Piao Hua 飘花 Jade

What is Piao Hua in jadeite?

Piao Hua jadeite is a Pinyin pronunciation of the words 飘花. Directly translated from Chinese, the term means floating flowers and this term is used to describe patterns of contrasting colour that can be observed in certain natural jadeite. These colour patterns are completely natural and can appear in different shapes and sizes.

With or Without Piao Hua
NJP052 Jadeite Pendant without Piao Hua
NJP068 Jadeite Pendant with Piao Hua

The term “flowers” or 花 relates to how certain colour patterns resemble shapes of flowers. The term “floating” has to do with the translucency of jadeite. With translucent jadeite, these colour patterns can sometimes appear suspended or floating within the jadeite material. This “floating” 飘 effect becomes more apparent with more translucent jadeite that offer a higher contrast in colours between the Piao Hua and the jadeite material it is found in. In less translucent jadeite material, the colour patterns will only be visible on the surface of the jadeite and this takes away the 3-dimensional shape of these colour formations that make them so mesmerising to observe.

Texture of jadeite resulting from its crystal aggregate structure also plays a part in the appearance and beauty of Piao Hua. In jadeite jewellery pieces where the crystal aggregate structure is very fine, the jadeite can appear jelly-like with no visible crystal grains. In such jadeite, the “floating” appearance of Piao Hua is enhanced.

Together with high translucency, the 3-dimensional shape of Piao Hua in jadeite is much more visible and more beautiful. The resulting effect is aesthetically pleasing and can appear almost like a scenic painting in fine jadeite jewellery.

Colours of Piao Hua

In natural jadeite, Piao Hua can be found in a variety of colours. Typically though, Piao Hua jadeite is more commonly seen in jadeite material with a light to almost colourless hue with high translucency. This combination of jadeite qualities very much enhances the beauty of Piao Hua 飘花.

Some examples of the colours are shown below.

NJP001 Bluish Green Piao Hua on Colourless Jadeite
NJBA046 Bluish Green Piao Hua on Lavender Jadeite
NJP068 Green Piao Hua on Colourless Jadeite
Piao Hua on Light Blue Jadeite
NJB066 Piao Hua on Colourless Jadeite
Bluish Green Piao Hua on Colourless Jadeite
Patterns of Piao Hua

Other than colour, another variation in the type of Piao Hua available in natural jadeite would be the amount of Piao Hua that can be observed. The amount of Piao Hua can be found in a wide range with certain jadeite jewellery pieces displaying only sparse splashes of colour while other jade jewellery pieces can have Piao Hua covering almost the entirety of the jadeite.

The amount of Piao Hua and how much is considered beautiful, is a matter of personal preference. In jadeite with less Piao Hua, the effect is more subtle and offers a cleaner, more pristine appearance with a touch of natural colours. With more Piao Hua, these natural colour patterns can have scenic appearances, like works of art formed naturally in jadeite. When there are a lot of Piao Hua in jadeite jewellery, the colour contrasts create a bold, more outstanding appearance. Brighter coloured Piao Hua in natural jadeite also often create a much more eye-catching jade jewellery piece.

Less Piao Hua
More Piao Hua

Piao Hua in jade jewellery adds beautiful splashes of colour in natural jadeite. These colour patterns are formed completely naturally in jadeite and create entirely unique jadeite jewellery pieces. Hope this article provides more information about this beautiful trait in natural jadeite and if there are any queries or if you would like to find out more, reach out to us via WhatsApp or contact us here.

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