Looking to purchase antique art deco jade pendant

[Seastheday]

@toomuchB and @Pomelo thanks! I had a feeling the auction route is how I ought to go, to broaden my selection. Likely it will involve some gambling in getting a piece without a report and then sending in to Mason Kay to see if I was lucky again (like with the untreated jade earrings I bought from an auction site earlier this year, from a tip from another PS member-thank you again @HockeyMama, so grateful to you!). For this level of risk though I’d prob not want to buy at the upper limit of my budget. I would prob want to cap at $5000(??) so that in case I happen to buy a pendant that is treated jade, I may still not be too unhappy with the money I spent if I like the overall look.

Folks, let me know if you have any auction leads on antique jade pendants/brooches that fit the bill!

 

[Pomelo]

@toomuchB and @Pomelo thanks! I had a feeling the auction route is how I ought to go, to broaden my selection. Likely it will involve some gambling in getting a piece without a report and then sending in to Mason Kay to see if I was lucky again (like with the untreated jade earrings I bought from an auction site earlier this year, from a tip from another PS member-thank you again @HockeyMama, so grateful to you!). For this level of risk though I’d prob not want to buy at the upper limit of my budget. I would prob want to cap at $5000(??) so that in case I happen to buy a pendant that is treated jade, I may still not be too unhappy with the money I spent if I like the overall look.

Folks, let me know if you have any auction leads on antique jade pendants/brooches that fit the bill!

The big auction houses (Sotheby's, Christie's, Bonham's) usually sell jadeite pieces with certs (I posted a screenshot of the certs previously), so you don't need to send them to Mason Kay unless you really want to double-check. Personally, I would rely on the reputation of these auction houses to not sell fake jadeite but everyone has different risk tolerance and mind-cleanliness levels!

 

[Seastheday]

Ok team, how’s this one look, $5500, untreated, 1.7 cm:

1) I personally like the dappled effect but curious what others think: too uneven?
2) Translucency looks good to me: @Crimson would this be glassy according to your guide? Or frosted glass lol
3) Too big or ok for daily wear? @LilAlex aka my style consultant: Is the setting too blingy? I almost never wear yellow gold—I feel like it pops on me too much
4) per seller it’s mid century which I like—@mellowyellowgirl and @Pomelo thoughts on style/date? To me 20k high carat gold setting is suggestive of Macau/Hong Kong jewelry from that time from what little I know from looking online



Link to video:

Vintage Carved Jade Pendant 20k - Etsy

This Pendant Necklaces item by GemGardener has 13 favorites from Etsy shoppers. Ships from Singapore. Listed on May 12, 2025

www.etsy.com

 

[LilAlex]

Thinking fast (as the late Daniel K would say): I like it -- for all the reasons you list. No way is that too big or too blingy, imo. The bale is lovely. It is mottled but, well, charmingly so, and the green is vivid and the translucency looks very good. I do not know this seller (did not click but I do not know any Etsy seller) and I did not know how reputable the report is since I did not see it. In my mind, it's potentially a better value than the Art Nouveau-y one. I don't know what it "is" (the carving, that is) but that has never stopped me, as you all know!

 

[Seastheday]

Thinking fast (as the late Daniel K would say): I like it -- for all the reasons you list. No way is that too big or too blingy, imo. The bale is lovely. It is mottled but, well, charmingly so, and the green is vivid and the translucency looks very good. I do not know this seller (did not click but I do not know any Etsy seller) and I did not know how reputable the report is since I did not see it. In my mind, it's potentially a better value than the Art Nouveau-y one. I don't know what it "is" (the carving, that is) but that has never stopped me, as you all know!

Thanks so much! The seller is Gem Gardener who is a quite reputable old Singapore vendor from what I can gather. I confirmed his pieces come with lab reports from Nanyang lab.

My thoughts exactly—this feels more wearable than the rat/fox, but as the late Daniel K says, I want to make sure I was not being overconfident in my opinion haha.

My only hesitation is size. 1.7 inches is a pretty big rock around the neck. I had hoped for something closer to 1 inch. A dab of green color at the throat like a prismatic perfume, not a big green glob lol. But I’m undecided, I may be wrong about suitable size. I’ve heard of diamond and pearl shrinkage syndrome, not sure if the same applies to jade…

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

Looks great and even better with a Nanyang Certificate. Everyone will have a different tolerance as to what labs they find acceptable. For example my go to is Lotus for CS (not Jadeite, I’m ok with the Hong Kong lab) and I’ve had the opportunity to send stuff to GRS but I can’t be bothered with the waiting times.

