Photo Credit: JadeSiberian
Siberian Nephrite Jade Whiskey Stones
Asking Price: $99 (price as of 2018; item no longer available)
Pros:
-This is a stunningly gorgeous set of 6 Siberian nephrite jade Whiskey stones that comes in a beautifully crafted hardwood box. Whiskey stones are a recent invention meant to cool your whiskey or other hard liquor without diluting it like ice does. Just pop them in the freezer for a few hours and they are ready to go!
-This jade whiskey stone set is made from high quality, Siberian nephrite jade. Jade was first discovered in the Sayan Mountains of Siberian Russia, near Lake Baikal, in 1826. In the late 19th and early 20th century, the world renowned Fabergé workshop in St. Petersburg extensively used Siberian jade in many of its sumptuous creations. Shortly after the year 2000, Siberian nephrite jade started to be exported to China in order to meet the fast growing demand for high quality jade among newly wealthy Chinese consumers.
-Nephrite jade’s extremely high thermal conductivity makes it perfect for use as a whiskey stone material; it will chill your drink very quickly compared to less thermally conductive materials.
-Unlike nephrite jades mined from some other locations, Siberian jade is known for its bright colors and excellent translucency. These are both very desirable characteristics that make Siberian jade perfect for high-class carvings, objets d’art and jewelry.
-I like that this whiskey stone set is crafted in what is undoubtedly a small jade workshop in Siberian Russia using local materials.
–High quality jade is a great investment right now. I especially like rough North American jade because of its good availability and lack of treatments. Siberian jade is also excellent, but most production from Russian mines goes straight to China these days, making it difficult to source in North America or Europe.
-These Siberian jade whiskey stones absolutely encapsulate the extravagant zeitgeist of the modern age – an important element when investing in art. These luxury items are Gatsbyesque excess incarnated, conjuring up images of a tuxedo-wearing man at a gala event swirling his glass of liquor and jade whiskey stones while explaining how he became a Bitcoin billionaire.
-This set of Siberian jade whiskey stones comes in its own custom-made, fitted hardwood box. The box is available in your choice of solid ash or birch, two hardwoods endemic to southern Siberia.
-I believe these Siberian jade whiskey stones are a great example of a future antique. In 50 or 100 years, this set, along with its original hardwood box, will be most likely be a very desirable antique. Given this probable outcome, I think the $99 asking price is perfectly justified.
Cons:
-This item is not antique, but is instead a new luxury good that is made from scratch when you order. Under normal circumstances, buying new luxury goods for investment purposes is a stupid idea because the price is usually exorbitantly high. In this case, the price is quite reasonable, making these jade whiskey stones a reasonable investment.
-The shipping cost to the U.S. for this set of Siberian jade whiskey stones is $25. This is a bit steep considering the item itself is only $99. But because it is coming all the way from Asiatic Russia, I think the high shipping charges are forgivable.
-Because these sets are custom made to order, there is no guarantee that you will receive jade of the same excellent quality of that shown in the photos. So, buying this set is a bit of a gamble. But for just a little over $100, it is quite possibly worth it, especially considering that more pedestrian whiskey stones might cost you anywhere from $20 to $60.
