Lot 944. Lavender jadeite 'huaigu', lavender jadeite, ruby and diamond necklace. Estimate HKD: 2,680,000 - 3,280,000 (USD: 923,100 - 1,102,600). © 2019 China Guardian (HK) Auctions Co., Ltd.

The necklace suspending to the front a jadeite 'huaigu' of intense lavender colour, to a surmount embellished with an oval ruby, rose- and brilliant-cut diamonds, completed by a necklace composed of forty-two jadeite beads of similar colour and translucency, intervalled with a circular-cut ruby-set sphere, to a clasp embellished with circular-cut rubies and brilliant-cut diamonds, the rubies and diamonds totalling approximately 4.10 and 1.20 carats respectively, mounted in 18 karat white, pink and blackened gold. Length approximately 400mm.
Lavender Jadeite beads measuring approximately 11.60 to 6.83mm.

Hong Kong Jade & Stone Laboratory report numbered SJ180800, 15 February 2019, stating the jadeite is natural, Lavender colour, known in the trade as 'A Jade'; jadeite measuring approximately 27.02-27.10 x 9.02mm.

LAVENDER JADEITE
In ancient China, purple was the colour for emperors, representing solemnity and grandeur. While jadeite is believed to be a spiritual stone with significant meaning in Chinese culture, the fascinating lavender colour is due to the trace amount of Manganese in the raw stone. The value of lavender Jadeite depends highly on the saturation of the purple tone and whether it is evenly coloured. Due to its difficulty in mining and rarity of jadeite deposits, it is in fact much rarer to find lavender jadeite possess both good translucency and evenly saturated colour.
This season, an impressive jadeite necklace possesses a very fine translucency and saturated soft lavender colour. It demands a huge rough and meticulous selection of hundreds of beads to gather an evenly coloured strand with such richness in colour.

 China Guardian Hong Kong, Important Jewels and Jadeite, JW Marriott Hotel, 31 March 2019, 2 pm