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Antique Chinese Mutton Fat White Nephrite Jade Pendant Certified

About the Item

Note the smooth surface of the white nephrite jade (Mutton Fat), and how light drapes over the curves. Look closely: the lapidary artist who created this masterpiece even polished his tool marks with garnet dust to make sure even that which was invisible to the naked eye would be smooth. Note the beetle climbing an overhanging stem. The soft, luminous polish was achieved without modern electric tools and the lines of this piece are consistent with jade carvings dating from a thousand years ago. And also from pieces created near the turn of the previous century -1880-1910. Lapidary artists in China frequently paid homage to ancient works they adored and this was not seen as an act of deception but of honor. I'm a second-generation jade collector and a gemologist and I'm going to date this carving to the turn of the previous century, not because I feel confident this is when it was created but because dating it to a Dynasty prior to Ming would require a board of people, all with advanced academic degrees in Asian artifacts and this is beyond the scope of my business here. My grandfather was a jade collector who made frequent trips throughout Asia to acquire his treasures but likewise to learn from the masters he encountered. The most important piece of advice he ever gave me was this: there are a lot of jade carvings designed to look old, some more successful than others. But when you encounter a jade carving that is truly antique and important, you will automatically, instinctively feel something within you, an emotional response. And this nugget of wisdom has remained with me because it has again and again proven to be true. This rare, authentic, and magnificent carving measures 59.09 x 38.40 x 11.34mm. A simple gold wire has been twisted into a bail, the loop soldered closed. There appears to be a faint maker's mark on the gold wire bail itself and possibly a metal fineness stamp; both to warn to interpret. The gold tests as at least 18K. The pendant is utterly magnificent and is ready to be worn on your silk cord or chain. The silk cord in the images is for illustration purposes only and does not ship with the pendant. The pendant ships with a certificate from Stone Group Labs stating that the jade is untreated White Nephrite.
  • Metal:
  • Stone:
  • Stone Cut:
  • Weight:
    31.22 g
  • Dimensions:
    Width: 1.52 in (38.4 mm)Depth: 0.45 in (11.34 mm)Length: 2.33 in (59.09 mm)
  • Style:
  • Lab Report Available:
    SGL 220420S-AB
  • Place of Origin:
  • Period:
  • Date of Manufacture:
    circa 1880
  • Condition:
  • Seller Location:
    Southbury, CT
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU1589115762262
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