【Hong Kong, October 28, 2026】Sotheby's Autumn Sale 2026 concluded successfully yesterday, achieving a total sales figure of $285 million, significantly exceeding pre-sale estimates. The highly anticipated 'Magnificent Jewels and Jadeite' session was particularly outstanding, realizing a total of $120 million with a remarkable sell-through rate of 92%, once again affirming the strong resilience and growth potential of the high-end jadeite market.
The undisputed highlight of this autumn sale was the 68.88-carat 'Imperial Green Jadeite Cabochon Necklace', which ultimately hammered down at an astonishing $58 million, setting a new world auction record for similar jadeite jewelry. This jadeite cabochon boasts a rich and pure color, excellent translucency (zhongshui), and a fine, warm texture, making it a rare treasure seen only once in a century. Its selling price represented a premium of 65.7% over its pre-sale estimate of $35 million, demonstrating the fervent pursuit of rare, high-quality jadeite by top global collectors.
In addition to the 'Imperial Green' necklace, other high-quality jadeite lots also performed well. A pair of uniformly colored 'Old Mine Glassy Jadeite Bangles' sold for $12.5 million, an increase of 25% over its estimate; a meticulously designed 'Icy Green Jadeite Carving' also fetched $8.8 million, exceeding its estimate by 30%. Overall, all jadeite lots estimated over $1 million in this autumn sale were sold, with an average premium rate of 38%.
Market Analysis and Trend Forecast:
Vincent Lee, Head of Sotheby's Asia Jewellery Department, stated in a post-sale interview: "The success of this autumn sale, especially the record-breaking transaction of the 'Imperial Green' jadeite, once again proves the unique position of top-tier jadeite in the global collecting market. Despite macroeconomic uncertainties, rare, high-quality jadeite, as a hard currency and art piece, remains strong in value and even shows upward momentum against the trend."
Professor Zhang Ming, a senior jadeite market analyst, pointed out: "In recent years, with the continuous accumulation of wealth in Asia and the enhancement of aesthetic concepts, the demand for jadeite has remained robust. Particularly for jadeite like 'Imperial Green' which possesses scarcity, historical provenance, and extremely high artistic value, its price has immense room for appreciation. We have observed that collectors' investment in jadeite has shifted from mere adornment to a deeper level of asset allocation and cultural heritage."
From the data, over the past five years, the compound annual growth rate of top-tier jadeite prices has reached over 15%, significantly outperforming the gold and stock markets during the same period. The results of this auction further reinforce this trend:
* Significant Scarcity Premium: Top-tier jadeite with excellent color, translucency, and craftsmanship commands a much higher price increase than ordinary jadeite.
* Asia Market Dominance: Bidders mainly came from Greater China, Southeast Asia, and some European and American collectors, but the final transactions were predominantly by Asian buyers, indicating the strong purchasing power of the Asian market for jadeite.
* Investment Attribute Highlighted: More and more high-net-worth individuals regard top-tier jadeite as an excellent asset for value preservation and appreciation, especially under global inflation expectations, its risk-resistant capability is highly favored.
Expert Commentary:
Ms. Chen Lihua, Chief Appraiser at the Hong Kong Jewellery Identification Centre, commented: "The Imperial Jadeite at Sotheby's autumn sale, whether judged by its astonishing size of 68.88 carats or its unparalleled color and texture, stands as one of the most exquisite jadeite treasures to appear on the auction market in the past decade. Its high-price sale is not only a testament to its intrinsic value but also a significant boost to confidence across the entire high-end jadeite market. It is anticipated that in the coming years, as high-quality mineral sources become increasingly depleted, the scarcity of top-tier jadeite will further intensify, and its market value still has tremendous room for upward growth."
Looking ahead, the high-end jadeite market, especially in the top-tier jadeite segment, is expected to continue its steady growth. Collectors and investors should pay more attention to the quality, provenance, historical heritage, and authoritative appraisal certificates of jadeite to ensure its investment value. The success of Sotheby's autumn sale has undoubtedly injected a shot in the arm into the global art market and painted a broader prospect for the future development of high-end jadeite.