Therefore, the fakes made using ordinary methods cannot fool Liu Qingyuan. However, as an expert from the older generation, he could not distinguish the high-quality imitations made using modern high-tech methods.
This cloud and dragon pattern double-eared vase is a high-tech imitation porcelain made using advanced techniques. Compared with new porcelain that has been artificially aged, high-tech imitation porcelain is more deceptive and more difficult to identify due to its different techniques.
After being deceived, Liu Qingyuan went to learn about high-tech methods used to make counterfeit porcelain. There are four methods. The first is "old body, new painting". The most common method is to use white bodies from the mid-to-late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China period and paint them with overglaze enamels such as famille rose, which increases their value many times over.
The second type is "old glaze on a new body". This is because counterfeiters use some old glazes that have been unearthed in Jingdezhen in recent years to decorate the new body.
The third method is "old pieces, new items," also known in the industry as "restocking." Counterfeiters collect large quantities of "junk" fragments from ancient kiln sites across various regions and then piece them together to create a complete fake. Porcelain made using this method can be analyzed as "genuine" even by scientific experts using multi-point sampling, making it particularly effective at deceiving seasoned collectors and experts.
The fourth type is "re-firing," which refers to repairing small, damaged parts of an old piece, such as cracks on the body or chips on the rim, and then re-firing it in a kiln. After it comes out of the kiln, it is complete and flawless, and its price increases several times or even dozens of times.
Liu Qingyuan's cloud and dragon pattern double-eared vase was made with old glaze and new body. It is not surprising that he was fooled by this technique. What surprised Liu Qingyuan was that it was not surprising that Zhou Xuan recognized it as a fake, and it was not surprising that he recognized it as a high-quality imitation. What surprised him was how he was sure that it was a new body fired last year.
Liu Qingyuan obtained the definitive result through detailed testing and analysis using scientific instruments at his friend's place at New York University. How could Zhou Xuan have identified and confirmed it with the naked eye? It's truly unbelievable!
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Volume One: The Lotus Buds Just Begin to Emerge, Chapter Six: Conditions
(Wishing all my book lovers a happy Mid-Autumn Festival, good health, and happiness for your families!)
"This..." Zhou Xuan hesitated for a moment before answering, "You see, there's a very small air hole on the inside of the rim at the bottom of that double-eared vase. The color inside the hole blends poorly with the surface glaze, almost as if it were applied directly to the fired clay body. This is the difference between this and glazes from the Grand Kiln. Usually, the better the bonding, the older the piece. This double-eared vase looks beautiful on the outside, but actually the glaze doesn't bond well with the underlying clay."
Zhou Xuan's explanation was barely acceptable, and Old Man Liu, still wanting more, wanted to ask further questions.
Through this brief encounter, Zhou Xuan already knew that the old man was a straightforward person. If he liked someone, he would talk to them about anything. If he didn't like someone, even if you were his own son, he wouldn't pay any attention to you. Once you figured him out, things would be much easier!
"Old Liu..." Zhou Xuan interrupted Liu Qingyuan, "What do you think of Fu Ying..."
Liu Qingyuan snorted and said, "I knew you guys only cared about that... Never mind, come on over!"
After walking back to the coffee table and sitting down, he reached out to Fu Ying and said, "Give it to me!"
Fu Ying smiled and quickly opened the bag, taking the jadeite out of the red brocade box.
As the saying goes, you should love what you do. Liu Qingyuan's eyes were glued to the jadeite the moment they fell on it. He took it from Fu Ying's hand and slowly turned it over to examine it. As he looked at it, he sighed, "The green is so vibrant, it looks like it's dripping with moisture. Little girl, where did you get such a top-quality piece of jadeite? These days, it's rare to find such a fine gem-green piece. And it's not small either. It's truly a rare find!"
Fu Ying smiled and pointed at Zhou Xuan again, saying, "Uncle-Master, this piece of jade was found by this young Zhou in a jade gambling transaction in southern China. Hehe, Uncle-Master, how much do you think he spent?"
"Oh?" Liu Qingyuan was somewhat surprised. "Little Zhou is also an expert in jade and emeralds? Tell me, how much did you spend on it?"
Zhou Xuan smiled and opened his palm.
"Five...five million?"
Liu Qingyuan hesitated for a moment before saying the number. He had just heard Fu Ying say that it was bought in a jade gambling transaction. According to the market price, this piece of jade would definitely not be less than 20 million, but if it was still a rough stone, it would probably be around 5 million.
“He spent five thousand yuan!” Fu Ying said with a grin, which startled Liu Qingyuan.
Finding this piece of jade for five thousand yuan is definitely a legend in the world of jade gambling.
Zhou Xuan continued, "Don't misunderstand, Mr. Liu. I don't really know much about this. It's just luck. Look at all those people gambling on stones, they're all so engrossed in it. This is the first time I've been to a place like this with Miss Fu, and the first time I've ever seen stone gambling. I thought I should at least buy a few stones to play with. I was just buying randomly, and I specifically spent five thousand yuan on the stone gambling ticket. Hehe, I didn't expect to hit the jackpot like this. It's just luck, nothing more than luck!"
Liu Qingyuan chuckled to himself. Was there really such a lucky fool? He took a small, powerful flashlight from the shelf, turned it on, and shone the light on the jade. The green color immediately became even more lustrous, and the strong light seemed to pierce through the jade, penetrating several inches into the stone.
Generally, the quality of jadeite is determined by factors such as its texture, type, clarity, and color.
