u/youka00

I've actually been told by multiple people that they worry about restringing their bead bracelets and are unsure on how to go about it! In this video, I show you how to string it the way Chinese sellers do. This method is a lot more long lasting imo, and very simple to learn. Just a soundless video but I hope the visuals are enough for you to follow along.

What you need is a thin wire and flat elastic string. For smaller beads, you won't need to overlap the strings 2 times like I do in this video. The theory is exactly the same, though!!

I hope this helps those who fear restringing beads when the og elastic's time is up. 🥰💕

P.S. Anyway isn't the 'stone covering jade' seed beads just soooo cute and oily? IN LOVE

In this blog, I will cover a specific sub-section of seed jade called 石包玉 (lit. 'stone covering jade'). Whilst it's very well-known in the collector's world, it remains largely elusive to hobbyists who have just started on the journey of playing with Hetian jade, or even Hetian seed jade. I have received a nice strand of 18mm 'stone covering jade' bracelet today, and am in awe with the fineness of its flesh, so what better time than now to write this.

Pictured is my 18mm bead strand alongside with a special request for the sourcer to keep a 'seed skin' bead for me. The bead itself would be unable to produce a Hetian jade certificate. For reference, p1-3 are of the stone skin bead, p4-5 are of the actual jade flesh, p6 is the seed stone they came from. P7-9 are some other examples of 'stone covering jade'.

What is 'stone covering jade'?

As the name suggests, this sort of seed jade - to recap, river jade found only in the Yurungkax or Karangkash rivers in Xinjiang - are characterised by a thick layer of stony substance, commonly composed of some compilation of quartz, dolomite, coarse actinolite etc.. As this sort of jade commonly has an extremely thick layer of stone "skin" and is quite aesthetically unpleasing, the skin is not commonly retained in the final product unlike other seed stone products. The skin itself will also be unable to produce a Hetian jade certificate due to the absence of high quantities of tremolite - which, to recap, is the requirement for Hetian jade to be Hetian jade.

How is 'stone covering jade' formed?

There are two theories as to why a seed stone, commonly with such thin skin, would have such a variety.

The first is that the original mountain material came surrounded with its own 'mountain skin', a coarse, non-jade weathered rock. This weathered rock has interacted with the elements in the river over time, forming a thicker skin. This is a theory especially used for 'stone covering jade' pieces with sugar colour, as they believe that the colour came from the original mountain material, instead of sugar staining caused by river infiltration.

Secondly, another theory is that seed jade undergoes infiltration by outside substances inside the riverbed, and the original jade flesh at the exterior becomes altered and silicified, or calcified.

What are the characteristics of 'stone covering jade'?

These type of seed stone are commonly characterised by an extremely fine and silky flesh - that is, if the owner of the stone wins the gamble.

From the outside, no one is able to tell whether this stone will contain jade or not, due to the thick outer skin. We know about gambling jade, and this is the highest gamble of all. In fact, most, if not all stones with such skins will never produce jade inside. In fact, the Legend of Bian He is said to be referring to a 'stone covering jade' piece.

Some long-term hobbyists postulate that the reason such seed jade produces such fine flesh is because the impurities that seed jade is commonly exposed to in the river over tens of thousands of years, have been "caught" by its thick outer skin, leaving the jade flesh inside clean and unmarred even with such a long period of time.

Conclusion:

One of the best possessions and examples I can give you are that of one 'stone covering jade' seed stone that I have dubbed "sesame material", which has produced pieces such as my Qinghua seed jade "mother-and-child" set (link here) or these bangles that I'm selling here.

For such seed stones that usually do not come with the skin, it would be best to obtain evidence/video proof from the seller of the original 'stone covering jade' stone, in order to prove its origin.

Finally an afternoon where it’s bright enough to take a nice video, and that I’m outside for once. 😤 definitely a different flavour when observed in natural sunlight, where it should be!! 💖

Hello readers new and old! In this article, I’d like to share the main flaws that are naturally occurring in Hetian jade (I will talk about scams to look out for in the future, which is a separate long topic), as these flaws will definitely affect value, and potentially even affect the durability of the stone - they will thus be categorised as such in this post.

