BEIJING, November 15, 2026 – The highly anticipated Beijing Council 2026 Autumn Art Auction concluded successfully recently, with the “Jade Radiance – Chinese Jade and Stone Art” special session performing exceptionally well, once again confirming the strong collecting demand and stable value growth in the high-end Hetian jade market. The total transaction value of this auction reached RMB 380 million, with a remarkable transaction rate of 88.5%, significantly exceeding market expectations. Hetian jade pendants, as a core category, contributed nearly 40% of the total turnover.
This auction featured over 200 Hetian jade pendant lots, covering various types of籽料 (seed jade), 山料 (mountain jade), and craftsmanship. Among them, a highly anticipated Qing Dynasty white jade seed jade carving of a “Fu Shou Shuang Quan” (Blessings and Longevity) plaque, with its warm and delicate texture, exquisite relief carving, and auspicious symbolism, started at RMB 2.8 million. After multiple rounds of fierce bidding, it finally sold for a high price of RMB 6.2 million, achieving a premium rate of 121.4%. Another modern master-carved Hetian jade seed jade “Guanyin” pendant, featuring flawless white jade and intricate carving, was hammered at RMB 3.8 million, an 85% increase from its estimate. In addition, several exquisite Hetian jade pendants estimated between RMB 500,000 and RMB 1.5 million also sold for prices 30% to 60% higher than their estimates, demonstrating the market's continued strong interest in mid-to-high-end Hetian jade pendants.
Mr. Zhang Ming, head of the Jade Department at Beijing Council Auction, stated in an interview: “The excellent performance of Hetian jade pendants in this autumn auction is primarily due to the increasing scarcity of high-quality seed jade resources, leading to a continuous rise in their market value. Secondly, collectors' aesthetic appreciation for jade carving art is constantly improving, driving strong demand for works by renowned artists and exquisite pieces with cultural connotations. We observe that works combining excellent jade quality, craftsmanship, and cultural symbolism are more likely to be favored by collectors and consistently achieve remarkable results.”
Ms. Li Hua, a market analyst, pointed out that the current Hetian jade market shows a polarized trend. On the one hand, top-tier Hetian jade seed jade, especially exquisite pieces of collectible quality, maintain strong prices and even set new records due to their scarcity and non-renewable nature. On the other hand, Hetian jade products of ordinary quality or craftsmanship perform relatively modestly. This indicates that collectors, when investing in Hetian jade, increasingly prioritize the rarity of the material, the exquisiteness of the craftsmanship, and the artistic added value.
From a macroeconomic perspective, despite global economic uncertainties, the Chinese art market, particularly traditional collectibles with value-preserving and appreciating attributes, continues to attract significant attention from high-net-worth individuals. Hetian jade, as a treasure of traditional Chinese culture, with its profound cultural heritage and stable market performance, has become an important choice for asset allocation. In the coming years, with the further depletion of high-quality Hetian jade seed jade resources and the wider recognition of the artistic value of master jade carvings, the market price of exquisite Hetian jade pendants is expected to maintain a steady upward trend, though the increase may become more rational. At the same time, the market will demand higher standards for the traceability of jade materials, the reputation of carvers, and the cultural connotations of the works, which will drive the entire Hetian jade market towards a more professional and refined development. Collectors are advised to focus on exquisite pieces with excellent jade quality, craftsmanship, cultural symbolism, and clear provenance when investing, avoiding blind speculation to achieve long-term stable collection value.