BEIJING, May 28, 2026 – The highly anticipated Poly 2026 Spring Auction recently concluded successfully. Among them, the “Creamy Warmth: Hetian Jade Seed Material Masterpiece Special Session” stood out as a major highlight of this spring auction due to its exceptional quality and strong market performance. The total transaction value of this session reached an impressive RMB 185 million, with a transaction rate of 92.3%, an increase of 15 percentage points compared to the same period last year, fully demonstrating the strong recovery momentum of the high-end Hetian jade seed material market.
A total of 120 carefully selected Hetian jade seed material works were presented in this special session, covering various categories from raw stones to finely carved pieces. Among them, a 2.5 kg “Mutton Fat Jade Seed Material Raw Stone” was hammered at an astonishing price of RMB 28 million, far exceeding its pre-auction estimate of RMB 18 million, with a premium rate as high as 55.6%. This raw stone boasts exquisite jade quality, excellent whiteness, and natural skin color, hailed by many experts as a top-tier mutton fat jade seed material rarely seen in the market in the past five years. Another “Fu Shou Shuang Quan” (Blessings and Longevity) Hetian jade seed material ornament created by contemporary jade carving master Zhang Ming sold for RMB 12.5 million, also surpassing its estimate of RMB 8 million, showcasing the strong appeal of renowned artists' works in the market.
From the data, the average transaction price per piece in this Hetian jade seed material special session reached RMB 1.54 million, an increase of 28.3% compared to RMB 1.2 million in last year's autumn auction. Especially for high-end masterpieces, i.e., items with an estimated value of over RMB 5 million, their transaction rate was as high as 95%, with an average premium rate exceeding 30%. This indicates strong demand for rare, high-quality Hetian jade seed materials in the market, and collectors are willing to pay higher prices for genuine masterpieces.
Mr. Li Ming, a senior jade market analyst, stated in an interview with reporters: “The success of Poly's Hetian jade seed material special session is not only a testament to the auction house's strength but also a signal of confidence returning to the entire jade market. After several years of adjustment, the investment and collection value of high-end Hetian jade seed materials have once again been recognized by the market. Especially those seed materials with rarity, completeness, and artistic merit, their price performance is particularly outstanding.”
Professor Wang, Vice President of the China Jade Culture Research Association, also pointed out: “With the continuous development of the national economy and the enhancement of cultural confidence, jade, as a treasure of traditional Chinese culture, has seen its collector base continuously expand. The younger generation of collectors is increasingly paying attention to Hetian jade seed materials, focusing more on the natural beauty of the jade quality and the cultural connotations of the works. In this auction, some innovative jade carving works that integrate modern aesthetic elements also achieved good transaction prices, which indicates that the Hetian jade seed material market will become more diversified and personalized in the future.”
However, market participants also warned that while high-end seed materials performed strongly, the market for ordinary quality Hetian jade seed materials still faces challenges. Collectors still need to be discerning when investing, paying attention to factors such as jade quality, skin color, shape, and carving craftsmanship, to avoid blindly following trends. In the future, the Hetian jade seed material market will show a polarized trend, with prices for masterpieces continuing to rise, while ordinary goods may face greater competitive pressure.
Overall, the impressive performance of Poly's 2026 Spring Auction Hetian Jade Seed Material Special Session injected a strong boost into the entire jade market. It not only consolidated the position of Hetian jade seed materials in the field of high-end art collection but also pointed the way for the future development of the market: quality is king, culture is the soul, and innovation is the wing.