This is definitely a more visual-based post, so I highly encourage you to check out all of the pictures that will be attached alongside here. I will also add their associated Chinese terms, as I know there is a significant number of my readers who can recognise Chinese, and it will also make it easier for you to search these terms up in Chinese SNS platforms.

💔 **Cotton (**棉)

Cotton is one of the most common and easy-to-identify flaws in Hetian jade. It is an aggregate of white crystalline formations within Hetian jade, and mainly composed of silica.
Generally, materials with a loose structure will tend to have relatively larger cotton-like flaws in larger amounts, while materials with a fine structure tend to have fewer and smaller ones. Cotton can exist in Hetian jade from any origin, source (mountain material, seed material, etc.), or colour, and will affect its price from a minute to a significant amount, depending on its level of occurrence and how it affects the purity of the jade.

How to identify?

It is generally formed in a cloud-like cluster, and can resemble cotton tufts, snowflakes, or even fine thread. In finer jade, it is typically very small and pinhole-sized (针尖棉). I have attached many photos of various types of cotton, so please take a look.

💔 **Cracks/Fissures (**裂)

Cracks in Hetian jade are something we want to completely avoid, as it affects the jade’s structural integrity - especially in a bangle or bracelet. Even for tiny cracks that some sellers deem as a “vein” or minor fissure (纹), I would still highly recommend new buyers to avoid, unless you are completely sure that it is not a crack but instead a healed natural fissure (石纹) that occurs during the formation of the jade. Cracks will severely affect price, and should only be bought if at a very large discount, and if you are okay with the stone potentially breaking with wear.

How to identify?

There are two types of cracks, external and internal. The external ones can easily be felt with a fingernail, whilst the internal ones can only be seen with a light shining through. In general, cracks will block light (picture attached), so I would highly recommend you to buy a jeweller’s torch alongside your Hetian jade.

💔 Stiff Material** **(僵/浆）

Stiff material has been previously mentioned in-depth in one of JC’s videos. It is typically a white or grayish-white rocky component, often appearing as blocky or structural patterns with low hardness (can be scratched with a knife). It can also be referred to “raw” jade that has not fully jadeified into mature Hetian jade. This is considered an inclusion that will greatly reduce the price of a Hetian jade piece.

How to identify?

Stiff material has a stoniness to it - it looks dry and lacks the luster typical of jade, and is opaque when a light is shone onto it. It is easiest to tell when the Hetian jade piece is not completely stiff material, as stiff material will exhibit a texture inconsistent with the main body.

Recently, stiff material has been repackaged and sold into a variant called “nougat” Hetian jade, where there are bits of white in a caramel-base Hetian jade. This is actually material that used to be discarded, but now repackaged into an “aesthetic”. As different material appeals to different tastes, just be aware when you are purchasing.

💔Water Lines (水线）

Water lines are a very interesting phenomenon in Hetian jade, and are also very commonly seen. They can be as thin as hair, or can be extremely thick in some cases. Water lines are not always seen as a huge flaw - typically, the fineness of Hetian jade increases with an increasing presence of water lines, and these water line-filled jade are typically harder than usual.

Fun fact: a type of Russian green nephrite we call 碧玉夹层料 is actually completely made up of the enormous water line layer in a large block of stone. As it is wholly composed of a water line only, it is more brittle than the average Hetian jade, but very beautiful nonetheless.

How to identify?

They tend to be more transparent than the actual jade, and can be visible to the naked eye.

💔 **Dirt/Impurities (**脏）

Refers to black, brown, or other dark-colored inclusions in the jade, typically composed of iron, graphite, or other mineral inclusions. Impurities significantly reduce aesthetic appeal, and will significantly affect the value of a jade piece.

How to identify?

Impurities appear as dark flaws in the form of spots, patches, clusters (e.g., black spots, yellowish-brown rust-like marks) or like “seaweed (水草沁)” - in the case of what they call “osmanthus jelly” Hetian jade, such impurities that look like “osmanthus” are now sold for a high price, when they were also previously discarded and would never be sold.
Impurities may penetrate deep into the jade or adhere to the surface; and when illuminated with a light, these areas do not transmit light. Some impurities may be accompanied by loose jade structure, creating a rough feel when polished.

