The Mystique of Jade's Value: A Journey Through Colors, Ages, and Expert Opinions

The Complexity Behind Jade's Value - A Comprehensive Guide

Jeffrey Hess Katrina Hess

January 1, 2018

Updated September 22, 2023

Jade, an enigmatic gem, presents a myriad of layers with its various applications, definitions, and color spectrums. It has long baffled experts as values can fluctuate wildly within a $3 to thousands per carat range. For decades, we embarked on understanding this multi-faceted gem by immersing ourselves in hands-on learning.

Motivated by our passion, we decided to take the practical route of buying every piece we could find to expand our knowledge base. With Katrina leveraging her educational background and my personal research approach, we ventured into a journey where each purchase was seen as either a victory or a lesson learned.

Our catalog started with decorative pieces from tourist attractions, utilitarian items like pins and necklaces, bowls, scepters, plaques, ruyis, and an eclectic mix of jade in gold-filled, 14k, 18k gold settings, platinum, both signed and unsigned. We entrusted professionals like GIA, BEAR Williams, AGL, and PGS for expert evaluations.

As our understanding deepened through these experiences, we shifted focus towards more expensive acquisitions - from a significant collection amassed by a sagacious retiree who had acquired unsold items at Sotheby's Christie's in the '70s at remarkably low prices under $500. This batch of thirty-one diverse jade items, including bowls and decorative objects with their detled provenance, constituted our biggest purchase.

Despite occasional losses ranging from a hundred to two dollars on certn pieces, most sales brought satisfactory profits, some soaring even above the initial investments. Notably, one Ming Dynasty piece not all Ming era pieces are valuable and an impressive crackled, rust-colored item from a later dynasty managed to secure the top selling positions.

The enigma of jade is best exemplified by our tale of a 2 x 1 inch rectangle that looked like a misshapen bar of soap with a tiny red dot center. It languished in our collection for months until Katrina listed it on Hess Fine Auctions through Live Auctioneers as mutton fat jade bar or decorative object reserve.

Over weeks, no bids emerged until an eml from China caught our attention: I'll offer you $2,500 U.S. dollars! Even without receiving tangible interest, another bid came in at $1,500 but was swiftly surpassed by a third bid at $9,000. This sequence of events left us equally perplexed as the two leading jade experts and Sotheby's, who could only provide nuanced apprsals based on their professional expertise.

Our story underscores that identifying Jade's value requires nuanced knowledge, considering factors like its age whether Ming or from another dynasty, coloration, texture, provenance, cultural significance, market trs, and expert opinions. The intricate nature of these elements can significantly influence the price tag attached to a piece.

As experts in our domn, we buy fine natural gemstones spanning prices from $1,000 up to $1 million for those interested or looking to sell their valuable collections.

For further discussions on this topic or any queries related to our experience and expertise, kindly reach out at [email protected].

Jeffrey Hess

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Old Northeast Jewelers
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