2007 auction price expectations of Chinese white jade carvings and boulders

During a recent visit to Hangzhou I have picked up a catalogue of a December 2007 auction of jade organized by the Haohan International Auction House in Hangzhou.

I have scanned the relevant pages showing the small jade carvings of recent manufacture as also of the white Yurungkash/Hotien jade pebbles and boulders. As each illustration was accompanied by the weight of the jade and the estimated lower to upper auction price, I have normalized the upper price limit to US$ per gram so to give you a comparison yardstick of current jade prices. Haohan Auction House did not want to give me the actual reached auction price.

100US$ are valued 670 Chinese RMB and 100g amount to 3.5 ounces.

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The next auction will be held in October 2008 with several jade boulders announced to be in the auction program.

As these carvings are of recent manufacture and labor costs are low in China, you can evaluate for yourself how the raw material cost through the combination of colored skin, translucency and size, influences the estimated auction price. The price of uncut pebbles from the Yurungkash River ranges from a low of 10$/g to an absolute high of 502$/g depending on the translucency and homogeneity of the material (true mutton fat jade).

For the value of carved items, the presence of russet colored skin, adroitly incorporated into the design of the carving, is essential for asking an elevated price. Its absence or a patch with only a dull brown color immediately lowers the price as the origin of the white jade cannot anymore be related to the Yurungkash River. This value adding russet skin is however now also reproduced artificially and the suspicion lingers on that at least one boulder offered in this auction has seen such a color enhancing step.

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Carving of an unborn chicken (?) in white (river) jade with russet colored skin
78g – 115$/g

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Carving of a fruit in white (river) jade with small russet colored skin patch
148g – 71$/g

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Yurungkash River boulder in white jade with russet skin
25.5Kg – 9.5$/g

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Carving of a duck in white (river) jade with tenuous russet colored skin patches
206g – 159$/g

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Yurungkash River boulder in white jade with russet colored skin
22Kg – 20$/g

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Carving of a sage in white (river) jade with a small russet colored skin patch
48.8g – 108$/g

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Five small Yurungkash River white jade pebbles
80.9g – 14$/g

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Carving of a sage in white (river) jade with small russet colored skin patch
218.7g – 21$/g

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Necklace with 42 naturally shaped white (river ) jade pebbles
124.1g – 66$/g

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Carving of a fruit and a bat in white (river) jade with tenuous russet colored skin patch
167.7g – 27$/g

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Carving of two catfishes (?) in white (river) jade with russet colored skin patch
153g – 29$/g

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Small Yurungkash River white jade pebble with very tenuous russet colored skin patches
112.1g – 27$/g

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Five small Yurungkash River white jade pebbles
80.4g – 15$/g

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Carving of a monkey in white jade
18.5g – 306$/g

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Carving of lion cub in white (river) jade with russet colored skin streaks
18.4g – 203$/g

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Carving of a scene with a rooster in white (river) jade with a tenuous russet colored skin patch
57.1g – 78$/g

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Carving of a horse in fetal position (?) in white (river) jade with a tenuous russet colored skin patch
151.4g – 37$/g

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Carving of a fruit with monkeys in white (river) jade with an intense russet colored skin patch
20.1g – 245$/g

Carving of a scene with a peach tree, monkeys and dogs in white (river) jade with russet colored skin
133.4g – 179$/g

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Necklace with 44 naturally shaped small white (river) jade pebbles with russet colored skin
90.2g – 165$/g

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Carving of a sage in white (river) jade with a tenuous russet colored skin patch
32.8g – 127$/g

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Carving of a sage in white (river) jade with a russet colored skin patch
21.3g – 196$/g

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Carving of scene (upside down) with a rooster in white (river) jade with russet colored skin patches
11.5g – 285$/g

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Carving of two carps in white jade with a small brown colored patch
26.9g – 36$/g

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Carving of a Buddhist religious figure in white jade
33.4g – 36$/g

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Carving of a scene with two bats and a bamboo stalk in white (river) jade with an intense russet colored skin patch
16.7g – 53$/g

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Carving of a goat in white (river) jade with russet colored staining
12.6g – 61$/g

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Small Yurungkash River white jade pebble with very tenuous russet colored skin patches
31.9g – 187$/g

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Carving of a fruit with butterfly in white (river) jade with localized russet colored skin patch
11.6g – 45$/g

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Carving of a sage in white jade
15.8g – 47$/g

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Carving of lion cub playing with a ball in white jade with some brown colored spots
99.1g – 60$/g

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Pendant carving of a fruit and a butterfly in white (river) jade with russet colored spots
6.2g – 46$/g

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Carving of a small lion cub in white (river) jade with russet stains
18.7g – 28$/g

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Carving of a scene with a ram and monkey in white (river) jade with an intensive russet colored skin patch
20.4g – 36$/g

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Carving of a fruit with monkeys in white (river) jade with a small russet colored spot
121.4g – 37$/g

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Yurungkash River white jade pebble with an intense russet skin color and blackened fracture lines
1444g – 21$/g

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Yurungkash River white jade pebble with a thin russet colored skin
463g – 48$/g

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Carving of a sage in white (river) jade with russet colored patches
128g – 41$/g

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Carving of a group of animals in white jade
20g – 373$/g

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Small Yurungkash River unblemished white jade pebble
54g – 105$/g

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Small Yurungkash River white jade pebble
53g – 138$/g

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Small Yurungkash River white jade pebble with russet colored spots
103g – 43$/g

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Small Yurungkash River white jade pebble with a small russet colored spot
103g – 116$/g

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Bracelet with 7 Yurungkash River white jade pebbles with russet colored skin
72g – 62$/g

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Carving of a fruit and two monkeys in white jade
26g – 172$/g

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Small Yurungkash River top quality white jade pebble with russet colored spot
29.7g – 502$/g

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Yurungkash River greyish white jade pebble with extensive russet colored skin (oiled)
106g – 140$/g

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Yurungkash River white jade boulder with russet colored surface (oiled)
78Kg – 13$/g

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Rectangular flat pendant with the carving of a sage in white (river) jade with a tenuous russet colored volume
52g – 115$/g

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Yurungkash River white jade boulder (oiled) with heavy russet colored skin and with two windows showing the white jade core
37Kg – 12$/g

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Yurungkash River white jade boulder (oiled) with fractures and a russet colored surface
38Kg – 10$/g

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Yurungkash River white jade boulder (oiled) with a russet colored surface
21Kg – 26$/g

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Yurungkash River white jade boulder (oiled) with a russet colored surface
15Kg – 57$/g