💔 **Texture (**结构)

Last but not least, texture. Whilst texture cannot be strictly categorised as a flaw, since it is the most naturally-occurring part of any Hetian jade, it is also the first measure of quality buyers look at when it comes to how much they are willing to pay for a particular piece of jade. In my previous post about “Types of Hetian jade”, you may have seen me talk about two terms, broadly termed as “passing the eye test” (过眼) and “passing the light test” (过灯). This essentially talks about whether the structure of the jade is visible to the eye, and/or visible when viewed under a strong jeweller’s light. Of course, the coarser the structure, the cheaper the material will be (by a significant amount!) and vice versa.

Conclusion

Hetian jade is a natural material, and minor imperfections are normal and can be accepted - as long as the price reflects as such, and as long as it doesn’t bother you personally.

I would advise people interested in Hetian jade to balance your expectations with the price of the piece you are interested in. This is as artificial treatments are rampant in Hetian jade and cannot be detected: treatments such as dyeing or acid washing may conceal impurities and inclusions, and there is even a solvent on the market that can completely remove all impurities from Hetian jade, and turn it into a completely white piece. As such, please be cautious of jade that appears overly perfect at an unusually low price.

(Ahhhh right as I was thinking about making this post, I’m suddenly sorely regretting not taking more photos. 😩😩)

So the backstory is that a large department store near me was closing down after decades(!!!), and not once did I realise they had a jadeite collection. I took a few photos, laughed a little bit, and went on to buy a nice pair of shoes. 🤭

They had another section that had the typical pale grey-ish/green-ish bean bangles that were on the other side of the aisle too, selling for over SGD$1000 too!! All labelled Grade A Burmese. Colour me not-so-surprised, especially after seeing this display first.

Even in Singapore, or in Asia, the market truly isn't as regulated as people might make it out to be. Pic of my bangle at the end, just because she's cute.

What do y'all think of the showcase here? 🕵️‍♀️

As we’ve talked about in the previous topic, Hetian jade can come from many different origins. In this post, I’d like to expand on the topic by touching base on the geological forces that result in the different ‘states’ of Hetian jade.

Here is the rough timeline of Hetian jade and its associated formations:

1. Origin: An estimated 700-800 million years ago (some sources state 300 million), Xinjiang was still a wide berth of ocean. Inside this ocean, a form of dolomitic marble settled, which is the chemical “feedstock” for the jade.
2. Contact Metasomatism: As the tectonic plates move, magma is pushed up and out of the Earth’s crust. This magma interacts with the dolomitic marble, and causes the growth of tremolitic fibres - the mineral that makes up Hetian jade.
3. High Temperatures & Pressure: Hetian jade is formed under immense pressure and temperature. The jade crystallised at extremely high temperatures, estimated at about 400-600°C, and at pressures up to 100-200MPa.
4. Erosion and Transportation: After the jade deposits were formed within mountains, they were exposed by uplift and erosion. This began the transformation from mountain jade to seed jade, through processes such as weathering, erosion and transportation within the Yurungkax River.

🖤 Mountain Material (Shan Liao; 山料)

Mountain material is sourced from primary deposits located at high altitudes within the snowy Kunlun Mountains. It comes in varying sizes, has angular edges, and does not have a skin the same way seed material does. Compared to seed material, mountain material is generally rougher in texture with a granular feel. However, there are also high-quality mountain materials with a fine, dense structure and excellent oiliness.

🖤 Mountain Flowing Material (Shan Liu Shui; 山流水)

This forms when mountain material is transported by natural forces to the upper and middle reaches of rivers. Through natural erosion, transport, and abrasion, the edges and corners become slightly rounded and smoothed, and it becomes more refined than mountain material, with slightly better oiliness, though it has not yet fully formed into pebble material. As it is also scoured by sources like snowmelt and river water, it may result in tiny pores.

🖤 Gobi Material (Ge Bi Liao; 戈壁料)

This is formed when instead of flowing into the river, the primary mountain material undergoes weathering and collapse, remaining exposed on the surface for a long period, where it is acted upon by wind, sand, and rain over an extended time. Gobi material has a slightly higher hardness than pebble material and features its signature wind-eroded markings.

