【Hong Kong, May 18, 2026】Christie's Hong Kong Spring 2026 Auction concluded successfully yesterday, achieving a total sales figure of US$250 million, once again affirming the resilience and vitality of the global art market. Among them, the highly anticipated 'Magnificent Jewels and Jadeite' sale performed exceptionally well, with a total sales exceeding US$85 million and a remarkable sell-through rate of 92%, far surpassing market expectations. Jadeite cabochons, as the focal point of this auction, once again set multiple new records with their exceptional quality and rarity, signaling a strong upward trend in the high-end jadeite market.
The star lot of this auction – a pair of natural imperial green icy jadeite cabochons – finally hammered down at an astonishing US$12.5 million, significantly exceeding their pre-sale estimate of US$8 million to US$10 million, representing a premium of 25%. These cabochons boast a rich and even color, fine and warm texture, and crystal-clear transparency, truly epitomizing the finest quality jadeite. Another single jadeite cabochon named 'Imperial Green' also fetched a high price of US$7.8 million, showing a 30% increase compared to its estimate of US$5 million to US$6 million. Overall, the average selling price of high-quality jadeite cabochons in this auction increased by approximately 15% compared to the same period last year, indicating sustained enthusiasm among collectors for top-tier jadeite.
Ms. Anna Stone, Chairman of Christie's Asia Jewellery Department, stated in an interview: “The results of the Spring 2026 auction are exhilarating, especially the strong performance of the high-end jadeite segment. This not only reflects the continuous demand for rare, high-quality jewelry but also demonstrates collectors' recognition of jadeite's cultural value and investment potential. We observe that buyers from Asia, particularly Greater China, remain the main driving force of this market, with their appreciation for jadeite constantly improving, tending to collect exquisite pieces with heritage value.”
Market analysts point out that despite current global economic uncertainties, top-tier art and rare jewelry, as hard assets, are increasingly demonstrating their value preservation and appreciation attributes. Jadeite, especially high-quality jadeite such as Imperial Green and icy jadeite, is considered an excellent investment due to its non-renewable resources, profound cultural heritage, and unique Oriental aesthetics. In recent years, with the continuous growth of the affluent class and the trend of returning to traditional culture, the high-end jadeite market has shown a 'stronger gets stronger' situation, meaning that the better the quality and rarer the jadeite, the greater its price appreciation potential.
Mr. Li Ming, a senior jadeite market commentator, believes: “The data from this Christie's Spring auction once again confirms the robustness of the high-end jadeite market. It is particularly noteworthy that not only Imperial Green, but also collectible-grade jadeite such as icy and glass jadeite, performed remarkably well. This indicates that the market's aesthetic and value judgment for jadeite is becoming more diversified and mature. In the next few years, we expect prices for top-tier jadeite to maintain a steady upward trend, but for ordinary quality jadeite, the market may diverge, and collectors need to be more cautious when investing, focusing on its rarity and craftsmanship value.”
Looking ahead, with the continuous accumulation of global wealth and growing interest in Oriental cultural artworks, the high-end jadeite market is expected to maintain its unique appeal. Auction houses will continue to play an important role, providing transparent and professional trading platforms for collectors, and continuously discovering and presenting more jadeite treasures of historical and artistic significance.