China has the longest continuous tradition of working hard stone in the world. Jade carving there goes back thousands of years, to Neolithic cultures that shaped ritual discs and tubes with abrasive sand. In the late 20th century the country added modern faceting on a large scale, cutting colored stones and diamonds and, in the city of Wuzhou, producing huge numbers of synthetic and simulant gems for low-cost jewelry.
The jade carving tradition
Chinese jade work began in the Neolithic period. Cultures such as the Hongshan in the northeast and the Liangzhu near the Yangtze delta made objects including bi discs, cong tubes, pendants and animal figures. These were carved from nephrite, one of the two minerals sold as jade.
Nephrite is not especially hard, around 6-6.5 on the Mohs scale, but it is extremely tough because its fibers interlock. That toughness means it cannot be chipped into shape like flint. Carvers ground and drilled it slowly with harder abrasive sands, using cords, bamboo drills and later rotating wheels. A single piece could take months or years.
Over the following dynasties, jade stayed linked to ritual, rank and moral ideals. Confucian writers compared its qualities to those of a gentleman. Jade was used for burial objects, belt hooks, ceremonial blades and fine vessels. The page on Chinese imperial jade covers court workshops and the most famous pieces.
Jadeite and the Qing dynasty
Jadeite, the other jade mineral, came to China in quantity from northern Burma (now Myanmar) during the Qing dynasty, especially from the 18th century. Its bright greens and translucent "imperial" color became highly prized, and Chinese carvers adapted their methods to it. Today jadeite jewelry and carvings are among the most sought-after items in the Chinese market.
Traditional jade carving centers include Suzhou and Yangzhou in the east and Beijing in the north, along with workshops in Guangdong. In Guangdong, towns such as Pingzhou and Sihui became known for processing and carving Burmese jadeite in large volumes, and markets in Guangzhou and nearby cities handle much of the trade.
Modern colored stone cutting
From the 1980s, as China's economy opened, workshops began faceting colored gems for export. Low labor costs drew rough from Africa, South America and Asia. Chinese factories cut many common gems in standard calibrated sizes, which jewelry manufacturers need to fill large orders of matching stones. Amethyst, citrine, garnet, peridot, topaz, cubic zirconia and many others are cut this way.
Cutting in China ranges from hand faceting to machine-assisted production. Automated faceting machines can cut many identical stones at once, which keeps cost low for small calibrated goods. Freshwater pearl farming and pearl processing grew alongside this industry in the same period.
Diamond cutting
China also built a diamond cutting industry in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Factories in Guangdong, including Panyu near Guangzhou and Shenzhen, and in Shanghai cut natural diamonds, often for international firms. Shanghai is home to a diamond exchange that handles imports and trade.
India remains the largest diamond cutting country by volume, but China became a meaningful center, especially for certain sizes and for firms using automated equipment. More recently China has also become a major producer of lab-grown diamonds, mainly by the high-pressure, high-temperature (HPHT) method, and some of that material is cut domestically.
Wuzhou and synthetic gem cutting
Wuzhou, a city in the Guangxi region of southern China, became known from the late 20th century as a world center for cutting synthetic and simulant gems. Its workshops cut large volumes of:
- Cubic zirconia, the most common diamond simulant.
- Synthetic corundum (ruby and sapphire colors) and synthetic spinel.
- Glass and other simulants used in fashion jewelry.
- Some natural gems cut in calibrated sizes alongside the synthetics.
These stones are often cut by machine or by workers on simple faceting setups, in sizes so small and consistent that they can be set by the thousand. Much of the low-cost jewelry sold worldwide uses stones cut in Wuzhou or nearby. Wuzhou is sometimes called a "gem capital" for this reason, though its output is mostly man-made material.
Disclosure and identification
Because China cuts both natural and man-made stones at large scale, parcels can mix. Small synthetic diamonds mixed into natural melee and glass-filled or dyed stones sold as untreated are concerns for buyers anywhere. Labs and traders use spectroscopy and screening machines, and the general methods are covered on how to identify gemstones and the page on gemstone treatments.
China in the wider cutting map
China joined the older centers of Antwerp, Idar-Oberstein, Jaipur, Bangkok and Surat in the late 20th century, and it competes with each in different parts of the market. For the big picture, see the overview of great gem cutting centers. For jewelry traditions in East Asia beyond jade, see Asian jewelry history.
Frequently asked questions
How old is jade carving in China?
Jade carving in China goes back to the Neolithic period, thousands of years before the first dynasties. Early cultures such as the Hongshan and Liangzhu carved nephrite into ritual objects using abrasive sand.
What is Wuzhou known for?
Wuzhou in southern China is known for cutting very large quantities of synthetic and simulant gems, especially cubic zirconia and synthetic corundum, used in low-cost jewelry around the world.
Does China cut natural diamonds?
Yes. China built a diamond cutting industry in Guangdong and Shanghai from the late 20th century, though India cuts far more diamonds by volume. China is also a major producer of lab-grown diamonds.
What is the difference between nephrite and jadeite?
Both are sold as jade, but they are different minerals. Nephrite is a tough, fibrous amphibole carved in China since the Neolithic period, while jadeite is a pyroxene that reached China in quantity from Burma during the Qing dynasty and includes the bright green stones called imperial jade.