🖤 Seed Material (Zi Liao; 籽料)

This is formed when mountain flowing material undergoes long-term scouring and erosion, where less hardy parts are chipped away, leaving behind only the parts with the finest and most compact texture. Seed material is smooth and rounded, featuring tiny pores and skin colors. The skin colors are formed by the secondary infiltration of minerals, such as iron, that would result in a reddish-brown skin. Typically, seed material has stronger oiliness, with a warm, restrained luster, and feels slightly oily to the touch. As seed material has the most geological changes compared to Hetian jade’s other states, it comes in all types of colours, shapes, and sizes.

I have added a video kindly shot by JC, who visually summarises the differences between these different geological forms of Hetian jade. I hope this gives you a succinct, yet comprehensive view of its various forms.

I had the most interesting and engaging conversation with JC 大哥 (da ge, lit. older brother) today. In this video, he clearly showcases a very frequently asked question I get from people interested in hetian jade, specifically: what does it mean for jade to be "jade-ified" enough?

JC da ge has many materials at hand that he can use to show you, once and for all, what it means to play with mature, high quality, jade-ified hetian jade. I asked him to use visual examples so we can show this to the international audience.

Glutinous vs Watery: In the first part of the video, he shows two Qinghai material. A lot of what we see on the market now is new Qinghai material, wheres old Qinghai material is of much better quality and hard to find - the prices have soared as a result. What we mean by "new" jade is "young" jade, it means the jade has not been able to mature properly before being harvested. Generally, the less glutinous the hetian jade is, the whiter - because it is less dense and more watery, it allows more light to pass through.

Much of the Qinghai hetian jade you see on the market is new Qinghai - note that it's hard to even find old Qinghai within the China market now.

What does it mean for a material to be "new"? — It will be more brittle, easier to crack on impact, harder to carve, and if you rub two beads together, it can even form powder. They tend to be cheaper, but some are still priced at unfairly expensive rates because people do not know of this fact.

Raw vs Mature: In the second part of this video, JC shows you what it means for the maturation of jade. Qinghua hetian seed jade is being used as an example here.

He shows you clearly what it means visually for the jade to have a lot of "stiff"/"raw" material, think of it as coarse, whitish, stone-like material (called 僵 in Chinese, lit. "stiff"). It is essentially the "stone" part of jade - you can visualize it like stone that did not successfully become jade. Sometimes this can seep into the jade and make it look whiter, but also drier.

This is something to look out for in mountain jade, especially Siberian jade or other obscure mountain variants. People get cheated so easily because they think the whiter the better.

Learn to train your eye properly to parse density from opacity in Hetian jade - you want it to look dense and mature, but not full of that stiff, raw material.

I hope this has been educational for you, as my goal is always to educate you on what hetian jade is supposed to be all about. 🥰

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Interested in knowing more about Hetian jade? Consider following my Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/hetian.youka

In this post, I would like to delve deeper and describe in detail the different industrially recognised Hetian jade mines, give a brief overview of their pros and cons, and my own advice and suggestions.

Edit✍️ : whilst reading this post, do keep in mind that the visual structure within a piece of Hetian jade is not a definitive catch-all. Sometimes structural patterns and characteristics can overlap and differ even for jade from the same source. It is only one of the factors used to help differentiate what you may have in hand, in times of uncertainty.

Background

🖤 Xinjiang, China

Jade from Xinjiang is the traditionally recognised Hetian jade from ancient times. The most top-tier nephrite jade comes from Xinjiang, but Xinjiang itself has many different mines. Some of the most famous mountain jade mines include Qiemo, Ruoqiang, Yecheng (Kargilik), Heishan, Yutian - but of course, there are many others.

Even in traditional mines like Qiemo, they further differentiate it into "close mines" and "far mines" - "close mines" are nearer to the populace and traditionally mined into - and thus the budget is lower, jade is more stable and known, but depleted to the point where it's harder to source good jade. Far mines require heavy machinery and labour to get to, but jade diggers may chance upon very good quality jade. The prices will also reflect the effort taken to obtain such jade.

In Hetian (Hotan) is where seed jade is sourced, specifically from the Yurungkax River ("white jade river") and Karangkash ("black jade river").

🖤 Qinghai, China

Xinjiang and Qinghai are part of the same Kunlun Mountain Range, you can visualise them like that of the windward side and the leeward side. Of course, that means that the conditions for the jade's "growth" and ultimately the jade's characteristics are different.

