Line
01Fluent, continuous, unhurried — no chattering tool marks.
Like calligraphy of a practised hand.
Reference
The language
of jade — 玉语
A quiet field guide to the motifs carved into jade — creatures, plants, figures, objects and compositions — and to the craft that turns a stone into a phrase. Read as reference, not as decoration.
一份关于翡翠雕刻题材的静默读本——动物、花木、人物、器物、组合， 以及化石为语的手艺。当作资料读，不作装饰读。
A working principle
Three parts stone, seven parts hand.
Colour, texture and translucency are given by the stone. What the carver does with them is a second life — reading the material first, then choosing a subject the stone can carry.
Two techniques recur in the work we favour. Qiaose — using natural colour patches as part of the subject. A blush of red becomes the sun; a green vein becomes a leaf. And zhexia — turning a fissure or inclusion into a branch, a fold of cloth, the line of a wing.
A carved motif is a phrase in an old language. We describe what it says, and let the wearer decide what to make of it.
Leadership
A lineage of craft.
Our carving team leader is a senior jade-carving inheritor of China’s Intangible Cultural Heritage, listed in the China National Talent Pool. That background shapes how we read material, honour tradition, and decide what a stone can become.
01
Creatures动物 · 借物喻意
Auspicious meaning is often carried through homophony and legend — a creature stands in for a wish.
吉祥寓意多经由谐音与典故传递——一只兽，代表一份心愿。
- Dragon 龙龙Authority, honourHistorically imperial; today read as aspiration and standing.
- Phoenix 凤凤Grace, harmonyPaired with the dragon for marital harmony — 龙凤呈祥.
- Pixiu 貔貅貔貅Wealth, protectionA mythical guardian associated with attracting fortune.
- Qilin 麒麟麒麟Talent, blessingSymbol of gifted children and virtuous rule.
- Bat 蝠蝙蝠Blessing蝠 is a homophone of 福 — five bats form 五福临门.
- Fish 鱼鱼Abundance鱼 sounds like 余 (surplus) — a wish for a full year.
- Cicada 蝉蝉Rising, renewalFrom earth to canopy — a metaphor for advancement.
- Elephant 象大象Peace象 is a homophone of 祥 — 太平有象.
- Deer 鹿鹿Prosperity, longevity鹿 sounds like 禄 — a wish for honour and long life.
- Magpie on plum 喜上眉梢喜鹊登梅Joy at hand梅 sounds like 眉 — joy on the brow.
02
Flora植物 · 借物抒情
Plants carry character — the reserve of orchid, the resilience of plum, the fullness of peony.
花木寄性——兰之清、梅之骨、牡丹之满。
- Peony 牡丹牡丹Fullness, honourThe flower of abundance and standing.
- Lotus 莲莲花Purity, continuityRises clean from mud; seeds evoke lineage.
- Plum 梅梅花Five blessings, resolveFive petals for five blessings; blooms in cold.
- Orchid 兰兰花RefinementOne of the four gentlemen — quiet, cultivated.
- Bamboo 竹竹Advancement, uprightnessSegmented growth — step by step.
- Peach 桃寿桃LongevityThe peach of the Queen Mother — an emblem of long life.
- Gourd 葫芦葫芦Blessing & prosperity, family葫芦 sounds like 福禄; vines suggest continuation.
- Cabbage 白菜白菜Wealth & integrity白菜 sounds like 百财 — wealth and a clear conscience.
- Bean 福豆豆角Peace through the seasonsFull pods — a wish for continuity and calm.
- Pine 松松Longevity, enduranceEvergreen — often paired with the crane.
03
Figures人物 · 寄托信仰
Figurative motifs carry belief and disposition — worn with respect for what they represent.
人物题材承载信仰与心境，佩戴以敬为先。
- Maitreya 弥勒佛弥勒佛Ease, generosityThe laughing Buddha — a wish for equanimity.
- Guanyin 观音观音Compassion, safe passageFrequently chosen for protection and calm.
- Guan Yu 关公关公Loyalty, integrityAn emblem of upright dealing; also a wealth figure.
- God of Wealth 财神财神ProsperityCivil and martial forms; a wish for good fortune.
- Longevity Star 寿星寿星Long lifeAn elder figure carried as a wish for elders.
- Child with lotus 童子持莲童子持莲Continuity, celebration莲 sounds like 连 — an ongoing wish.
04
Objects & Symbols器物 · 图必有意
Even a plain form carries meaning — the ring for safe passage, the ruyi for wishes fulfilled.
形若极简，意亦自足——平安扣寓安，如意寓愿。
- Ruyi 如意如意Wishes fulfilledAn ancient courtly form for good wishes.
- Peace ring 平安扣平安扣Safe passageThe simplest form — often worn daily.
- Longevity lock 长命锁长命锁A wish for a child's healthTraditionally given to children.
- Leaf 叶子叶子Career, standing叶 sounds like 业 — a wish for one's work.
- Bead 圆珠珠WholenessRound form — completeness and ease.
- Coin 铜钱钱币ProsperityRound with a square hole — an old form of wealth.
05
Compositions组合 · 一加一大于二
Two or three motifs together form a phrase — read them as one line, not as separate objects.
两三元素相配即成一句吉语，宜整体读，不宜拆解。
- Dragon & phoenix 龙凤呈祥龙凤呈祥Marital harmonyTraditionally chosen for weddings.
- Fu Lu Shou 福禄寿福禄寿Blessing, honour, long lifeBat, deer, peach — the three complete wishes.
- Three friends of winter 岁寒三友岁寒三友Integrity, resiliencePine, bamboo, plum — literati emblems.
- Five bats & longevity 五福捧寿五福捧寿Five blessings around long lifeA composed, symmetrical wish.
- He He Er Xian 和合二仙和合二仙Harmony at homeTwo children — one with lotus, one with a box.
Reading the carving
Line. Proportion. Detail. Invention.
Proportion
02Composition balanced; features true; limbs correctly set.
A figure's face carries the whole piece.
Detail
03Hair, scale, petal-turn all resolved — nothing sanded away.
Fine work reads at close range.
Invention
04Natural colour and inclusion used, not fought.
A fissure becomes a willow branch.
Natural gemstones carry inclusions, colour variation and texture unique to each formation. Each piece is photographed as it is and its characteristics are listed in the spec sheet.
Consultation