Summary :
Plum blossom jade is a unique rock in China. Its name “ plum blossom jade ” is due to its natural dotted flower pattern that resembles plum blossoms. It contains iron, zinc, sodium, magnesium, potassium, calcium and others, in addition to the components of jade (silicon, oxygen...) it also contains magnetite and mayanite (Chinese study of Xi'an mines)
This jade is known as Ruyang jade. Its product comes from the 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 are red, when they are filled with chlorite , they are green-yellow, chlorite makes the rock dark green. When filled with calcite or quartz, it is white, colorless or transparent. When the jade is polished, these forms filled with minerals, take on the form of flowers which evoke those of the plum tree. Winding cracks also filled with minerals evoke the branches. On a black or anthracite background of andesite, this gives this extraordinary result, of ramifications and flowers.
Mining of plum blossom jade began in the Shang and Zhou dynasty. Later the plum blossom jade was declared a "national treasure" in the Han Dynasty by Emperor Guangwu.
In recent years, the source of ore has been depleted due to overexploitation.
Plum Blossom Jade is "fat and lustrous", with an extremely strong, dense and tenacious interwoven spore and twig structure.
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 pattern.