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Jade carvings have been artfully created and lovingly coveted by humans for thousands of years.  To say that jade is "carved" is not exactly accurate: jade is shaped by grinding.  Some of the stone is ground away to create the desired shape. 

The quality of a jade carving is based on many factors:

1. The Quality of the jade used: translucent jade will be more desirable than opaque jade.  Evenness of color is also a factor.  Read more about general rules of assessing jade value.
2. How sensitive the artist was to the natural variation of the stone: the most highly prized jade carvings are those in which the artist has spent plenty of devotion to the natural colors and patterns within the stone and has incorporated them into the design.
3. The fineness of the craftsmanship:  Very fine, intricate details that are perfectly polished are an indication of quality work.  In addition to this, sculptural feats, such as carving links of chain out of one single stone or creating areas so thin that light can pass through will add considerable value to a piece
4. History and Cultural importance: as with all art, pieces that are antique or culturally important are especially valuable.
5. Size: All other factors being equal, the larger the piece, the more valuable and expensive it will be.

Jade Carvings as used in jewelry

 

Jade Carving Pendant: This is a pendant made of low grade (dyed) jade.	Jade Bangle: Jade Bangles are a very popular form of jade jewelry.  The bangle is carved out of a solid piece of jade.  Workmanship is less important here than the quality of the material	Higher grade Jade Carving:  This jade is a nice color and size, though it is more opaque than the highest grade jade.  It has been carved in a modern, abstract design	Ice Jade Carving:  This is a pendant carved from light colored, nicely translucent jade.

An Exploration of Jade Carvings

This jade carving is absolutely exquisite.  The best thing about it is the fineness of the workmanship.  The outline os the tree leaves, the pagoda, the layered landscape make this piece of museum quality.  The jade is of a nice uniform color and decent translucence.

This jade carving is exceptional because of the fine workmanship of the horse's manes.  In many places, the carving is apazingly thin and it lets the light shine through.  It appears that this piece of jade naturally was of a lighter color in places, which the artist utilized beautifully in the horses' tail.

This is a piece of carved nephrite jade.  This work is not as fine as the others..  The carved edging is the finest element of the workmanship.  We see the artist has used the natural coloring of the jade material somewhat in the distinguishment between the flower and the duck, however other spots of differing colors were not utilized.

Here is a part of a jade vase that exemplifies a sculptural feat.  It has been carved out of one solid piece of jade.  We can see the chain to the right, attached in two places to the fine vase.  This piece is an antique vase carved out of nephrite jade.

This meticulously ornate jade carving is an example of fine workmanship and excellent material.  It sold at a Christi's auction for $150,000.  It was considered valuable for the intricacy and originality of the motiff.

This jade carving is an example of how an artist can utilize the natural color variations that the jade offers.  Where the jade was darker, the artist carved the body of the bird, creating tail feathers of the progressively lighter green shades.  The fine floral motiff above the bird is a totally different, bright white, though in fact it is all the same stone.

This piece of carved jade is special for its fine workmanship, seen in the thinness and the detail of the flower petals.  It is also an antique, hundreds of years old and of special historical and cultural significance.

This is an ancient mayan carving in jadeite jade of the Sun God.  It is the largest jade carving of its kind and it is over a thousand years old.  This jade carving is priceless.

This is a very famous piece of carved jade.  It is called the dragon and it is over 8000 years old.  It is one of the few precious relics of a very ancient chinese civilization.

Here is a medium-high end jade carving.  Exceptional elements of the workmanship include the wooden path in the bottom right corner.

This is a very fine and important jade carving.  It is over 300 years old and the workmanship is prestine. The entire bowl including the chain links were carved from a single, fine, evenly colored piece of jade.  This bowl sold at a Christies auction for nearly $1 million.

 

 

 

This is a  small nephrite jade carving of a lion.  The artist used the natural variation of the stone somewhat in making the lions head and front shoulders from the golden shades of the natural stone.  It is a modern piece and the workmanship is not especially fine.  One could acquire a jade carving like this for $200 or less.

Here is a very famous and influential jade carving.  The artist did a brilliant job of utilizing the natural variation of the jadeite in creating his sculpture of a bok choy cabbage.  The workmanship is very fine: the cabbage leaves are exceptionally fine and the eye is surprised and delighted by the details of insects hidden in the foliage.  The jade is also of a very high grade for a sculpture.

This is a scultpure of an eagle in nephrite jade. The size and the spread of the wings of the bird are a sculptural achievement, but unfortunaely the artist resorted to dying the jade where he wanted to show lines, rather than working with the colors the jade naturally presented.

 

 

Here is a fine and beautiful jade carving.  It is an artistic achievement in its compostition and a sculptural achievement for its negative space (the fish and plants are clearly spearated.)  It makes a cood use of the natural material be carving the textured basket from the material that has a more speckled color.

This jade carving is exceptional for its massive size - a small wall panel carved out of one solid evenly colored, translucent piece of jade.  It is on display in the Shanghai museum.

 

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