【Hong Kong, November 15, 2026】Christie's Hong Kong Autumn Sale 2026 concluded yesterday, with the highly anticipated 'Chinese Ancient Jades and Works of Art' specialist sale performing exceptionally well, achieving a total of HK$128 million, significantly exceeding pre-sale estimates. The ancient jade pendant section, in particular, stood out with a remarkable 92% sell-through rate and an average premium of 25%, once again affirming its robust position in the art market.
A total of 120 ancient jade pendant lots were presented in this autumn sale, with 88 successfully changing hands. The highlight was undoubtedly a 'Western Han White Jade Chilong Dragon Pendant'. This pendant, featuring exquisite craftsmanship, warm jade quality, and excellent preservation, was finally hammered at HK$28 million, far surpassing its estimate of HK$15 million, becoming the highest-selling lot of the session. Another 'Song Dynasty Celadon Jade Openwork Floral and Bird Pendant' also fetched HK$12.5 million, a 56% increase from its HK$8 million estimate. Furthermore, several Ming and Qing dynasty jade pendants also performed strongly, with an average selling price approximately 15% higher than the same period last year.
Mr. Jonathan Stone, Chairman of Christie's Asia and International Director of Chinese Art, stated in an interview: “The outstanding performance of ancient jade pendants in this autumn sale once again demonstrates the profound interest and high recognition of global collectors in traditional Chinese cultural art. Especially those ancient jade pendants with clear provenance, pristine condition, and exquisite carving are being re-evaluated and discovered by the market. We have observed increasingly fierce competition between new and seasoned collectors in this sector, driving prices steadily upward.”
Market analysts point out that the ancient jade pendant market has shown a steady growth trend in recent years. On one hand, the global economic recovery and the increase in high-net-worth individuals have provided ample financial support for the art market. On the other hand, as an important carrier of traditional Chinese culture, ancient jade pendants, with their unique historical, cultural, and artistic value, have become a scarce resource combining collection, investment, and legacy significance. Particularly, archaic jades and imperial jades, due to their rarity and irreplaceable artistic value, have significant price appreciation potential.
Professor Li Ming, a renowned jade connoisseur and independent commentator, believes: “The data from this Christie's autumn sale clearly illustrates three trends in the ancient jade pendant market: Firstly, the 'boutique' route is becoming more pronounced, with collectors becoming more stringent in their considerations of jade quality, craftsmanship, subject matter, and provenance; secondly, the value of archaic jades is being deeply explored, with their historical and cultural added value becoming increasingly prominent; finally, international collectors' interest in ancient Chinese jades continues to heat up, driving the globalization of the market. In the coming years, we expect the ancient jade pendant market to remain active, especially for rare categories with unique artistic styles and historical and cultural backgrounds, whose appreciation potential should not be underestimated.”
Looking ahead, with the expanding influence of traditional Chinese culture globally and the rising aesthetic standards of collectors, the ancient jade pendant market is expected to usher in new development opportunities. However, experts also advise collectors to pay close attention to authenticity verification and condition assessment when investing in ancient jade pendants, to invest rationally, and avoid blindly following trends.