I own an unheated sapphire with a Nanyang cert so very comfortable with it personally if I’m buying from Singapore.

I really like the bright green spots but again this is very subjective.

Re size: Nothing is ever too small for me so I’m the wrong girl for this. I think it would be awesome on a 45cm chain on a plain background top (another reason why I can’t do jadeite pendants as I rarely wear plain colour clothes).

 

[Crimson]

Thanks so much! The seller is Gem Gardener who is a quite reputable old Singapore vendor from what I can gather. I confirmed his pieces come with lab reports from Nanyang lab.

My thoughts exactly—this feels more wearable than the rat/fox, but as the late Daniel K says, I want to make sure I was not being overconfident in my opinion haha.

My only hesitation is size. 1.7 inches is a pretty big rock around the neck. I had hoped for something closer to 1 inch. A dab of green color at the throat like a prismatic perfume, not a big green glob lol. But I’m undecided, I may be wrong about suitable size. I’ve heard of diamond and pearl shrinkage syndrome, not sure if the same applies to jade…

Glad you checked out Gem Gardener.
Not too big at all!
It is worth buying for the period and type it represents - the Straits Chinese were born in SE Asia, descendants of the Ming voyagers. They intermarried with locals and became fluent in English, Chinese and Malay. They developed their own aesthetic, a blend of East and West. Their jewellery was often made in 20K gold or higher. They favoured large and lavish jewellery, with some gold and diamond brooches measuring 4 inches or larger.
This pendant has nice mottling. It has been sliced quite thin so it appears translucent; however, the material really isn’t. But that also means it won’t be as heavy as it looks. The white patches also add to the impression of translucence. The green mottling is quite pleasing. Nothing to complain about at that price!
Nan Yang is Singapore’s best gem lab. The owner Mr Zeng is very strict, even more exacting than AIGS and GRS especially on descriptors like cornflower blue or vivid red. He is known for his rigor and ethics. You can trust a Nan Yang cert.

 

[Seastheday]

Wow, thank you so much @mellowyellowgirl and @Crimson!!! Between the two of you, you could teach a weeks (months?!) long course in jadeite! (I would sign up happily for it!)

It is so, so helpful to learn all the finer points of jade buying. I would have never known to consider the Straits history nor the thickness of the piece contributing to its translucency appearance. I could hug you both!

 

[LilAlex]

Buy it already! It's not too big! it's perfect. I could not log on for some reason yesterday or I would have posted this then.

This is like the time I Redd about Rolexes and VCs on another forum and every other post was "Is this too small for my wrist?" or "Is this too big for my wrist?" The answer was usually "Dude, wear what you like!" (It was always dudes.) (Well, actually half the time it was "where what you like," and the other half it was "nice T rex arms" but that's kind of beside the point.)

This is not a Chico's pendant! This is grand and not grotesque! (And I'm sorry to pick on Chico's, which I really have nothing against, and "class-wise," it's probably in our ballpark but it's become a bit of a shorthand for my wife in describing an overly large but not overly interesting pendant. More like an "accessory" than jewelry. Like an oil painting that perfectly fits over the sofa and has vaguely correct colors for the room and anyway...

 

[Seastheday]

Buy it already! It's not too big! it's perfect. I could not log on for some reason yesterday or I would have posted this then.

This is like the time I Redd about Rolexes and VCs on another forum and every other post was "Is this too small for my wrist?" or "Is this too big for my wrist?" The answer was usually "Dude, wear what you like!" (It was always dudes.) (Well, actually half the time it was "where what you like," and the other half it was "nice T rex arms" but that's kind of beside the point.)

This is not a Chico's pendant! This is grand and not grotesque! (And I'm sorry to pick on Chico's, which I really have nothing against, and "class-wise," it's probably in our ballpark but it's become a bit of a shorthand for my wife in describing an overly large but not overly interesting pendant. More like an "accessory" than jewelry. Like an oil painting that perfectly fits over the sofa and has vaguely correct colors for the room and anyway...

I cannot even begin to tell you just how much your comments made me laugh and it’s been a while since I’ve really laughed out loud at something (not a whole lot of cheery news these days in general, but I’ll veer away from politics now haha).

