Museum Heist of Jade Objects May Have Been "To Order"

The theft of a number of culturally priceless artifacts of jade and gold from a British museum has the look of being done on order, meaning a collector was behind it, or perhaps a broker who knows of a clandestine buyer. It is thought that this may often be the case in art thefts where the loot is destined for display in secret hidden galleries shared only by the buyer or close pals. Here is the story so far...(link).

A Contemplative Spirit

See more in my Etsy shop, link here.

Spinach Green Jade Table Screen at Christie's

A March 22 sale at Christie's New York will feature - A Superb Well-Carved Spinach-Green Jade Circular Table Screen from Qianlong Period (1736-1795). Size 8 ½ in. (21.7 cm.) diameter. Estimate: US$ 100,000 - US$ 150,000 ...  and many other Chinese treasures. See the press release here.

Various Jade Objects at Doyle March 19

- "Chinese Pale Green Jade Figure of a Meiren" - Qing Dynasty; the kneeling figure shown wearing long robes and flowing scarves, her hair elaborately dressed with ornaments, one hand raised as if adjusting her hair and the other hand holding a mirror. Measured at Height 4 7/8 inches. Estimate: $8,000 - $12,000. For the full story click here.

177 Jade Products at International Show in Hong Kong

Click here to see pictures of the various jade jewelry offers at the Hong Kong International Diamond, Gem & Pearl Show.

An Excellent Feature Article on Burma Jadeite

Sold for $9.3-million

This link will take you to part two of an excellent feature article on Burma jadeite compiled by several experts in the field. The first part was, to me, very interesting but nowhere near as informative as this part. It covers how Burmese jadeite is mined, traded, graded, cut, faked and, as finished gems, sold at prices ranging into millions of dollars.

New Book Focused on Xinjiang Hotan Famous Jade

It is doubtful most westerners know what is meant in references to Xinjiang jade so, if it were published in English, this could be a helpful book for them. As it stands there is no mention of an English edition so such readers will have to be content with this feature story, an assurance of the special nature of Xinjiang jade. 
The book is titled "A History of Xinjiang Hotan Jade Mining," by Yu Ming, head of the Hotan Jade Trading Association of Xinjiang.
One observation from the article: "...prices for the precious stone have gone through the roof in recent years." Yu's research was mainly historical but he also adventured to remote sites: "We had to wade through rivers, climb cliffs and sleep in the open," says Yu.
Xinjiang an autonomous territory in northwest China, is a vast region of deserts and mountains. It is home of many jade merchants.