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String marks on jade...calcification \ crystal regrowth!? ( China & Japan ) - Cordelia - Jan 13, 2015 (01:34 AM)
- Re: String marks on jade...calcification \ crystal regrowth!? - adam - Jan 14, 2015 (12:43 PM)
  - Re: String marks on jade...calcification \ crystal regrowth!? - Cordelia - Jan 15, 2015 (01:10 AM)

Subject:String marks on jade...calcification \ crystal regrowth!?
Posted By: Cordelia Tue, Jan 13, 2015 IP: 5.70.213.9

Hi. I have been reading old threads on this site with great interest.... I think I have now learned that holes in old jades seem to have parallel lines in them.... And I have also learned of "string marks" for the first time.... My understanding is that these often will appear on an unpolished or area of an old piece but are polished out on the accessible areas... Is this correct? Also I notice you talk about calcification due to pieces being buried with corpses... But I have also heard of this being called crystal regrowth which happens in the cut areas of old nephrite.... I'd love more explanation on these topics... And could anybody post me a pic of an example of these string marks as I have quite a large piece bought cheaply as a soapstone (it's not) which contains many stripy holes.. White powdery surface growth and sort of shallow lines in the unpolished areas and I am now seeing in an entirely different light! It's a 12" bi with 8 chilongs on one side, then the shou (?) Symbol and the dragon phoenix on the other side...Thank you!

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Subject:Re: String marks on jade...calcification \ crystal regrowth!?
Posted By: adam Wed, Jan 14, 2015

Be very dubious about crystal regrowth as this is often induced in fakes and I have never seen a genuine example showing this phenomena (On authentic pieces it often turns out to be accrude waxes/organic debris)
Calcification is a different matter but generally only appears on buried objects over 1000 years old....The look of calcification was often acheived in the ming dynasty onwards artificially by burning (In fact I believe it to have started as a technique as far back as the song archaistic period of jade working)
Post pictures of your piece as it is best to judge pieces on their individual merit..

Subject:Re: String marks on jade...calcification \ crystal regrowth!?
Posted By: Cordelia Thu, Jan 15, 2015

Thanks for your advice Adam.... It's great to be able to get the opinions of such an auspicious collector.... I feel I've learnt quite a lot already just by looking at old threads and stuff...I've now posted some photos on my other thread.... the one about the holes....again fascinated to read your opinion...I'm conscious that the word " fake" is mentioned constantly... But I also have often read that the Chinese have copied ancient designs for millennia... I bought this cheaply as a "soapstone" probably 19th Century.... and I think it's a stunner however old it is!