Hetian (Khotan) Jade District
The Hetian (和田, Khotan) district in Xinjiang is the world-famous source of nephrite jade, prized in Chinese culture for thousands of years and the origin of the celebrated white "mutton-fat" jade.
About Hetian (Khotan) Jade Districtextended article
The classic source of Chinese nephrite jade
The Hetian (Khotan) region on the southern rim of the Tarim Basin in Xinjiang is the most renowned source of nephrite jade in the world. Nephrite — a tough, fine-grained tremolite–actinolite rock — has been treasured in Chinese culture for more than six thousand years, and Hetian material has long defined the highest standard for the stone.
What Hetian is known for
- White nephrite, including the prized "mutton-fat jade" (羊脂玉)
- River-pebble jade (籽料) recovered from the White Jade and Black Jade rivers
- Mined "mountain" jade (山料) from primary deposits in the Kunlun Mountains
Collector value
Colour, translucency, fineness of texture, and — for river pebbles — natural "skin" all drive value. Fine white mutton-fat nephrite is among the most valued of all jade and carries deep cultural significance for Chinese collectors.