Guanglu Jade

Guanglu Jade

Guanglu Jade is a protected geographical indication product.

　　Green Jade

　　The "Guangdong Green" found in Guangning County, Guangdong Province, commonly known as "Guanglu Stone" or "Guanglu Jade," is hidden in the deep mountains of Guangning. It is one of China’s five famous stones and was already a well-known tribute item during the late Ming and early Qing dynasties.

　　Guangdong Green comes in a wide variety of types, with bright and translucent colors such as grayish-white, ox-nose brown, light green, dark green, emerald green (called "jade green"), white with green streaks (called "jungle snow"), yellow with green (called "yellow rose"), yellow with red (called "autumn scenery"), green with golden specks (called "sea gold star"), and white with green tea-pattern veins (called "blue sea and clouded sky"). The ox-nose color has slight translucency and a jelly-like appearance, called "Guangning Jelly." Among these, emerald green, green sea gold star, white with green, and yellow with green are extremely rare and highly precious, making them true gems among stones.

　　According to the Guangning County Annals from the Daoguang era of the Qing Dynasty: "Yunzhao Mountain (now Muge Yuntai Mountain) has mountain stones in five colors, smooth and warm, which merchants carve and sell as seal tops." Guangdong Green has a fine and smooth texture, is as warm and lustrous as jade, contains few impurities, and has moderate hardness, making it easy to process. It is not only a rare gemstone but also a precious material for crafting art pieces and seals.

　　Guangdong Green is recorded in both Taiwanese and Japanese historical texts. Mr. Uno Yukimura, an authority on Japanese stationery and calligraphy, wrote in his book Calligraphy and Antiques Encyclopedia: “Guangdong Green is produced in Guangning, featuring pure green interwoven with tea-yellow, and is opaque…” “Guangdong Green and Guangning Green are highly regarded in Japan.” Seinto Tokutaro of Japan wrote in his book Illustrated Supplement to Stone Seal Materials: “Tianhuang, Chicken Blood Stone, and Guangdong Green are of the same premium grade among rare and treasured stones.” This shows that Guangdong Green can rival Tianhuang and Chicken Blood Stone in quality.

　　Various crafts and seals made from Guanglu Stone have become exquisite gifts and collectibles, cherished by many and exported to various countries and regions, including Europe, America, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.

　　Guanglu Stone jade carving products mainly include grape vases, twin dragons playing with a pearl, galloping horses, flying fish, antique chime bells, Japanese beauties, a series of paintings from Journey to the West, and the smallest jade-carved horse head seal. Recent innovations in Guangdong Green jade carvings include a 100x60x20 cm Dragon and Phoenix Pearl wall (with the pearl being a round digital clock), a replica of the world’s first stone sculpture of a human-headed lion-bodied figure, a 5-ton replica of the Temple of Heaven, a 1.5-ton jade tower, and a 2-ton Nine Dragons Screen… The craftsmanship is exquisite and breathtakingly beautiful.

　　The production area of Guanglu Jade covers the administrative regions of two towns in Guangning County, Zhaoqing City, Guangdong Province: Muge Town and Zhouzi Town.