Peach Source Stone

Peach Source Stone

　　In Wenxi Mountain, Bazilu Township, about one kilometer southeast of Taoyuan County town, within a gravel layer over 20 meters thick, there is a world-renowned stone known as “Peach Source Stone.” It includes various types such as agate, flint, chalcedony, and opal, but the most abundant and exquisite are the beautiful agates. Peach Source Stones often appear in round, kidney-shaped, or grape-like forms. The larger ones range from 3 to 4 centimeters in diameter, the smaller ones are about the size of soybeans, and the largest can reach 7 to 8 centimeters in diameter. Their colors include cloudy white, red, yellow, brown, green, blue, and purple, all semi-transparent with glassy or greasy luster. They feature colorful patterns, each stripe distinct. The Qing Dynasty’s *Taoyuan County Annals* recorded: “Tears stones are small, round, and smooth, mostly white, with many red dots—some intense like blood, some faint like rosy clouds, some dense like ripe peaches, others sparse like scattered stars. Round ones resemble flower petals, curved ones like moon traces. Others take the shapes of eyebrows, tongues, teeth, ears, pupils, bows, shoes, or hair buns—displaying a hundred different forms.”

　　Peach Source Stone is a premium material for jewelry and carved handicrafts. Rings, necklaces, lions, tigers, cats, dogs, floral designs, and seals made from Peach Source Stone are exquisitely crafted, symbolizing luxury, elegance, dignity, and charm. In the past, Taoyuan County had more than ten specialized workshops crafting Peach Source Stone items, and the area around Little West Gate in Changde also hosted over ten craft shops dealing in Peach Source Stone.

　　Peach Source Stone is also a noble decorative object. Placing it in a glass tank filled with clear water and viewing it through the water reveals a serene yet elegant beauty. When the water ripples slightly, the colorful patterns on the stone shift with the movement, resembling a rainbow drifting across the sky, evoking a sense of vastness and depth. As the old *Hunan General Annals* stated: “Peach Source Stone... is moist like jade, hard yet richly patterned. The finest pieces even resemble celestial scenes and terrestrial landscapes, with every name and object depicted vividly. ... The essence of dragon lairs, the craftsmanship of the great creator, encompassing all things—truly an unfathomable treasure.”