Beijing, May 18, 2026 – The highly anticipated Poly 2026 Spring Art Auction concluded successfully today. The “Jade Radiance – Hetian Jade Seed Material Masterpiece Special Session” stood out as a major highlight of this spring auction, thanks to its exceptional quality of lots and strong market performance. The total transaction volume of the special session reached an impressive RMB 185 million, with a transaction rate of 92.5%, significantly exceeding market expectations and demonstrating a strong recovery trend in the Hetian jade seed material market.
A total of 80 carefully selected Hetian jade seed material works were presented in this special session, including raw stones, hand pieces, pendants, and a small number of ornamental pieces. Among them, several star lots performed remarkably, setting new transaction records for similar items. The most attention-grabbing was a “Mutton Fat Jade Seed Material Raw Stone” weighing 120 grams. Its jade quality was delicate and oily, with a whiteness level of 1.5, and a natural, mellow skin color. It finally hammered at a sky-high price of RMB 28 million, a 27% premium over the upper estimate, becoming the “top lot” of this special session. Another “Ink Jade Seed Material Skillfully Carved 'Nine Dragons Playing with a Pearl' Hand Piece,” with its exquisite carving and rare ink jade material, went through multiple rounds of fierce bidding and finally sold for RMB 12.8 million, an increase of 45% over its estimate. In addition, a “White Jade Seed Material 'Guanyin' Pendant,” with its warm jade quality and solemn form, sold for RMB 6.5 million, also performing well.
Mr. Zhang, Head of the Chinese Jade Department at Poly Auction, stated in an interview: “The success of this Hetian jade seed material special session is primarily due to our high-standard selection of lots. We adhere to the principle of 'better to have too little than too much,' presenting only the highest quality and most collectible seed materials on the market. Secondly, market recognition for exquisite Hetian jade continues to increase, especially against the backdrop of growing global economic uncertainty. Hetian jade, as a scarce, culturally-attuned hard currency, increasingly highlights its functions of hedging and preserving/increasing value.”
From the data, the average transaction price per item in this special session reached RMB 2.3125 million, an increase of approximately 15% compared to the average price of Poly's Hetian jade seed material special session in the same period last year. Among them, lots in the mid-to-high price range (RMB 5 million to RMB 20 million) performed particularly well, with a transaction rate as high as 95%, indicating that collectors' investment enthusiasm for high-quality seed materials remains strong. Entry-level lots (below RMB 1 million) also maintained steady transactions, providing entry opportunities for new collectors.
Professor Li, a senior jade market analyst, pointed out: “The success of Poly's Hetian jade seed material special session in this spring auction is an important manifestation of market confidence. After several years of adjustment, the Hetian jade seed material market is gradually returning to rationality and value. Collectors are paying more attention to the comprehensive consideration of jade quality, skin color, form, and craftsmanship, rather than blindly chasing high prices. In the future, top-tier seed materials with scarcity, artistry, and cultural connotations still have huge room for value appreciation. At the same time, with the promotion of Hetian jade culture globally, international collectors' attention to Hetian jade is also gradually increasing, which will bring new growth points to the market.”
Looking ahead, the industry generally believes that the Hetian jade seed material market will continue to maintain a steady growth trend. Refinement, personalization, and cultural connotation will become the market mainstream. Auction houses will continue to play an important market guiding role, providing collectors with more high-quality collection options through professional selection and promotion. At the same time, with the advancement of technology, jade identification technology will also become more mature, further safeguarding the rights and interests of collectors and promoting the healthy development of the industry.