Featured little modern jade? fish pendant

hi folks

something else i found in a charity shop a while ago, doubt its worth very much and made yesterday, but wondering if it looks like it is jade or junk before trying to sell it

thanks

 

Hi:

Jade is very important in Chinese culture. While I am by no means an expert, I have had a lifetime of seeing valuable jade pieces owned and talked about by members of my family.

Here you can tell that both the stone and the carving do not look very refined. In addition, I will pass on a tip from my own mother: pay attention to how jade jewelry is displayed. Valuable jade will be usually be accompanied by something valuable, e.g., a good piece of jade will be set with 24 kt. gold rather than some gold-plated or gold-colored metal. If a piece of jade is hanging from a simple cord, that is a clue that it is probably just an inexpensive decoration.

Greg

 

very good point greg, thanks for the info

 

I agree with Greg, the carving isn't top notch. But it is jade, celadon with a bit of russet colour, which is valued in China.

These small carvings on a silk cord were carried for luck, tucked into clothing, or in one's pocket. I forgot the name, there is a specific term for them.
They are always on a silk cord, never with gold, not even the quality ones. It isn't jewellery, but a good luck charm for personal use.
Yours is probably missing a silk tassle though.

A goldfish is associated with gold, so prosperity. A useful symbol to have on your person.

 

great info as always, thanks Aj i had a feeling it was, just not a quality piece.

i shall keep it and keep my fingers crossed

 

Outstanding advice.

 

I was just thinking of mine, it has an eternal knot and a jade bead, if I remember correctly. It is ca 1920-30.
I'll see if I can find a photo. No promises though, it has been a while since I last saw it.

 

Chinese here may I chime in about jade

While this piece really isn't impressive quality or well made and I concur with everything you said other than the precious metal and diamonds

Unless it's a rather modern piece involving jadeite jade and qing onwards

The rare and collectible nephrite don't come with those stuff

Chinese people traditionally consider gold and diamonds very tacky, and jadeite jade is only something comparably new and foreign and nouveau riche that's been skyrocketing and manipulated into high jewelry financial instruments

The snobby art collectors in China most of the times dislike the flashy stuff and would often say gold has monetary value and nephrite doesn't as in priceless artifacts never come with gold attached to it.

 

Couldn't agree more.
And I am glad it came from a Chinese person, because it didn't feel right coming from me after Greg's very personal reply about jadeite and gold etc.
However, I have written several posts in the past about the appreciation of beautiful nephrite jade versus the more 'showy' jadeite jade.

I think Greg's family's appreciation of glossy jadeite with gold etc stems from a migrant background. They were forced by circumstance to focus on monetary value, and a value that meant something in their new surroundings.
Nephrite jade, on the other hand, is the stone of "high" culture. Scholars and collectors, for instance, and of course the old time upper classes. That is a part of Chinese culture that wasn't known or understood in the country Greg's ancestors migrated to.

Greg is right in saying that jade is important in Chinese culture, but that is nephrite jade, not jadeite. The large scale import of jadeite only began in the 18th century, if I remember correctly. It is indeed connected with the nouveau riche of the time, and even to this day.
Nephrite has a strong and profound historic, cultural and spiritual connotation that is so much older than the import of jadeite.
Nephrite is embedded in Chinese culture, whereas jadeite is a Burmese stone.

And yes, there is snobbishness involved in the appreciation of nephrite, just like there is snobbishness in saying quality jade can only be recognized by expensive settings.
Old school nephrite snobs versus nouveau jadeite snobs.