Summary :
This jade is known as Ruyang jade. Its product comes from condensation of magma released from volcanoes. When the volcanic rock condensed, gases formed pores in the rock (andesite, anthracite color), and when its pores were filled with ferruginous agate, they were red, when they were filled with chlorite , they are green-yellow, the chlorite makes the rock dark green. When filled with calcite or quartz, it is white, colorless or transparent. When the jade is polished, these shapes filled with minerals take the form of flowers which evoke those of the plum tree. Tortuous cracks also filled with minerals evoke branches. On a black or anthracite background of the andesite, this gives this extraordinary result, of ramifications and flowers.
Plum blossom jade mining began in the Shang and Zhou dynasty. Later plum blossom jade was declared a “national treasure” in the Han Dynasty by Emperor Guangwu.
In recent years, the ore source has been depleting due to overexploitation.
Plum blossom jade is “fat and lustrous”, with an extremely strong, dense and tenacious structure of intertwined spores and branches.
The value of plum blossom jade is determined by the number of flowers and the beauty of the branches intermingled with the flowers in the design.