White Jade from Khotan – The prices rising!
The booming Chinese Economy, an increased domestic demand and a general rarification of good quality White Jade river pebbles from Khotan/Hetian are the cause that the prices of small craved Nephrite Jade items continue to rise inexorably.
At the beginning of last December I had visited the shop of Mr. Hou Da Jun, a native of Hetian, in Hangzhou to enquire about Jades and purchase a small White Hade Mountain for a fellow FOJ.
Mr. Hou Da Jun lives part of his time in Hetian and is quite knowledgeable about the Jade situation there. He allowed my to take some pictures of items in his shop after I explained him that I want to keep you, fellow FOJ, informed about the price situation here. A first glimpse of these prices has been published on our homepage in April 2005 with the title “Gold is valuable but Jade is precious”
The price of these small carved or naturally shaped items is influenced significantly by the amount and type of color, the absolute weight and translucency as also from being either River of Mountain Jade.
Mr. Hou Da Yu showing me Hetian White Jade (the two pebbles below) in his shop near Wushan Square in Hangzhou.
170g of naturally shaped white River Jade pebble at 20000RMB or 2500 $US or about 15$US per gram.
230g of naturally shaped white River Jade pebble with thick russet colored skin at 30000RMB or 3750 $US or about 16$US per gram.
Coiled Dragon Chop (seal block) in white Hetian Jade with Material certificate at 4000RMB or 500$US.
Bracelet with 8 (lucky number) naturally shaped White Jade pebbles at 3280 RMB or 410$US
Bracelet with 8 (lucky number) naturally shaped White Jade pebbles at 3500 RMB or 435$US
Two pendants carved from small river pebbles showing how the color of the skin influences the prices.
The left one has a russet colored skin and is priced at 3000RMB or 375$US or at 61$US/gram.
The right one, with café-au-lait colored patch, is priced at 2000RMB or 250$ or at 25$US/gram!
Small pendant shaped in the form of Buddha with a small streak of brown skin priced at 1380 RMB or 173$US or 24$ per gram.
Loose white River jade pebbles in 3 to 6g size offered at about 15 to 20$US per gram.
46g of Bangle in immaculate white Hetian Nephrite Mountain (?) Jade at 2480RMB or 320$US or 7$US/gram
Small Jade mountains carved from Hetian River Pebbles at 8000RMB or 1000$US
Front and Backside of a Jade Mountain of similar size then above but carved from White Hetian Mountain Jade but priced at 250$US
Nice deep carved Jade Mountain in Hetian Jade from the shop of Mrs. Chen Yu Hua in Hangzhou priced at 22000 RMB or 2750$US (Contact Mr. Yang at )
Another Jade mountain in Mrs. Chen’s shop at 18.000RMB or 2250$US
Small mountain offered for 1225$ US showing a Sage riding a buffalo or how to take a picture of the front and back at the same moment.
Pebble with deep carving showing two sages in a boat taking shelter, from stormy sea, in a cave priced and at 1875$
H.Giess January 2006
Reader Comments (6)
After looking at these pictures, I believe that most of these jades are from Kun Lun mountain region (QingHai area) rather than Khotan therefore the prices are reflected especially in the white river pebbles and the boulders of Jade.
can you contact me at , I am interested. George
I am interested .. please contact me .
sky