Chinese Jade Investment and Appreciation (Complete Four-Volume Color Illustration Edition)

Author: Zhou Nanquan / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-04-01
Features: Archaeological evidence confirms that Chinese jade artifacts have a history of nearly 10,000 years, leaving behind tens of thousands of physical specimens. These relics serve as tangible evidence for understanding the politics, economy, culture, religious beliefs, and aesthetic tastes of various periods in Chinese society. They hold significant historical, artistic, scientific, and economic value, attracting worldwide attention and appreciation. With the deepening of China's reform and opening-up, as well as the continuous improvement of social and economic life and cultural standards—especially after the introduction of the new Cultural Relics Law—the passion for collecting jade among the public has blossomed and has only grown stronger. Numerous rare and even national-level artifacts have been discovered, rivaling those in state collections. Private jade collections and state collections complement and advance together. Of course, there are also varying degrees of issues and mistakes in private jade collections. The purpose of the illustrated book Investment and Appreciation of Chinese Jade Artifacts is to introduce collectors to the knowledge of jade appraisal and guide them toward the right path of collecting and investment.
For a collector to avoid detours and minimize setbacks on their collecting journey, they should pay attention to the following points:
First, as a mature collector, one must adopt a correct mindset when acquiring artifacts. It is absolutely unacceptable to collect jade with illegal intentions or a mindset of (taking shortcuts for profit). Second, for collectors, the primary condition is to develop "sharp eyes" before collecting jade, especially improving the ability to date and authenticate ancient jade. If one has not yet reached this level and discovers a beloved piece they urgently wish to invest in, it is best to consult an expert with appraising skills or treat the cherished "treasure" as a fake when purchasing. Even if it results in a loss, this approach can minimize the damage.
Next, while collectors naturally consider the return on investment or the appreciation of their collections, they should never make it the sole purpose. Instead, they should view their collecting endeavors with a forward-looking or long-term perspective. Some collectors skillfully use the method of "cultural jade nurturing culture" (i.e., exchanging or transferring jade artifacts with others) to enhance the quality or quantity of their collections. More established collectors may pass down their inherited or lifelong-collected ancient jade as family heritage, entrusting it to future generations with the motto "treasured by generations to come." Others, when circumstances permit, donate all or part of the funds from auctions as acts of charity or to the state, thereby gaining higher honor beyond mere monetary value. Collecting jade becomes endlessly enjoyable when it is not solely about money!
Finally, there is a puzzling anomaly in the current collecting world when it comes to investing in ancient jade: Ming and Qing dynasty jade artifacts are highly marketable and command exorbitant prices, while jade artifacts from before the Ming and Qing dynasties, though historically profound, rare, and culturally rich, fail to fetch corresponding prices. Some collectors admit that they truly cherish ancient jade as a product of China's profound culture, but they hesitate to invest due to the difficulty of distinguishing between real and fake high ancient jade. This is likely the most direct cause of the aforementioned anomaly.
To address this, as someone with extensive research, appraising knowledge, and long-term identification experience in ancient jade, I aim to help collectors enhance their understanding of ancient jade appreciation, delve into its culture, and guide them toward the right path...