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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Any Jewelry, post: 10058912, member: 2844&quot;]A stunning piece, Hetian/Khotan jade at its best. And a forest dragon/gecko, one of my favourite subjects in Chinese art.<img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie49" alt=":happy:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p>Did they mean ancient or antique? The two terms get mixed up sometimes.</p><p><br /></p><p>I was taught that the holes on ancient jades (and other stones) were partially drilled first on one side, then on the other. The process was repeated until they met in the middle. That way there was less risk of the piece breaking. The resulting hole has a sort of hourglass shape, with the outsides wider than the centre.This is the type of hole you see on the famous Hongshan jades, for instance.</p><p><br /></p><p>With better tools and materials came the possibility to drill straight holes with fewer breakages. But I don&#039;t know when the Chinese first drilled straight holes in jade.</p><p>The hole on your pendant is straight all the way through, which, according to what I was taught, would mean it isn&#039;t ancient. It could be antique, and it is certainly handcarved and very beautiful.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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