The value of jades, China's imperial symbol

If you own one or more Chinese jade objects, and would like to know their value, our state-approved experts and auctioneers can offer you their expert appraisal services.

Our specialists will carry out a free appraisal of your work, and provide you with a precise estimate of its current market value.

Then, if you want to sell your work, we'll point you in the right direction to get the best possible price for it.  

Rating and value of Chinese jades

Chinese jades are currently highly sought-after collector's items. If you own one, it may be worth more than you think. On the art market, these objects can fetch very high prices under the auctioneer's hammer.  

They are particularly prized, and the price at which they sell on the art market ranges from €100 to €50,000, a fairly substantial difference, but one that speaks volumes about the value that can be attributed to these objects.  

In 2013, a jade statuette from China sold for €1.56 million, whereas it was estimated at over 100 times less.

Characteristics of Chinese jades

Chinese jades, at the heart of craftsmanship for millennia, are distinguished by a precision of cut and a symbolic richness that make them exceptional works of art.

Their surface, polished to an incomparable tactile smoothness, reflects a palette of nuances from deep green to the translucent brilliance of milky whites, testifying to the quality of the stones and the craftsmanship of the artisans.

But it's not just their beauty that fascinates: the motifs, often engraved or carved in bas-relief, use a precise vocabulary borrowed from the natural world - dragons, clouds, lotus flowers - and from a cosmological imagination rooted in Chinese thought. Each jade is part of a tradition in which the ornament becomes a talisman, and the material is charged with a palpable spirituality.

Whether bi discs or pendants, these objects display a subtle balance between robustness and delicacy, a paradox inherent in the stone itself, hard but malleable in expert hands.

History and symbolism of Chinese jades

The symbolism of Chinese jades is rooted in a history spanning thousands of years, in which the stone, both precious and spiritual, becomes a bridge between the earthly and the celestial.

From the earliest dynasties, jade was seen as a mirror of cosmic harmony: its hardness embodies permanence, while its translucence evokes the purity of the soul.

Offerings to the gods, protective amulets, funerary ornaments: the uses of this stone are intertwined with rites and beliefs.

Under the Han, it was carved into bi and cong disks, symbolizing respectively heaven and earth, thus uniting opposites in a quest for universal balance.

Later, the Song and Ming dynasties refined this heritage, elevating jade to the rank of supreme art, while its motifs - dragons, phoenixes, clouds - reinforced its role as a protective talisman.

In every era, this stone embodies the Chinese ideal of virtue and harmony, a philosophy sculpted into the material.

Focus on the Shanghai Museum's bi disc  

The Han dynasty bi disc, preserved in the Shanghai museum, eloquently illustrates the perfection achieved by Chinese craftsmen in working jade, a material charged with strong symbolic and spiritual value.

This circle, translucent green with delicate white veins, seems almost alive, as its polished surface captures and reflects light with a special softness.

On its face, meticulous engraving reveals cloudy motifs and stylized dragons, central figures in the Chinese imagination.

Dragons, symbols of power and transformation, intertwine harmoniously with celestial clouds, evoking the eternal cycles of nature and the interconnection of universal forces.

The disc, with its perfect shape, represents the celestial universe, while its central opening, stripped of all ornamentation, is often interpreted as a passage to the higher planes or immortality.

Through the subtle nuances of the stone and the harmony of the lines, we perceive a quest for balance between spirituality and materiality, where each incision reflects both technical mastery and profound philosophical reflection.

Although the bi was originally designed for ritual use - notably to accompany the deceased into the afterlife - it transcends its utilitarian function to become an artistic manifesto, embodying the ideals of harmony, perfection and wisdom characteristic of Chinese civilization.

This jade expresses the entire cosmological vision of the period, combining formal finesse and symbolic density.

Focus on the Chinese jade boat in the Peking Palace

This jade boat, a work of the Qing dynasty, questions the paradox of traditional craftsmanship confronted with timeless symbolism.

At first glance, one might be surprised at the fusion between such a classic form, an object sculpted from a material of natural hardness and beauty, and the profound meanings it conveys.

Why choose the purity of jade, associated with ancient dynasties, to represent the spiritual journey and quest for balance?

This is where the work's interest lies: far from being a mere aesthetic transposition, this jade boat combines age-old know-how with a metaphor that goes far beyond the merely decorative.

Jade, by virtue of its rarity and almost mystical character, becomes the medium par excellence to illustrate a passage between the tangible and spiritual worlds.

Following the example of classical art, which sought a perfect balance between form and function, this work does not simply depict a boat as a navigational object.

It becomes the vehicle for an inner journey, a journey between the earthly and the ethereal.

The object carved in jade seems frozen in a continuous, unbroken line, a line that doesn't just describe a boat, but tells of a path, a passage, a perfect balance between man and the divine.

The refinement of the material and the quality of the sculpture give this work a simplicity that brings us back to the question of the relationship between the craftsman and tradition: how, through ancestral gestures, does the artist manage to transcend the centuries and deliver a universal, timeless vision?

This jade boat is a perfect illustration of the tension between past and future, the material and spiritual worlds.

Success of these items on the auction market

The success of Chinese jade objects at auction is striking in its consistency and spectacular rise.

These pieces, which bear witness to a centuries-old tradition, succeed in capturing the attention of both Asian and international audiences, fascinated by both their rarity and their symbolic value, as in the case of the vasesvases Chinese bronzes or porcelain porcelain objects.

Far from being a mere passing fad, the jade market is becoming a stage where history mingles with contemporary demand, where the precious material crosses the centuries without losing its lustre.

One might ask what justifies such interest, and it seems that jade art, while drawing on deep roots, manages to embody a form of timelessness that few other art objects can claim.

The perfection of the sculptures, their technical refinement, and the mystical symbols they convey, make them coveted objects not only by collectors, but also by investors, who see in these pieces a value that goes beyond the merely aesthetic.

The symbolism of jade, its role in Chinese culture and its link with the spiritual, make it an art form steeped in both meaning and history, transcending market trends.

In this context, each sale is a reminder of the central place these objects occupy in the world's heritage, offering collectors a unique opportunity to appropriate a part of this continuity between past and present.

Recognizing an original Chinese jade

As these pieces are quite successful, it is possible that they do not originate from Chinese craftsmanship. For this reason, it is essential to carry out an expert appraisal, including verification of any markings and a study of the materials used.

Knowing the value of a work 

If you happen to own a Chinese jade object, don't hesitate to request a free appraisal using the form on our website.

A member of our team of experts and certified auctioneers will contact you promptly to provide you with an estimate of the market value of your work, as well as any relevant information about it.

If you're thinking of selling your work of art, our specialists will also be on hand to help you find alternatives for selling it at the best possible price, taking market trends into account.