The "ground" or "base" of jadeite is also known as the "ground sheet," "ground pattern," or "base." The meaning of "ground" is broad, encompassing not only indicators like texture and purity but also uniformity. The ground of jadeite is fundamental; it must be pure and flawless. A ground containing impurities will appear impure, and this is called a "dirty" ground. Just like the paper used for painting, if the base is poor, it's difficult to showcase beautiful colors.
The best jadeite textures include glassy, icy, and watery textures, with glassy texture being the best. Slightly lower grades include egg-blue, snot-like, and bluish-green textures. Next are grayish-green, purpleish-green, muddy-green, fine white, white sand, grayish-green, bean-green, purple-flowered, blue-flowered, white-flowered, and porcelain-like textures. The worst are rough white, rough gray, dog-shit, and water-like textures.
The type of jadeite depends on the texture of the raw stone itself, so the type refers to the texture of the jadeite. The denser the texture of the mine, the older the mine is usually. Therefore, the best jadeite is usually called "old mine type".
The best type of jadeite is the old mine jadeite, followed by the glassy type, then the icy type. The less desirable types, such as the watery type, bean type, hibiscus type, horse tooth type, and lotus root starch type, are not very valuable to collectors.
The "water" of jadeite refers to its transparency. The more water it has, the higher its transparency, the finer its texture, and the better it is. Jadeite without spots, without a dull or rough appearance is considered top-grade. When Liu Qingyuan shone a flashlight on this piece of jadeite, the light penetrated several inches, revealing its green luster, warm and moist appearance, making it a truly exquisite piece of jadeite.
Looking at its color, it is a deep green. Generally speaking, there is a correlation between the color and the clarity of jadeite. If the color is very deep, the clarity will generally be affected. Conversely, if the clarity is good, the green will generally become more delicate or more translucent, and sometimes the color will become lighter.
However, a truly fine piece of jade, in terms of its true value, is further subdivided into five categories: color, texture, clarity, flaws, and craftsmanship. Color, texture, and clarity refer to the color, texture, and clarity of the jadeite. Flaws refer to the stone's imperfections. All natural gemstones inevitably have naturally formed flaws, and the number of flaws naturally affects the price of jadeite. Generally, ordinary jadeite has very obvious flaws that are visible to the naked eye. As long as the cracks, flaws, or lines are not caused by human factors, they are all normal phenomena. A piece of jadeite that cannot find any natural flaws is an extremely rare and precious treasure.
The true value of jadeite ultimately lies in its craftsmanship. While craftsmanship is undoubtedly a crucial factor, its placement at the bottom of the ranking system isn't without reason. A superior piece of jadeite will always possess excellent craftsmanship, while a crude piece will never exhibit good craftsmanship. Those who purchase raw jadeite ore must possess highly specialized skills to determine the appropriate level of craftsmanship to carve after the ore has been cut open. Therefore, when examining finished jadeite pieces, one can generally judge their quality simply by observing the carving technique.
Liu Qingyuan's craftsmanship was naturally not a consideration. In New York's Chinatown, everyone knew about his carving skills. Many wealthy merchants and collectors wanted him to carve a piece but failed. Liu Qingyuan was not short of money, nor was he in it for money. He only cared about the people. If someone suited his taste, he would do it for free. If someone didn't suit his taste, he wouldn't agree to it no matter how much money was offered.
Liu Qingyuan had watched Fu Ying grow up since she was a child and quite liked this stubborn girl. Today, he had also met Zhou Xuan by chance, and they immediately hit it off.
Furthermore, Liu Qingyuan truly cherished the jade in his hand. Even the most skilled craftsman is useless without a comparable gemstone. If he carves a piece of inferior jade, his skill is lost. Therefore, having good jade is a great temptation for even a highly skilled craftsman.
Liu Qingyuan turned off the flashlight, gently stroking the surface of the jade, and sighed, "Old Liu hasn't seen such high-quality jade in almost ten years. Alright, girl, you can go now. Come back to pick up the goods in two months. Don't bother me in the meantime, and..."
Liu Qingyuan stared at Fu Ying and said, "I have another condition. After the work is finished, you have to lend me this kid for a week. We need to have a good chat about collecting. I, Old Liu, have quite a collection. It's rare for me to find someone to show it off!"
Fu Ying glanced at Zhou Xuan and smiled slightly, "Alright, as long as he's still alive by then, I promise my master!"
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Volume One: The Lotus Buds Just Begin to Emerge, Chapter Seven: Cause and Effect
From Old Liu's initial reluctance to stay, to his hasty departure after seeing the jade, Fu Ying and Zhou Xuan found it all quite amusing. Although Liu Qingyuan was in his sixties or seventies, his straightforward personality was endearing. ()
While driving, Fu Ying said, "Xiao Zhou, you probably have a few more days of free time. You can spend some time at the villa chatting with the Wolf brothers and Elena. Or I can have Wang Jue stay with you for a few more days to learn some basic English. As for food, if you'd like, I'd like to hire a chef. The problem is that you all have different tastes, which will be difficult to coordinate. Also, there will be other people joining later, so it's best to eat out. It's convenient and saves trouble."
Zhou Xuan didn't care about any of this. The Wolf brothers and Elena weren't difficult people to get along with either. He was just thinking that Fu Ying said more people would be joining. What kind of project required so many people? At $500,000 per person upfront, that was a huge sum!
Fu Ying parked the car next to a restaurant with a sign that read "Chaozhou Cuisine Li," and then said to Zhou Xuan, "Let's go down and get something to eat. I'll explain things to you so you can feel at ease knowing everything."
The restaurant wasn't large, but the decor was quite exquisite. From the waiters to the owner, everyone spoke with a Cantonese accent. It was still located within Chinatown.