One of the famous mines in Qinghai is the Yeniugou mine, located in a no-man's land - a ravine on the nothern shope of the Kunlun mountains. It has been closed in the 90s, and is located more than 4,000 meters above sea level. The mining environment is harsh and the yield is small - a no man's land where a slip could be fatal. (The Yeniugou mine's is characteristically different from typical Qinghai jade. Its jade can be so high in quality, comparable to Hetian seed jade, that it is usually used to imitate - so be very careful if a seller claims that their jade is from Yeniugou!)

🖤 Russia

Russian hetian jade typically produces white jade and green nephrite (jasper), where its green nephrite is seen as the best quality in the world - and most famously is its jasper yield from the 7th mine. The Basha mine is also famous for producing higher quality white and candy-white jade. I won't be focusing too much on Russian hetian jade because of my personal hobby preferences, but I will still provide some information when I can.

Characteristics

🖤 Xinjiang (wool-like, interlocking internal structure)

Pros: Xinjiang-produced jade is known to be the traditional standard for Hetian jade, and if you don't have a strong obsession with seed jade, Qiemo mountain jade is your next best choice. Characterised by a strong feeling of oiliness and a fatty, powdery feel, even the mid-range products are show a lack in stone structure when viewed in natural lighting. In the long run, Xinjiang jade is the choice for jade that becomes more beautiful in lustre over time, with an inner glow, subtle but stunning.

Cons: If we compare items of identical quality and size amongst Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Russian jade, Xinjiang jade would be the most expensive, as its amount gets scarcer and scarcer each year.

🖤 Qinghai (sugar internal structure)

Pros: Qinghai jade is the current trendy jade right now. Transparency is high, and it looks to be glowy and pretty, perfect for everyday wear without breaking the bank. Its transparency has made it very popular with younger people, as well as hobbyists who are moving from jadeite into Hetian jade. Whilst this is an aesthetic that is personal to your preferences, do not let sellers convince you by saying that because it is transparent, it is "good" - like jadeite. Hetian jade and jadeite have very different "specs" to take into account, and high transparency is not one of them.

Cons: Qinghai-produced jade is known to go grey with time. Also, most Qinghai jade right now is from new mines (old mine material is pretty good and has a greater visual density, but is hard to find right now and very expensive), which are unstable. For example, rub two Qinghai new mine beads against each other, and they will produce dust - this is a giveaway that it is unstable jade.

🖤 Russia (overcooked gruel/porridge structure)

Pros: It's white... it can be as white as a piece of A4 paper. If you just want white, go for it.

Cons: Generally, Siberia/Russia primarily has white jade and is always termed as “mutton fat jade”, but unless they’re extremely good quality (and pricy as a result), this couldn’t be further from the truth. It’s well known that Siberian jade tends to be coarser, drier, and more of a “dead white”.

Mutton fat jade???

Please note that certain labs in China can produce a certificate that also indicates the jade as "mutton fat white jade", so what some sellers do is to send their white jade there. This makes it easy for them to mark their item as 'premium', when in reality, the indication can actually just be applied to just about any sufficiently white coloured jade.

What encompasses a good Hetian jade?

You can visualise it like this - the closer it looks to be a piece of animal fat, with a dense fatty visual aspect whilst being just slightly translucent, with fine grain, and becomes more “moist” looking the more you wear it - that’s when you know you’re on the right track.

My advice is, don’t blindly pursue white, that’s where the most pitholes are. The whiter the jade, the coarser the material is, this is synonymous. Unless you're willing to spend 6 figures on a white bangle, you recognise that you will be purchasing a piece of jade with coarse structure.

***Important: When we talk about oiliness in Hetian jade, we are referring to the VISUAL aspect of it. If the jade looks to be close to a piece of animal fat due to its lustre and inner glow, you are on the right track. Any seller can make the jade *feel* oily with the right polishing method, so please do not get led astray by the seller telling you that this jade is good quality because it feels oily.

Hello everyone! This is a series of short articles providing more knowledge on Hetian jade. My previous posts will be directly reposted on the JadeiteNephrite sub with encouragement and approval from the mods, for archival purposes.

This series will be updated mainly on my new Instagram at hetian.youka (with attached pictures) and reposted here in my free time. I will also be updating my Instagram with first looks on what my jade contact (JC) is up to, so do give a follow if you’re interested! 💕

🖤 What is Hetian jade?

