Imitations of nephrite and Shoushan stone

摘要

For several centuries good quality nephrite has been highly prized in China for jewellery, carvings and royal seals, where it was seen as an emblem of the emperor's power. Shousan stone, although less familiar in the West, also has a long history of use as an ornamental gem material in China. Shousan stone, named after the source of the same name in Fujian province, actually comprises around one hundred varieties, mostly kaolin group minerals such as dickite, nacrite or pyrophyllite and, less commonly, illite. So-called Tianhuang stone' is the most valuable type of Shousan stone.