The daily jade bazaar in Hotan operates every morning near the main bazaar area, a specialist market within a market where the ancient trade in nephrite continues unchanged in its fundamentals. Dealers spread their stock on tables and on the ground: rough stones in cream, green, grey, and russet that came from the riverbeds upstream; polished cabochons; carved pendants and bangles; and the occasional large decorative piece of real quality.
Hotan nephrite is softer in appearance than the more familiar Chinese jadeite — it has a waxy, translucent quality and comes in a narrower colour range, dominated by pale greens and white with a slight yellow cast. The finest grade is called mutton-fat jade for its smooth, slightly off-white colour. Distinguishing genuine Hotan nephrite from cheaper substitutes or dyed stone requires experience and, ideally, a testing device, but handling a few dozen pieces and asking the price gives a quick education in the market's range.
The bazaar is lively, competitive, and conducted almost entirely in Uyghur. If you want to buy, start by looking and asking prices without committing; a counter-offer of around half the asking price is a reasonable opening. For anyone interested in the history of the Silk Road rather than the trade itself, simply walking through and watching the negotiations is worthwhile.