-------------  stone for seal engraving

The "Chook-Blood" stone ("Phoenix-Blood" stone) is a kind of valuable stone, produced in Changhua District, Zhejiang Province, China. It is natural rare stone, Which comes in to existence with prophyllite and scarlet cinnabar, just looks like chook blood. Its poilshek surface is as bright, translucent as jade. Such kind of stone is scarce in the world and either in Changhua Mountains. It is renowned for its rarity and fine quality at home and abroad. People always treasure it as much precious as pearls and jades.

"Chook-Blood" stone was first discovered in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). In the early years then it was only used as making arts and crafts by the local people and was sold to the rich men, Who took it as a gift to each other. During the years of Qianlong Reign(1736-1795) of the Qing Dynasty, the princes and nobles got it engraved in too seals, which were considered as a treasured collection kept in the imperial court and mansions.

The "Chook-Blood" stone fall roughly into two categories, the old-pit "Chook-Blood" stone and neopit one. Those stones with scarlet, transparent or translucent belong to the old-pit one, the other new pit one. Due to the fact that the stones have been bexcavation for some four hundred years, they began to dwindle. In General Record of Changhua County, vol. 5, published in the third year of the Daogang Reign (1823),"A lovely seal made of stone, red spots on it like cinnabar and also dark purple in colour like a hawksbill. However, it is rare at present."

Its value small amount quartz may be on the plished surface of the "Chook-Blood" stone. That is a defect. Nonetheless, it is a rare case that these is not any quartz contained in the stone. So non-quartz "Chook-Blood" stone becomes the highest price of its kind.

N.B you must keep the stone away from much exposed to the sun and from burning when you have the stones.

Click here to see the "Chook-Blood" stone picture