Hetian jade is most famously known as one of the four famous jades of China. Scientifically, the definition of Hetian jade (and what appears on your authentication certificate) is a jade with over 95% tremolite (透闪石) levels and 1.61 refractive index. High tremolite levels give Hetian jade its distinct oily lustre - as the light bounces softly within the jade before reflecting into our eyes, making it different from anything seen in other semi-precious or precious stones.

Hetian jade (nephrite) is commonly compared to jadeite, where jadeite is a hard jade, Hetian jade is a soft jade. However, hardness is different from toughness, and nephrite is known to be one of the toughest materials in existence due to its fibrous, interlocking structure.

Because the scientific term of what Hetian jade constitutes is only defined by its tremolite levels, note that *any* stone with sufficient tremolite can be called Hetian jade. The requirement also dropped from 98% to 95% in recent years, making it easier for a tremolitic stone to be called Hetian jade. This is an industrial loophole that I will discuss more about in future posts.

🖤 Why is Hetian jade called Hetian jade?

Let's talk about history. Hetian jade has over 4000 years of history, making it one of the oldest prized material in Chinese history. It used to be offered as tribute to the emperor, and only the royal family and high officials (gifted Hetian jade by the emperor) could use it.

As the name suggests, Hetian jade historically was sourced from the Yurungkax River in Hetian (Hotan), Xinjiang, where people would pick up seed jade pebbles from the river. However, in the modern context (haha capitalism), Hetian jade has ventured far beyond the namesake of its origin.

🖤 What does the industry recognise as Hetian jade?

The industry traditionally is split into two factions: the narrow sense (狭义) and the broad sense (广义). As you can guess, the "narrow sense" faction is traditionalistic, only recognises any jade that comes from Xinjiang as Hetian jade. "Why so narrow-minded?" you might ask. This is because they believe that only Hetian jade from Xinjiang can truly fulfill what Hetian jade is "supposed" to encompass - oiliness, fattiness, moistness, and a lustre unseen in other sources.

In the "broad sense", any piece of stone that is able to test for over 95% tremolite levels *is* considered Hetian jade.

With the scarcity of "narrow sense" Hetian jade - which is on the decline every year (reports from people in the industry show that only 10% of annually produced Hetian jade is from Xinjiang - including mountain, seed, gobi etc), 90% are from other regions such as Qinghai, Siberia (Russia) and other unrecognised "wild mines" in China (I will also talk more about wild mines in the future), and this number will only decline more in the future.

Author's Note:

I hope this post has been useful even just as an introductory post! I plan to write more when time allows, so stay tuned. 🥰 If you have any questions, feel free to comment, and I can address them in a future post.

Item: Hetian Seed Jade Bangle & Pendant

Jade Type / Seller Identification: Heiqing ("Black-Green") Hetian Seed Jade

Treatment Status: Untreated

Certificate / Lab Report: Certificate included

Measurements: Bangle > 54.7-18-10, Pendant > 43.5 round

Weight: Bangle > 90.5g, Pendant > 40.5g

Condition: Brand new

Price: Bangle > $288, Pendant > $88. Take both for $20 off.

Shipping From: Singapore

Shipping To: Worldwide

Payment / Checkout Method: PayPal

Return Policy: No returns accepted.

Seller Review History: General reviews can be found in the pinned Post on my Profile.

Photos / Video: Included in post

Additional Notes:

Hi everyone, Youka here 👋

I’m introducing a new range of bangles and pieces that are priced more accessibly than my usual listings. Many customers have asked for lower-priced options and shared that they’re comfortable with minor, clearly disclosed flaws, so I wanted to make this available.

This listing will be the first to grace this collection of instock, ready-to-ship items, colloquially known as Youka's Good Deals 🤭

These items may have minor imperfections or small flaws, but they’re still beautiful, wearable, and offer great value for what they are.

My goal with this collection is to make these pieces more attainable for those who want to try out hetian jade, including seed jade, but prefer something at a lower price point. As always, transparency matters - every flaw or imperfection will be clearly disclosed so you know exactly what you’re getting. No filters in my photos/videos as always.