I feel like I’m on the fence (a wobbly one!). On the one hand I really like it. On the other hand I just don’t know if being a non-Asian person I’d look like a cheery doofus wearing a Straits style pendant having only discovered what Straits mean earlier today (not quite as bad as those folks getting a misspelled tattoo in a foreign language, but still…). I wouldn’t dream of taking apart the jade from its original setting in this case as I’d feel like I was desecrating a piece of heritage, but, that 20k yellow gold setting really isn’t me. All my jewelry is set in platinum or the very occasional silver and they tend to blend into my pale/bland complexion which I kind of like (maybe I’m just boring! I don’t like my jewelry to stand out too much). Yellow gold esp high carat yellow gold is so…bling bling to me, like a high octane party that really jumps out—maybe I just don’t like to have too much fun??

So wondering if I should hold out for something like these:

 

[Crimson]

I cannot even begin to tell you just how much your comments made me laugh and it’s been a while since I’ve really laughed out loud at something (not a whole lot of cheery news these days in general, but I’ll veer away from politics now haha).

I feel like I’m on the fence (a wobbly one!). On the one hand I really like it. On the other hand I just don’t know if being a non-Asian person I’d look like a cheery doofus wearing a Straits style pendant having only discovered what Straits mean earlier today (not quite as bad as those folks getting a misspelled tattoo in a foreign language, but still…). I wouldn’t dream of taking apart the jade from its original setting in this case as I’d feel like I was desecrating a piece of heritage, but, that 20k yellow gold setting really isn’t me. All my jewelry is set in platinum or the very occasional silver and they tend to blend into my pale/bland complexion which I kind of like (maybe I’m just boring! I don’t like my jewelry to stand out too much). Yellow gold esp high carat yellow gold is so…bling bling to me, like a high octane party that really jumps out—maybe I just don’t like to have too much fun??

So wondering if I should hold out for something like these:

Simple fix - just have the gold dipped in rhodium or white gold. That is what I did with some of the gold jewellery I received. Gem Gardener will probably be able to do it for you. The process is reversible if you change your mind one day.
I don't know what you look like but I find it hard to imagine you - or anyone from PS -- looking like a doofus

@LilAlex you had me laughing too! I lived in the US for 4.5 years and I don't know what a Chico's is but your description is just too funny.

 

[LilAlex]

I feel like I’m on the fence (a wobbly one!). On the one hand I really like it. On the other hand I just don’t know if being a non-Asian person I’d look like a cheery doofus wearing a Straits style pendant having only discovered what Straits mean earlier today

I get it. It's fine to pause -- did not mean to pressure you. But just like it's hard to find a Deco piece that won't look Olde Timey to an awful lot of people, it's going to be hard to find antique jade that doesn't evoke the culture and era -- even if it's intended for export (and maybe especially if it's intended for export).

I think it's different with antiques -- you honor the beauty and intended function as best you can. I know my wife has a ring or two that were worn by people with very different lifestyles from ours and maybe they'd be appalled to see us watching Netflix and drinking (splitting!) a beer instead of sipping cognac and discussing Great Books or something (although, I guess, we discuss good books, lower case). She has some flapper-ish Deco sapphire chandelier earrings that would have better suited her younger self, but younger me could never have afforded them (let alone buying more than one tire at a time).

You make a good point: definitely hold out for a lovely, well-priced jade pendant in 2016. We can go together and I can finally get my Kashmir sapphire!

 

[toomuchB]

Not sure what/if you've decided, OP.

Came across this which isn't on their site yet. I have a feeling the jade quality is decent but still lacking kinda like the 2850$ Lang piece - but I am no expert so sharing anyway. Also, Piccadilly Vaults is a UK based seller, not sure if that works for you.

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[Seastheday]

Not sure what/if you've decided, OP.

Came across this which isn't on their site yet. I have a feeling the jade quality is decent but still lacking kinda like the 2850$ Lang piece - but I am no expert so sharing anyway. Also, Piccadilly Vaults is a UK based seller, not sure if that works for you.

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View this content on Instagram

Thank you for taking the time. They have some very lovely/interesting things!

 

[Lentibulariaceae]

I would say personally, don’t worry about size too too much. My nephrite Eleanor is ~1” x 2” and wears very comfortably, and is not too heavy.

 

[Seastheday]

I would say personally, don’t worry about size too too much. My nephrite Eleanor is ~1” x 2” and wears very comfortably, and is not too heavy.

Eleanor is so finely carved (from one whole piece of jade it looks like) and the reddish bead (jade? Coral?) sets the earthy ombre color palette off so well. Thanks for sharing!

 

[Lentibulariaceae]

I’m actually not sure what it is! I’m starting to think it may be plume agate?