A Shakyamuni Buddha portrait carved on a water-color jade pendant. The material not only has a clean and bright appearance, comparable to crystal, but comes from a mineral associated with green jade. [Photo/China Daily]

Wang is considering creating artworks and accessories made of high-quality water-color jade.

Wang's views have been seen as a market barometer in the past by the jade industry. In the last two decades, he has carved about 1,000 pieces of artworks. Among which, a series of works with dogs and another representing the relation between man and nature are well known by the public and have helped him win many Chinese and international sculpting awards.

However, Mo Tai, a famous jade collector in Yunnan province, has a different view. He said that although water-color jade pieces look nice, they are fragile and break easily.

"Only the prices for high-quality water-color jade pieces will increase very rapidly, but their number is very limited. Consumers should choose and invest in jade ornaments in a rational and reasonable way depending on their economic capability," he said .

Mo said that besides investing in water-color jade, consumers should turn their attention to sapphires, tourmaline and amber.

Contact the writers at zhangyan1@chinadaily.com.cn and guoanfei@chinadaily.com.cn