If you’ve been waiting for a chance to pick something up at a friendlier price, this is for you. Thanks for the continued support!! 🥰💕

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Description:

This 'Starry Night' Heiqing seed jade set is named as such because it looks like a night sky full of stars, and is due to mineral inclusions in a Heiqing (lit. black-green) base that sparkle in the light. The material itself is extremely oily, and will only look better with wear.

No flaws to take note of, except for a small spot where the included mineral is on the very surface of the bangle, thus causing it to not be polished as well as the rest of the bangle. Blends in well, looks like a shooting star almost!

A number of people interested in Hetian qinghua seed jade have asked me how to differentiate good quality from bad. I found a video that summarises the differences in look and its average prices, so I hope this will help answer most of your questions and concerns on quality and price. Note that these prices are internal and within China, so you may experience higher prices buying these abroad or from larger franchises.

I have included some straightforward comparison pics at the end of the video. To recap, price of Hetian jade is always determined by the oiliness (NOT the polish), moistness, fineness, visibility of structure, before whiteness (which is saved for the super high-end).

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1. Collector tier (100k+ RMB)

This is the kind of qinghua seed jade you almost never run into. The white has that true mutton-fat look, soft and pure, and the black ink is dense like lacquer. The contrast feels very crisp, almost like a natural ink painting formed on its own. Inside, it’s basically flawless. No cotton, no cracks, no impurities. The structure is extremely tight with that felt-like texture, and the oiliness is about as good as it gets, rich and smooth in hand. You can still see the natural skin and pores too, which adds a lot of character. At this level, it’s either master carving or just left as a top-quality natural piece.

2. High-end (10k to 100k RMB)

Still very high quality material. Either good seed jade or top Xinjiang mountain material. The white is clean, and the ink is nicely gathered but not stiff, with smooth transitions that look natural. Maybe a tiny bit of cotton here and there, but nothing obvious, and no real cracks. The structure is fine and compact, with good oiliness and a slightly waxy feel. Shapes are usually well-formed. Craftsmanship is solid too, with experienced makers doing pendants, bangles, and hand pieces that feel full and balanced.

3. Mid-range (3k to 10k RMB)

This is more everyday territory. The white is decent but slightly greenish. Ink patterns are mostly concentrated, though you'll see some areas where it spreads out a bit. There can be small amounts of fine cotton, but no cracks. The structure is still tairly dense, visible but not rough. It feels smooth and warm in hand, with enough oiliness to be comfortable. Carving is simpler, sometimes basic, but the pieces are complete and generally clean.

4. Lower mid (1k to 3k RMB)

Here you start seeing Qinghai or Russian material, or more ordinary Xinjiang mountain/ seed jade. The color leans gray-green, and the ink is more scattered or dotted, without strong concentration. Inclusions are more noticeable, and there may be small hairline cracks. The structure is a bit coarser, and it can feel slightly dry at first. With handling, it can improve a bit. Mostly simple machine work or basic hand carving. Shapes are acceptable but not very refined.

5. Entry level (below 1k RMB)

This is rough material or offcuts. The white looks dull and grayish, and the black is muddy, without any clear ink pattern. The most commonly seen seed jade in this category is called "sesame paste" seed jade, as is seen in the video. There can be plenty of visible inclusions and cracks. The structure is loose and grainy, with almost no oiliness, so it feels dry in hand. Usually mass-produced pieces, smaller sizes, and rough details. More for practice or casual use than collecting.

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You might ask, what about the items I sell? For reference, my sesame bangles are considered A1 level. 💖 it easily goes for near 40k RMB on the market, but as JC cuts his own stones and owns it firsthand without middlemen or staff to pay, we are able to provide our products at a much more affordable price.

Different jade sellers operate differently, and sell different quality of goods, and your best choice is whatever budget and options work best for you.

A revisit of this lovely pendant that I scored a while back. I haven’t met another that speaks to me quite like the way this one does, ever since! 🥰 definitely a keeper for life.

So in love with the black-and-white aesthetic of hetian seed jade 🥰🖤🤍 sharing this set that still makes me so happy to see!!

Item: Handcarved Hetian Seed Jade Pendants

Jade Type / Seller Identification: Hetian Seed Jade (with exception of one, Qiemo Sugar Mountain Hetian Jade)

Treatment Status: Untreated

Certificate / Lab Report: No certificate

Measurements: Varies, approx. 2cm minimum.

