Ink jade is waxy luster, because of the uneven color is not suitable for carving decorations, mostly used to make inlaid gold and silver wire utensils. 9. Jasper produced in the Junggar Jade Mine, also known as Tianshan Jasper. Gray-green, dark green, dark green, to the color of pure dark green for the best. The quality of jasper with black spots, black dots or tendons is inferior. Jasper contains more than 85% of tremolite, fine texture, translucent, greasy luster, for the middle grade jade

10. Plum Blossom Jade

Originally produced in Ruyang County, Henan Province, it is also known as "Ruzhou Jade". After polishing, it shows beautiful plum blossom patterns or other patterns, hence its name. The jade is dense, with black, brownish red and grey-green backgrounds, with the black background being the best, and the plum blossom pattern color having red, green and white patterns appearing on the black background at the same time as the multicolored plum blossom jade is a fine product.

11, Qinghai Jade

Produced in Qinghai, hence its name. It has a beautiful appearance, with a white or light gray background plus green markings, and a fine, translucent jade. Since its appearance is similar to jadeite, some unscrupulous merchants use it to pass off as jadeite jade. 12. Malay Jade

Produced in Malaysia, it is a kind of quartzite dyed with green dye, with a glassy luster and hardness of 7. Its appearance is emerald green and its transparency is high. Malaysia is rich in raw materials, low value, suitable for the production of some low-grade jewelry.

13, dongling stone

Produced in India, is a green chromium mica quartzite, slightly transparent - translucent. Scattered in the jade as if the stars of the green scales, very beautiful. It is a high-quality variety of quartzite jade, and is mainly used to make beaded necklaces and other jewelry.

14, Miyu

Produced in Mixian County, Henan Province, hence its name. Also known as Henan Jade. Semi-transparent, white - light green in color, used as jade material mostly dyed, mainly apple green and orange-red, with green absolute color as the best, mostly used for making jewelry or ornaments, belonging to the low-grade jade material.

15, Guizhou Jade

Produced in Guizhou, hence its name. It is also known as Guizhou Jade. It is light green in color, with glassy luster, but not pure and with many impurities, resembling poor-quality jadeite, and is a low-grade jade material.

16, Beijing White Jade

Produced in the suburbs of Beijing, hence its name. It has a fine texture, pure white and uniform, glossy and oily, and the jade carvings made of it are crystal clear, making it a popular type of jade. 17. Lingbi Jade

Produced in Lingbi County, Anhui Province, hence its name. It is one of the traditional famous jades in Chinese history. There are many varieties of it, the most famous of which are red Anhui snail, gray Anhui snail and Biyun stone. Hardness 3-4, hardness is low, after processing polished, clean and shining, suitable for the production of flowers, figures and animals and other handicrafts.

18, Baiyun Jade

Produced in Inner Mongolia Baiyun Ebo, so the name; also known as Baiyun Ebo jade; also known as Baiyun Ebo jade. Fine texture, good processing performance. High-quality Baiyun Jade has a brilliant "gold line" or "aventurine" effect on the gray-green interior, and is suitable for making into inkstones, brush holders, and other scholarly utensils and other handicrafts.

19, Baihe Jade

Produced in Hefeng County, Hubei Province, also known as "five flowers stone". Fine texture, beautiful pattern after processing, clear patterns, round, conical, long, etc., the color is fruit green, milky white, red, etc., made into handicrafts, high artistic value.

20, wulan cui

Produced in wulan county, qinghai, because of its emerald green color, so the name. The color is gray-green, dark green and emerald green and other different degrees of green. To the white background color with rich green emerald green spots of wulan cui higher value. Hardness 6-7, with greasy luster, slightly transparent to translucent. It is commonly used for processing into jade bracelets, rings and jade cabbages and other small ornaments, and belongs to the low-grade jade materials due to its poor luster and poor processing performance