10 pieces of high-priced jadeite collected by the Palace Museum in Beijing.

The Palace Museum in Beijing was established on October 10, 1925 and is located in the Forbidden City in Beijing. It is a comprehensive museum in China built on the basis of the imperial palaces and collections of the Ming and Qing dynasties. It is also the largest museum of ancient culture and art in China. Its collection of cultural relics mainly comes from the old collections of the Qing Dynasty palace. Today I will show you some of the priceless jadeite in the collection for you to feast your eyes.

Kingfish Shaped Pendant

Kingfish-shaped pendant, Qing Dynasty, 5.6 cm long and 2.2 cm wide. The jade materials used in this work are blue and green. There are green spots on the blue material, which is used to carve lotus flowers and lotus leaves. The green material under the lotus is carved into a fish with a wide head, long body, and curly tail, resembling a catfish, as if swimming in the lotus pond. It is tied with a coral button.

Fish pendants already existed in the Tang Dynasty. During the Song and Jin Dynasties, pendants with jade fish holding water plants were very popular. This type of work continued until the Qing Dynasty and symbolized wealth and prosperity.

Jade descendants wear it for generations

Jade Descendants of All Generations Pendant, Qing Dynasty, 4.9 cm long and 3.1 cm wide. The jadeite is green. The pendant is rectangular and thick. It is carved with gourds and leaves. The upper part of the pendant is tied with a yellow ribbon, strung with rice beads and a round tourmaline.

The word "hulu" is homophonic with "fulu", and people use gourd to represent blessing and fortune. As gourds grow on vines, it means blessing and fortune for generations. As gourds bear many seeds, it also means descendants for generations. This work uses the gourd as its theme to represent auspiciousness. It is finely carved and has a great decorative effect when worn on the body.

Green Ganoderma Pendant

Green Ganoderma lucidum pendant, Qing Dynasty, 5.5 cm long and 3.2 cm wide. The jadeite is green. The pendant is in the shape of a thick sheet and is carved in the shape of a Ganoderma lucidum. There is a hole on the upper part, through which a ribbon, rice beads and pink tourmaline are inserted. This piece of jewelry has a uniform emerald green color, good light transmittance, a bright surface and a glassy texture.

Emerald Three-Sheep Pendant

Emerald Three-Sheep Pendant, Qing Dynasty, 6.4 cm long and 4.3 cm wide. The emerald is turquoise in color, with some parts being darker green. The pendant is rectangular with rounded corners. One side is embossed with an auspicious pattern of Three Yangs Bringing Good Luck: the upper part is made of flowing clouds with the sun hidden in it, the middle part is carved with rocks and pine trees, and below are three sheep, all lying down with their heads raised, their long horns bent on their backs, their short tails, and their eyes looking at the sun. The other side is carved with rocks, with green grass on the rocks.

Emerald Oval Pendant

Emerald oval pendant, Qing Dynasty, 1.8 cm long and 2.3 cm wide. The emerald green color is uniform and has strong light transmittance. The jade pendant is oval and flake-shaped, with a smooth surface without any patterns. There is a hole on each side, through which a rope is passed. Under the rope are two small flower bud-shaped pendants, hung with a yellow rope. The upper end of the pendants is decorated with groups of small coral beads and small pearls. This work has no decorative patterns, but is characterized by its deep emerald green color and fine texture.

Jade carved lotus pendant

Emerald carved lotus pendant, Qing Dynasty, 2.8 cm long and 3.6 cm wide. The color is emerald green, with some parts being darker. Falling into flakes. The darkest colored center part is carved with lotus leaves, which are trifurcated in shape, with curled edges and the veins of the leaves engraved in negative lines on the surface. The lotus stems, lotus flowers and roots are carved in light-colored areas above and below the lotus leaves. The author has managed to display the entire lotus within a limited scope, with vivid shapes and rich layers of colors.

Lotus is a traditional decorative subject. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, scholars often used lotus as a subject for their books and paintings. Craftsmen regarded it as a fashion, praising its integrity, its graceful figure, or its symbolic wealth and prosperity. This piece is made of precious jade, is small and exquisite, has a novel pattern and is very pleasing to the eye.

Green lotus fish pendant

Green lotus fish pendant, Qing Dynasty, diameter 2.1 cm. The color is dark green and has strong light transmittance. The pendant is in the shape of a lotus leaf, with a fish in shallow relief in the middle. Since the Tang Dynasty, fish-related accessories have begun to increase. Jade fish pendants were popular during the Song and Yuan dynasties, most of which were mandarin fish, while fish pendants became popular mainly during the Qing dynasty.

Emerald carved plate

Emerald carved plate, Qing Dynasty, 2.5 cm long and 3.5 cm wide. The emerald green is uniform and has strong light transmittance. The pendant is in the shape of a plate, carved into a disc shape, with small holes on the top and bottom for passing a thin rope. The pan is often one of the eight auspicious patterns, representing a loop and transparency. It was widely used in the Qing Dynasty and was often used in conjunction with other auspicious patterns.

Green scent bag

Green scent bag, Qing Dynasty, 6.2 cm long and 4.6 cm wide. The texture is emerald green, with some parts darker. The sachet is fan-shaped, like a box, and can be snapped shut for storing spices. Both sides are carved with brocade patterns and two fish. There are coral beads attached to both ends of the sachet. The tassels are strung with coral rice beads, and a emerald pendant is tied under the tassels.

Sachet is used to be worn on the body, and stores spices inside. The fragrance overflows from the holes, and the light one is refreshing, while the strong one is pleasant. The green sachet left by the Qing Palace still contains the flowers used in the past. Although they have withered, their former beauty can still be seen.

A jadeite longevity plaque with twin phoenixes

Emerald carved double phoenix longevity plaque, Qing Dynasty, 7.3 cm long and 5.1 cm wide. The jade plaque is rectangular and thick. There are two phoenixes facing each other carved on both sides, and flowers and cloud patterns carved under the phoenixes. The words "Wanshou" and "Wujiang" are embossed between the two phoenixes on both sides. There is a rope around the pendant, and red coral beads are strung on the rope.

Rectangular plaques have been popular since the Ming Dynasty. They are decorated with a variety of patterns, including flat embossed patterns and openwork patterns. Some plaques are also decorated with decorative Kuilong tops or other patterns on the top. This work is finely carved, and the phoenix pattern is a typical style of the Qing Dynasty court.

Each of these 10 types of jade is priced sky-high. Chinese people love jade, appreciate jade, play with jade, and worship jade. Their love for jade is even shrouded in a layer of mystery. People regard jade as the crystallization of the essence of heaven and earth and as a fusion of the communication between gods and humans.

Jade is a culture. There is a saying in Confucianism that "a gentleman's virtue is compared to jade".

In ancient times, jade was a symbol of status and was used exclusively by the emperor and the court. Jade was also used to symbolize human virtues. There is a saying that "a gentleman will never leave his jade without a reason." This unique cultural phenomenon has made the idea that "gold has a price, jade is priceless" deeply rooted and long-lasting.

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