Cultural significance
Jade has been culturally significant to the Chinese for thousands of years. It was a symbol for the worship of heaven and earth. It was seen to embody beauty, righteousness and knowledge. Known as the ‘stone of heaven’, it was considered pure and enduring enough to inspire the highest spiritual aspirations in the wearer. When Emperor Qin Shi Huang brought together the six warring states and unified China in 221B.C., he chose the famous He Shi Bi jade for his Imperial Seal, inscribed with the words: ‘Having received the Mandate from Heaven, may (the Emperor) lead a long and prosperous life.’
For 2,000 years, the stone known as jade was actually nephrite, which was indigenous to China. Jadeite was only introduced to the empire during the Qing dynasty, when traders began exporting it from Burma in 1784. By the 19th century, Burmese jadeite had become the most highly prized gemstone of the Manchu aristocracy. It was the favourite of Empress Dowager Cixi, who loved its bright, vivid colours — it had finally reached pre-eminence as the Imperial Stone, the most precious object in China.
Today, jadeite is still highly coveted by the Chinese as well as collectors around the world. It can be found in a variety of colours, such as lavender, yellow, russet-brown and black, but it is the green stone containing chromium that is the most cherished. The value of jadeite is based upon three important criteria: colour, translucency and texture.
顏色是決定翡翠價值最重要的因素，評定準則包括飽和（綠色的深淺濃淡）、光澤（鮮明透亮或色深暗啞）、均勻（顏色分佈均勻或不一）及純正（不含雜色）。頂級翡翠同時具備以上四種條件。
透明度
透明度指翡翠的透光度，以「水分」量度。「水份」越高，翡翠就越剔透珍貴。
質地
質地指翡翠的底色、大小及晶體結構，上佳的翡翠質地細膩柔潤，能均勻透光。
拍賣情況
佳士得近年拍出多枚非凡珍罕的翡翠首飾，當中最矚目的是一對蛋面翡翠耳環。耳環玉色翠綠明亮，晶瑩剔透，極為罕有。耳環於2008年佳士得瑰麗珠寶及翡翠首飾春季拍賣推出時，以18,247,500港元的高價拍出。其後於2014年11月25日在香港舉行的瑰麗珠寶及翡翠首飾拍賣中，藏家再度推出這對瑰麗的耳環，估價為28,000,000至38,000,000港元，最終以51,640,000港元（6,687,592美元）成交。
頁頂圖片：翡翠手鐲。估價：港幣6,000,000 - 8,000,000 (美元750,000 - 1,000,000)，於12月1日佳士得香港瑰麗珠寶及翡翠首飾提供。
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