Why does everyone like jade necklaces? It turns out the charm lies here!

Jade bead necklaces have always been one of the most popular jade jewelry. Not only are they popular among ordinary consumers, but they are also highly favored by collectors, especially at the 2017 Hong Kong Jewelry Autumn Auction, where many necklaces were sold at sky-high prices. So, what kind of magic do these jade necklaces have that not only conquered the public but also made collectors spend huge sums of money on them?

Historical origins - an innate love

Just talking about beads, human beings’ love for beads seems to be innate.

As early as the Paleolithic Age 18,000 years ago, humans had already forged a bond with beads, as evidenced by the stone beads found at the Shangdingdong Man site. From stone beads to the jadeite necklaces that are popular all over the world today, this fate has been tested by the years and turned into a love that runs deep in the bones, making people fall in love with it and unable to let it go.

Most of today's bead necklaces have evolved from Buddhist beads, and thus continue the meaning of the beads. Buddhist beads, which sound like "fu zhu" in Chinese, mean "do not kill", and encourage good will and good deeds. They are also called "pure heart beads", which means "calmly contemplate and leave all delusions behind, and hold the beads on your heart".

In addition, different numbers of Buddhist beads have different meanings. Although with the evolution of the times, we are no longer restricted to specific numbers, but the original intention has not changed. It is still to pray for peace and joy, and for people to have a quiet and wise heart, without being arrogant or impatient.

The practice of using jadeite to make pearls began in the Qing Dynasty. During this period, jadeite began to flourish. Naturally, jadeite, with its unique warmth and elegance, became one of the precious materials for making beads. From court beads worn as accessories on official uniforms to palace bracelets popular in the harem, jadeite was deeply loved by dignitaries and became a symbol of status.

The innate love, rich cultural connotations, and precious and rare materials allow the perfection of the beads, the Zen nature of the Buddha, and the warmth of jade to be intertwined and sublimated among these strings of beads, creating the unique charm of jade beads. As a result, more and more people like jade beads, both because they like the spiritual power of jade and the Zen nature brought by the Buddhist beads.

The road to making a string of top-quality beads

The bead making process, also known as bead turning, is actually a thankless task for people in the industry, especially if you want to make a top-quality bead necklace, which is time-consuming and labor-intensive. Why is this?

1. A large number of beads

The large number of beads makes the necklace unique. No matter how simple a bead necklace is, it cannot be made up of just two or three beads. This means that if you want to get a string of beads that are uniform in size, consistent in color, and have an excellent appearance, you cannot just piece them together with leftover materials.

2. High requirements for material selection

A nearly perfect necklace of top-quality beads requires extremely high material selection. First, the original stone must be large enough to ensure the number of beads; secondly, it must be free of lines and cracks, with excellent water quality and uniform water color to ensure the quality of the beads. Especially as high-end raw stones become increasingly scarce, meeting these requirements is no easier than making bracelets or cabochons.

3. The process is complicated and the material cost is high

In addition to material selection, a top-quality bead necklace also requires careful and meticulous processing. Although the beads are small, the production process is very complicated and tedious. You must first find the position of the beads on the raw material, cut the material into thick slices, and then suck them into squares or barrels one by one. Then chamfer, coarse grind, fine grind, drill and polish. If you make them by hand, it will take a lot of time to make them one by one.

For a top-quality bead necklace, the size, water color and texture of each bead must be uniform. Even for the same piece of material, it is impossible for all places to meet the conditions for taking beads, and if you are not careful, a bead will be ruined. Relatively speaking, bead making not only wastes materials but also involves certain risks. Therefore, many jade merchants are reluctant to use good materials to make beads, resulting in jade bead necklaces becoming increasingly difficult to find, especially high-quality bead necklaces, which are even rarer.

Knowing where a top-quality necklace comes from, you will no longer be surprised why jade necklaces are so popular and why they repeatedly fetch sky-high prices at major auctions. Because these jade bead necklaces are uniform in color, quality, and appearance, and can be called top-quality jadeite necklaces, their value is bound to rise as high-end jadeite raw materials become increasingly scarce. They are an excellent choice whether for wearing or collection!

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