【Hong Kong, November 18, 2026】Christie's Hong Kong Autumn Sale 2026 concluded successfully yesterday, with the Jewels and Jadeite section performing exceptionally well. A highly anticipated natural Burmese 'Imperial Green' jadeite cabochon fetched an astonishing HK$120 million, significantly exceeding its pre-sale estimate of HK$80 million, becoming the highlight of the entire auction. The total sales for this autumn sale reached HK$2.56 billion, with a high sell-through rate of 88%, demonstrating the strong resilience of the global art market, especially the high-end jewelry and jadeite sector.
The star lot of this auction, the 'Luminescent Verdance' natural unenhanced Burmese jadeite cabochon and diamond ring, attracted fierce bidding from collectors worldwide due to its extreme color saturation, glassy texture, and perfectly flawless cabochon cut. After more than 20 rounds of bidding, an Asian private collector successfully acquired it via telephone bid. This transaction price not only set a new auction record for similar jadeite cabochons in the past two years but also represented an increase of approximately 26.3% compared to a similar size and quality cabochon sold in the 2024 Spring Sale (approximately HK$95 million), fully reflecting the scarcity and value appreciation potential of top-tier jadeite resources.
In addition to this 'Imperial Green' cabochon, several other high-quality jadeite jewelry pieces also performed well. For instance, a necklace strung with 12 icy-green jadeite beads sold for HK$45 million, exceeding its upper estimate by 20%. Furthermore, a collection of uniquely designed jadeite-set jewelry was also highly sought after, with an average selling price 15% above their estimates. Overall, the sell-through rate for jadeite lots reached an impressive 95%, and their total sales accounted for over 40% of the Jewels section, once again affirming jadeite's unique position in the Asian market, especially in Greater China.
Market Analysis and Trend Forecast:
Mr. Li Ming, a senior auction industry analyst, pointed out: "The data from this Christie's autumn sale clearly indicates that the high-end jadeite market has not been affected by global economic fluctuations; instead, it has shown an upward trend against the current. Particularly for top-tier jadeite like 'Imperial Green,' its scarcity determines its investment value as a hard currency. Collectors' pursuit of quality has reached an unprecedented level, willing to pay a high premium to acquire desired masterpieces. In the coming years, we expect the price of top-tier jadeite to continue to rise steadily, especially for natural, unenhanced jadeite with excellent translucency, texture, and color."
Ms. Wang Fang, a jadeite market researcher, added: "The younger generation of collectors is also showing increasing interest in jadeite, focusing more on design and wearability, which has driven innovation in jadeite-set jewelry. Simultaneously, with the increasing depletion of Burmese jadeite rough and international restrictions on rough exports, the supply of high-quality jadeite will become even tighter in the future, which will undoubtedly further push up its market value. This auction also reflects that buyers are increasingly valuing the provenance, certification, and historical circulation information of lots, with transparency and credibility becoming key elements in high-end transactions."
Expert Commentary:
Mr. Shi Lei, Head of Christie's Asia Jewellery Department, stated: "We are very pleased with the results of this autumn sale. The successful sale of the 'Luminescent Verdance' jadeite cabochon once again demonstrates Christie's leadership in the global top-tier jewelry market and our deep understanding of the needs of Asian collectors. In the future, we will continue to source the finest jadeite treasures globally to meet the growing market demand and are committed to promoting the inheritance and development of jadeite culture."
Christie's 2026 Autumn Sale's success has undoubtedly injected new vitality into the high-end jadeite market and provided valuable market references for collectors worldwide. It is expected that the competition for top-tier jadeite will become even more intense in the upcoming auction seasons, and its investment value will continue to receive significant attention.