The simpler, the more expensive? Why are these jades auctioned for tens of millions of dollars?

Some time ago, a simple and beautiful full-green square jadeite plaque was sold at an auction for a sky-high price of 53.65 million yuan, shocking the entire jadeite industry. Many jade lovers came to ask why such a simple plaque could be sold at such a high price. Aren’t those carved by masters popular? Let me tell you what kind of jade is worth collecting and even can be taken to auction in the future!

First, let's appreciate the sky-high prices of jadeite at auctions over the years. This jadeite round bead necklace has beads that are not very big, but they are round, full green in color, and have a warm texture. Paired with diamonds, it looks elegant and grand. In 1977, it was sold at a high price of 230,000 Hong Kong dollars.

This rare movable-ring jadeite bead necklace was sold at a high price of HK$726,000 in 1986. It shows that during this period, the enthusiasm of the people who became rich first for jadeite was high.

Time transitioned to the 20th century. In 2014, a jade necklace auctioned by Sotheby's was sold at a sky-high price of 214 million Hong Kong dollars because of the natural beauty of the jade and the legendary story of Barbara Hutton behind it. It still holds the world auction record for jade jewelry.

Through these top jadeite items, can you summarize their characteristics? In fact, it is what we call "simple". No matter it is a bead necklace or a pendant, they are all plain without any patterns. The inlay of gold and diamonds only adds brilliance without damaging the true color of the jade.

In fact, the top-quality jadeite that is truly worthy of collection is of excellent quality and color and is almost flawless. It does not require any carving to increase its value. On the contrary, carving it is a kind of damage to it. Therefore, there is an industry rule in the jade carving industry that the more perfect the material, the less likely it is to be harmed by workmanship, so as to respect the Creator's perfect creation to the greatest extent, just like the famous saying in "A Bite of China": "High-end ingredients often only require the simplest cooking methods."

So how is the value of a jade carving master reflected? In fact, many exquisite carvings are the result of masters’ ingenuity and skillful hands dealing with the flaws in jade to perfection, rather than cutting into already flawless jade. Many top masters will also try their best to process high-end materials in the simplest way, preserving the integrity and smoothness of the jade to the greatest extent.

Therefore, I would like to remind everyone, especially jade lovers with high-end consumption needs, that if you want to buy jade worthy of collection, you can give priority to flawless plain jade. If you are interested in certain masterpieces of masters, try to choose plain works rather than finely carved works. Such collections not only meet the current aesthetic and wearing needs, but also future generations can continue to treasure them without them becoming obsolete even decades later. When they need them, they can also send them to auction to contribute to their own development.

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