In this feature, we hear from Jon Felz, an expert appraiser from RZM Fine Arts & Antiques, who provides valuable insights on evaluating prized possessions. Have something you're curious about having appraised? Reach out to Jon for a chance to have your items featured in a future "Ask the Appraiser" column.
Note to Appraiser:
Hi Jon. I recently read your interesting article on the "Fat Man" Chinese Silver Coin. The article reminded me of these two Chinese items my grandparents had.
They were Protestant Missionaries to China and Mongolia around 1910. Some of the items they were given in China, we now have in our possession. I can tell you that the glass is not broken; they stand 7 inches tall and are quite old.
My grandparents treasured them and had them in their breakfront since I was a child. What can you tell me about them? Are they valuable?
Edward
Appraisal Response:
Allow me to begin with some very good news. Your pair of Chinese Qing Dynasty archaistic-style covered jars are not made of glass, as you may believe. What you have is much better than glass. They are intricately carved from green jade and are quite valuable.
A word about jade. Jade is a two-pronged term used for decorative rocks used for jewelry and other objects de vertu. Jade can be one of two different materials. Either nephrite or jadeite. Your covered jars are the latter. Jadeite is the more precious type of jade. Most gem-quality jadeite type jade comes from northern Myanmar.
To give you a basic definition, jadeite is a microcrystalline interlocking growth of crystals of magnesium and iron. The higher the iron content, the greener the color will be. Jadeite has about the same hardness as quartz. In addition, jade is tougher than diamond, but a diamond is harder than jade. (Tougher Vs. Hardness). Jade sits at number 7 on the Mohs hardness scale, where a diamond is at number 10. Yes, jade can be scratched. Therefore, great care should be taken to avoid scratches to your jade-covered jars.
The Mohs scale I just referred to is an assessment of a gemstone's ability to scratch a surface. You might associate hardness with being a feature of strength, something that can hardly break. But in the world of gemology, hardness doesn't mean "hard" as we know it. To jewelers, hardness isn't about the fragility of a gemstone, but more about its ability to withstand scratches.
Now that you have a basic understanding of jade, let's get back to your wonderful carved jade Chinese archaistic style circular covered bowls. They were produced circa the third quarter of the nineteenth century. Each one features short, rounded sides, carved in low-relief panels, rising to a lipped ring, further flanked by wonderfully carved lotus flower heads. The covers are similarly carved with another band of panels and shaped handles at the top. The workmanship on each one is nothing short of excellent.
Now for the grand finale and yet more good news. The Asian antiques market is quite strong at this current time, particularly Chinese antiques. A substantial plus is that you own a matching pair. Much of the time when we encounter a pair, one of the pair has long been broken up or lost to time, and only a single one remains. Understandably, this is a plus in terms of the value. Therefore, the current value of these beautiful, high-quality, carved jade-covered jars is $ 8,000 USD. Continue to take special care of these treasures, as your grandparents certainly did.
Jon Felz - Senior Appraiser
RZM Fine Arts & Antiques, Inc.
Address: 132 Dexter Avenue, Pearl River, NY
Phone: 845-735-1313
Email: rzmantique@aol.com