Seed jade (籽料, zǐ liào) is nephrite that broke off the original deposit and was carried and tumbled by rivers – classically the Yurungkash (White Jade) and Karakash (Black Jade) rivers of Hotan, Xinjiang – for a very long time. The tougher, denser parts tend to survive, so seed jade is often fine and oily.
Mountain jade (山料) is mined directly from the primary deposit. It can be excellent, but on average it is less fine and less oily. In between is shan liu shui (山流水), mountain material carried a short distance by streams.
Many seed pebbles carry a natural iron-stained "skin": yellow, jujube-red, gold-fleck ("sa jin"), autumn-pear and others, or a fine "natural pore skin" (原毛孔). Carvers often keep part of the skin as a design element. Natural skin follows the cracks and pores and fades gradually into the stone; dyed skin looks uniform, sits on the surface or collects in scratches.
At Yufu, seed material has a higher median listed price than mountain material – see the price guide. Still, a fine piece of mountain jade can be better than a poor seed pebble: judge the stone, not just the label.
Not always. On average seed jade is finer and oilier, but quality of the individual stone and the carving matter most.
A fine, unpolished river-worn surface with tiny pores, a sign of seed material; it is often left visible on the finished piece.
Yufu Hetian Jade (御府和田玉) · Shanghai Yufu Crafts Co., Ltd. · founded 2002 by jade carver Fu Xuefei · Showroom: Palm Spring Garden, Lane 3800 Dongda Road, Tangzhen, Pudong, Shanghai (by appointment). Free insured international shipping; import duties paid by the buyer; non-custom pieces returnable within 7 days of delivery (return shipping paid by the buyer). Prices in CNY; USD figures are approximate (1 USD ≈ 6.69 CNY). Updated 2026-11-07.