Chinese Jade Investment and Appreciation

Author: Zhou Nanquan, Editor-in-Chief
Publisher:
Publishing Date: April 1, 2005
Features: Archaeological evidence confirms that Chinese jade artifacts have a history of nearly 10,000 years, leaving behind countless physical relics. These artifacts serve as tangible evidence for understanding the politics, economy, culture, religious beliefs, and aesthetic tastes of Chinese society in various periods. They hold significant historical, artistic, scientific, and economic value, and have attracted great attention and appreciation from people around the world. 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 popularity of jade collecting among the public has taken off and shows no signs of stopping. Numerous rare and even national-level artifacts have been discovered, rivaling those in state collections. Private jade collections complement and advance alongside state collections. Of course, there are also some varying degrees of problems and mistakes in private jade collecting. 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 on the right path of collecting and investment.
For a collector to avoid detours and minimize mistakes in 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 or unethical intentions or with the mindset of. Second, for collectors, the primary requirement 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 but finds a much-loved piece they urgently want to invest in, it is best to consult an expert with appraising skills or treat the beloved "treasure" as a fake when purchasing. Even if it turns out to be a mistake, this approach can minimize losses.
Third, while collectors are naturally concerned about the return on investment or the appreciation of their artifacts, they should never make it the sole purpose. Instead, they should view their collecting as a long-term endeavor with a forward-looking perspective. Some collectors skillfully use the method of "cultural jade nurturing culture" (i.e., exchanging or transferring their own jade with others) to enhance the quality or quantity of their jade collections. Some well-funded collectors pass down their inherited or lifelong-collected ancient jade as family heritage to future generations, with the hope of "treasures for generations to come." Others, when circumstances permit, donate all or part of the funds from auctions in the name of "charitable acts," thereby gaining honor far beyond mere money.
When collecting is not solely for financial gain, it becomes a truly enjoyable pursuit!
Lastly, there is a puzzling and abnormal phenomenon in the current collecting world regarding the investment in ancient jade: Ming and Qing dynasty jade artifacts are highly liquid and command extremely high prices, while jade artifacts from before the Ming and Qing dynasties, though historically significant, rare, and culturally rich, fail to fetch corresponding prices. Some collectors say they truly cherish ancient jade as a product of profound Chinese culture, but they dare not invest due to the difficulty in distinguishing between real and fake high ancient jade. This is likely the most direct cause of the aforementioned abnormal phenomenon.
As someone with extensive research, appraising knowledge, and long-term identification experience in ancient jade, it has become our undeniable responsibility to help collectors enhance their understanding of ancient jade appraisal, learn about ancient jade culture, guide them toward the right direction of collecting and investment, and reverse the abnormal phenomenon mentioned above.
We sincerely hope that the publication of the illustrated book Investment and Appreciation of Chinese Jade Artifacts will provide beneficial and effective assistance in solving the aforementioned issues and offer support to those who love jade.