Fine Jadeite is Becoming a New Favorite Investment for China’s High-net-worth Individuals
According to a recent report by the Financial Times, China’s high-net-worth individuals are looking for more suitable assets to invest in, and jadeite has become their new target.
“Investors must consider how to diversify their investments,” said a spokesperson for the wealth management company Ruisheng Bank Group’s Hong Kong branch in the aforementioned report. “Many investors will consider jade and jadeite as part of their asset allocation.”
Christie’s Asia Chairman of Jewelry, Vickie Sek, also stated that an increasing number of young Chinese buyers and investors are seeking to acquire high-quality jadeite auction items.
In just the past eight months, renowned auction houses such as Christie’s and Sotheby’s have auctioned off several jadeite items of immense value and superior quality.
On May 25, 2022, at Christie’s Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center’s “Magnificent Jewels and Jadeite” special auction, a necklace of 33 imperial green natural jadeite beads was successfully auctioned for 69,037,500 Hong Kong dollars.
These 33 imperial green natural jadeite beads, each with a diameter ranging from 12.3 to 15 millimeters, are full of color and have a transparent texture, possessing top-tier quality.
At the end of April, at Sotheby’s Hong Kong Spring Auction’s “Magnificent Jewels” special event, a set of imperial green jadeite and diamond sets were sold for 46,350,000 Hong Kong dollars. This set includes a jadeite and diamond necklace, a pair of jadeite and diamond earrings, and a jadeite and diamond ring.
These collections are all inlaid with oval-cut jadeite, with a smooth and round appearance, perfectly showcasing the original beauty of the jade.
On July 20, at another precious jewelry special auction held by Sotheby’s in Hong Kong, a natural jadeite bead and diamond necklace was successfully auctioned for 18,283,000 Hong Kong dollars.
This natural jadeite bead and diamond necklace, consisting of 35 high-quality natural jadeite beads, was specially customized for customers by the American boutique jewelry brand Jacob & Co.
In their respective auction events, these jadeite items have all outshined other top-tier emeralds, diamonds, and other precious gemstones and diamonds, setting the highest auction transaction prices of the event.
Jadeite is actually a type of jade with extremely high value. According to Christie’s, jade generally refers to two types of gemstones: one is the softer jade with lower transparency, usually used for carving and display, and the other is jadeite with higher transparency. The latter is more durable and less prone to breaking, and after polishing, it can display a charming luster, making it more suitable for making jewelry.
Public data shows that over 90% of the world’s jadeite comes from Myanmar, and the world’s proven gem-grade jadeite raw materials are only found in the northern Kachin State of Myanmar. Jadeite produced outside of Myanmar does not reach the grade required for jewelry materials.
Top-tier jadeite can be comparable to colored diamonds, rubies, sapphires, and emeralds.
According to Sotheby’s official website, the title of “Imperial Green” jadeite mentioned in the article is similar to international gemstone color grades, such as the “pigeon’s blood red” color of rubies and the “royal blue” color of sapphires.
Jadeite crowned with the “Imperial Green” color usually means that the jadeite is of top quality and has a very high collection value.
In recent years, the investment value of top-tier jadeite has soared, which is related to the severe shortage of jadeite raw materials.
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic since 2020 and the political upheaval in Myanmar in February 2021 have had a significant impact on the supply of jadeite raw stones, which has further driven up the prices of jadeite jewelry.
China is an important exporter of Myanmar jadeite. In December 2021, the “2021 China Jadeite Industry Consumption White Paper” (hereinafter referred to as the “White Paper”) jointly released by Zhuang Jadeite and the China Jewelry and Jade Ornament Association mentioned that looking at the overall trend of the number of Myanmar jadeite resources imported into China over the past decade, there has been a downward trend.
According to the White Paper, “Since the closure of the Myanmar Public Bidding in 2019, the frequent postponements have had a huge impact on the price and circulation of jadeite raw stones in the Chinese jadeite market.”
Although the domestic epidemic was effectively controlled in 2021, “the supply of jadeite raw materials remains tight and cannot meet the growing demand for jadeite consumption in the country, and the price of jadeite products continues to rise.”
Among them, high-end
