Jade Market

Hong Kong is by far the largest market center for jade in the world. Most of the items now offered for sale are reproductions. Generally speaking, there are three qualities of crude jade. The top grade stones are emerald-like in appearance and of superb purity and strength of color, and are used for very valuable jewelry; normal decorative jade is that found in most jewelry shops; while basic jade is offered by street-traders. So-called "finger jade" is very popular; these are symbolic figures and fruits, once buried with the dead because it was thought they would protect the body from decay.