Weight: Varies

Condition: Brand new

Price: $168~$520, details in video

Shipping From: Singapore

Shipping To: Worldwide

Payment / Checkout Method: PayPal

Return Policy: No returns accepted

Seller Review History: General review post ✨here✨

Photos / Video: Included in post

Additional Notes:

Thank you for all of your patience and for the wait - so happy to announce that the cats are finally all out of the oven!! In this series, JC has specially done up a series of cats for me after my contant nagging HAHAHAHA so I hope y'all like them! Some of them are cute, and some more ~artistic~, but most importantly they are all handcarved with love as always 🥰🖤

JC has even specially designed some ingot beads to match with the black pieces!! It's hard to find such thoughtfulness and care, and I think it elevates the entire feeling of the piece so much.

There are also carved motifs that make use of the seed skin, such as coins and ingots! I think it's so very cute.

Hope y'all like it!! ✨💖

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Note: All photos and videos taken with no filter. What you see is what you get.

Add USD$15 for flat tracked shipping worldwide. Paypal only.

(Taxes at the buyer's country of residence is subject to buyer's responsibility. For buyers in the US, add 20% to the *declared* price, excluding shipping.)

*See the pinned post on my Profile for all T&C. *

Hello everyone! As mentioned in my earlier post, I’ve decided to make a series of short articles providing more knowledge on Hetian jade. This series will be updated mainly on my new Instagram at hetian.youka (with attached pictures) and reposted here in my free time. I will also be updating my Instagram with first looks on what my jade contact (JC) is up to, so do give a follow if you’re interested! 💕

🖤 What is Hetian jade?

Hetian jade is most famously known as one of the four famous jades of China. Scientifically, the definition of Hetian jade (and what appears on your authentication certificate) is a jade with over 95% tremolite (透闪石) levels and 1.61 refractive index. High tremolite levels give Hetian jade its distinct oily lustre - as the light bounces softly within the jade before reflecting into our eyes, making it different from anything seen in other semi-precious or precious stones.

Hetian jade (nephrite) is commonly compared to jadeite, where jadeite is a hard jade, Hetian jade is a soft jade. However, hardness is different from toughness, and nephrite is known to be one of the toughest materials in existence due to its fibrous, interlocking structure.

Because the scientific term of what Hetian jade constitutes is only defined by its tremolite levels, note that *any* stone with sufficient tremolite can be called Hetian jade. The requirement also dropped from 98% to 95% in recent years, making it easier for a tremolitic stone to be called Hetian jade. This is an industrial loophole that I will discuss more about in future posts.

🖤 Why is Hetian jade called Hetian jade?

Let's talk about history. Hetian jade has over 4000 years of history, making it one of the oldest prized material in Chinese history. It used to be offered as tribute to the emperor, and only the royal family and high officials (gifted Hetian jade by the emperor) could use it.

As the name suggests, Hetian jade historically was sourced from the Yurungkax River in Hetian (Hotan), Xinjiang, where people would pick up seed jade pebbles from the river. However, in the modern context (haha capitalism), Hetian jade has ventured far beyond the namesake of its origin.

🖤 What does the industry recognise as Hetian jade?

The industry traditionally is split into two factions: the narrow sense (狭义) and the broad sense (广义). As you can guess, the "narrow sense" faction is traditionalistic, only recognises any jade that comes from Xinjiang as Hetian jade. "Why so narrow-minded?" you might ask. This is because they believe that only Hetian jade from Xinjiang can truly fulfill what Hetian jade is "supposed" to encompass - oiliness, fattiness, moistness, and a lustre unseen in other sources.

In the "broad sense", any piece of stone that is able to test for over 95% tremolite levels *is* considered Hetian jade.

With the scarcity of "narrow sense" Hetian jade - which is on the decline every year (reports from people in the industry show that only 10% of annually produced Hetian jade is from Xinjiang - including mountain, seed, gobi etc), 90% are from other regions such as Qinghai, Siberia (Russia) and other unrecognised "wild mines" in China (I will also talk more about wild mines in the future), and this number will only decline more in the future.

Author's Note:

I hope this post has been useful even just as an introductory post! I plan to write more when time allows, so stay tuned. 🥰 If you have any questions, feel free to comment, and I can address them in a future post.