BEIJING, November 28, 2026 – China Guardian's 2026 Autumn Auction concluded successfully yesterday, achieving a total turnover of RMB 2.85 billion and an impressive sell-through rate of 82.3%. Among the various categories, the highly anticipated “Contemporary Jade Carvings” special session performed exceptionally well, with a total turnover exceeding RMB 320 million and a sell-through rate of 91.5%, significantly surpassing market expectations and injecting a strong dose of confidence into the overall art market.
This autumn auction's Contemporary Jade Carvings session featured 120 exquisite pieces, with 110 successfully sold. The highest price was fetched by a Hetian jade seed material carving titled “Prosperous Auspicious Dragon,” which hammered at RMB 38 million, a 52% premium over its estimate of RMB 25 million. This piece, created by contemporary jade carving master Zhang Hua, utilized a 5-kilogram Hetian jade seed material, boasting exquisite craftsmanship and auspicious symbolism, attracting considerable attention from collectors during the preview. Another white jade ornament, “Serene Landscape Echoes,” created by young jade artist Li Ming, sold for RMB 12.5 million, a 56.25% increase from its estimate of RMB 8 million, demonstrating the market's recognition of emerging jade carving talents.
From the data, the average premium rate for this Contemporary Jade Carvings session reached 35%, a significant increase from 22% in the same period last year's autumn auction, indicating a strong return of buyer enthusiasm for high-quality contemporary jade carvings. Particularly, works in the mid-to-high price range (RMB 5 million to RMB 20 million) showed the most outstanding performance in both sell-through rate and premium rate, with multiple pieces selling for two or even three times their estimated prices, reflecting intense competition.
Professor Li, a senior auction industry analyst, pointed out: “The robust performance of contemporary jade carvings at this China Guardian autumn auction is an important indicator of market confidence. After experiencing a period of overall adjustment in the art market over the past two years, collectors' awareness and recognition of contemporary jade carvings with clear artistic value and scarcity have significantly increased. Especially master-level works and pieces by young artists with innovative concepts, their investment value is becoming increasingly prominent. This is not only due to the continuous breakthroughs made by jade artists in creative concepts and techniques but also reflects the deep emotional connection and collection demand of Chinese people for jade culture in the context of the revival of traditional Chinese culture.”
Mr. Wang, head of the Jade Department at China Guardian Auctions Co., Ltd., stated: “We are very pleased with the results of this Contemporary Jade Carvings session. The works collected this time, whether in terms of jade quality, carving craftsmanship, or artistic creativity, represent the highest level of contemporary jade carving. Especially those pieces that cleverly integrate traditional cultural elements with modern aesthetics were highly sought after by collectors. In the future, we will continue to deepen our presence in the contemporary jade carving market, discover more promising artists and exquisite pieces, and provide collectors with better collection choices.”
Looking ahead, the market generally believes that with China's steady economic development and enhanced cultural confidence, the contemporary jade carving market will continue to remain active. High-quality, story-rich, and historically significant contemporary jade carvings will continue to be recognized by the market for their value. At the same time, the entry of a younger generation of collectors will also bring new vitality and aesthetic preferences to the contemporary jade carving market. However, the market also reminds investors to remain rational, focusing on the artistry, scarcity, and academic standing of the creators, and avoiding blind speculation.