White jade (Hetian Yu) boulder

White jade has been very special to Chinese people, past and present.

White jade had been crafted into various forms used in ceremonies in the past thousand years. The leaders of various tribes that lived thousand of years ago used to wear jade pieces as a symbol of sovereignty and power. They even fought among themselves to occupy territories where jade was found.

Through out the dynasties that rule China, the art of jade carving flourished and peak during the Qian Long era of the Qing dynasty. Jade carvings of that period were of very fine quality and the workmanship of the jade craftsmen were unmatched even if you consider today's technology in terms of tools and equipment. Undoubtedly fine jade pieces of the Qian Long era fetched millions in auction markets.

With the over-mining of white jade, the resources are diminishing and raw jade boulders are scarce. Where exactly is the white jade come from?

There are two types of raw jade, one from the mountain (Kun Lun Shn) and the other from the river beds of Xiangjiang in western China. Usually the raw jade from the river beds are more valuable than their mountain counterparts.

How did the jade boulders ended up in the river beds?

Actually, all the white jade comes from the Kun Lun mountain range. As the jade boulders fell off the mountain, they ended up in the river. As they were carried by the river water over long distances, they broke up into smaller pieces in the process. Only the stronger and denser jade boulders survived the journey along  the river. Eventually the outer jade boulders became polished and developed skins of distinct colours (some brownish, some greenish or even dark brown in colour). In those days, if you walked on the river bed bare-footed, you could step on these smooth jade boulders and made a valuable find. When the mining reached its peak in the early 2000s, several thousand earth moving equipment were seen on the river beds busily excavating for the jade.

When jade boulders with their unique  skin colour are sent to a jade carving masters, the masters usually retain the skin colour on the carvings as a birth mark, meaning the jade boulder comes from the river beds. These carvings of white jade (especially those with the mutton-fat colour) are indeed very valuable. On the outside they look very greasy, like the white fat of mutton.

 

Here is one white jade boulder weighing 2 kg from the river beds. The surface is  smooth and full of small minute holes, evidence of long time exposure under the river. With interaction from the environment and chemicals in the water, a greenish tone appeared on the skin with patches of brown stains.