What is the advantage of “plain and smooth” jade?

Friends who like jade may find that the jade jewelry we buy is basically presented in a plain form. Although there are occasional carvings, they are generally rare. Why is this? Let’s take a look together!

The value of jade is mainly divided into two aspects: one is the value of the material itself, and the other is the value of the carving. According to the Book of Rites, "The great jade tablet is not carved, but its quality is beautiful." This means that the jade tablet in the hands of kings, princes, generals and ministers, although not carved and shown in its plain surface, is enough to show its own beauty.

"Plain surface", as the name suggests, refers to jade that has only undergone processes such as cutting, grinding and polishing. Its material is the most flawless part, the water quality must be fine, and the gloss, brightness, transparency and purity are all indispensable. However, carving is an art of subtraction. Therefore, in order to preserve the material to the greatest extent, this type of jade is often not carved and is shown in its plain form.

So what types of plain jadeite do we usually see in the market? Let’s take a look!

No Matter

The Wu Shi Pai is also called the Ping An Pai. As a plain jadeite, it has another meaning, "no decoration" and "nothing". Of course, there are Wu Shi Pai with carvings, but most of them are still flat and smooth plain Wu Shi Pai.

In addition, similar to the Wu Shi Pai is the Ping An Kou. Both have been symbols of peace since ancient times. Although they are plain and unpretentious, their beauty and meaning are not simple.

bracelet

Bracelets are the most common plain jade, and are also the jade style with the highest relative value. They are also people's favorite jade jewelry. People's preference for bracelets makes it the first choice for picking up goods. The best materials are all given priority to whether they can be made into bracelets. Such a special status fully guarantees the superiority of the bracelet quality among jades of the same material.

Carving is very rare in jade bracelets. It is only when there are particularly obvious flaws that carving is used to modify them. This kind of bracelet is also called a crafted bracelet and is usually worth less than bracelets of the same quality.

ring

Similar to bracelets are plain rings. Although a ring is not as big as a bracelet, it is actually just as cheap in terms of materials. Although the "circle" of a thumb ring is small, its thickness is large. The thickness of a thumb ring is sometimes equivalent to that of two bracelets. Therefore, in terms of material, a thumb ring is almost the same as a bracelet. A good plain ring is also very valuable.

Speaking of jade rings, the egg-shaped one is also a kind of plain jade. It has a smooth and full surface and beautiful curvature. It is also the most common jade ring face.

bead

Beads are also a common type of plain jade, and due to their limited size, few people would try to carve on them. Because the beads are made of extremely jade materials, for example, a bracelet core material, if it is a relatively large bead, may only produce four or five beads. A piece of material weighing several kilograms can only make a few bracelets.

Secondly, making beads requires large materials, and the beads must be of uniform size. Therefore, if you want uniform beads, the material must be large enough.

Follow the shape

Random shape is a common yet often overlooked form of jade. In fact, it is a way of giving up regular processing in order to preserve the material as much as possible. This irregular shape often has a unique linear beauty.

So, sometimes the simpler things are, the more valuable they are!

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