Which do you prefer, plain jade or carved jade?

In the world of jade, jade is divided into plain jade and carved jade. Plain jade is simple and elegant, showing the essential beauty of jade; carved jade is complex and diverse, emphasizing the beauty of the carving craftsmanship. The top-grade jade is often presented in its plain form to show the natural beauty of its jade.

The so-called plain jade is what the jade jargon calls “bare jade”, meaning jade without any modification and no carved patterns or designs on the surface. Su Shen jade has very high requirements on the quality of raw materials. First of all, it must be the best part of the jade material, with transparent water quality, natural and pure color, and it cannot have any cracks or defects.

In the jade market, “plain” jade has greater appreciation potential than carved jade. Why? This is because top-grade jade is mostly plain. In famous auction houses such as Christie's, plain jade jewelry such as bead necklaces, jade buckles, bracelets, and cabochons have almost all been sold at high prices, which is enough to prove the value potential of plain jade.

What is “natural” jade? "None-faced" jade is the same as "bare jade" in the jade jargon, which refers to jade jewelry with no carved patterns or decorations on the surface. In a narrow sense, jade ring faces, bracelets, and plain flower pieces belong to the category of plain jade; in a broad sense, carvings of Guanyin and Maitreya Buddha also belong to the category of plain jade, because this type of jade jewelry tends to pay attention to symmetry, has high requirements for materials, and has a smooth surface. Apart from the fixed carved lines, there will be no extra carvings.

The beauty of jade lies in its quality. It is very particular about what kind of ornaments it is used for and what shape it is made into. Because it has high requirements on the type and color of the material itself, the beauty of jade is about what shape the jade is made into and what kind of works it is used for. Therefore, if you want to make plain jade jewelry, the jade material must not have any defects or cracks.

“Natural look” is actually better. Generally speaking, a piece of jade material without cracks and with excellent quality, water, texture and color is always carved as little as possible. However, sometimes carving is necessary to avoid or cover up cracks or natural defects on the jade material. In this sense, the less carving there is on the jewelry, the better the quality of the material.

High-quality jadeite not only has excellent qualities, but also has sophisticated craftsmanship. Therefore, it is sold at a very high price in the market and is favored and sought after by collectors.