A list of stones and other materials used to make Chinese seals.
Seal Materials
A note on seal stone: the stones used for carving seals were traditionally characterized by origin, color, and physical qualities rather than by a modern geology/mineral classification; there is a huge variety of names in use; and trying to identify a seal stone is often an impossible task (without mineral composition testing). For instance, any stone with red spots may be called chicken-blood stone no matter where it comes from or what it is made of (true chicken-blood stone is extremely rare and valuable). What is sold as stone can also turn out to be something else (like plastic or a composite material). Be extremely cautious and skeptical before buying any expensive stone.
Contact me if you have any corrections or additions.
- Agalmatolite
- This term is sometimes used to describe Shoushan stone and is a synonym for Pinite, Pyrophyllite, and/or Talc. (Mindat.org) See: shou shan shi.
- Agate Jelly Stone
- See: ma nao dong
- Balincaishi 巴林彩石
- Balin color stone.
- Balindanshadongshi 巴林丹砂凍石
- Balin Cinnabar Jelly Stone, a form of red translucent Balin stone.
- Balindong 巴林凍
- Balin Jelly Stone.
- Balinhuangdong 巴林黃凍
- Balin Yellow Jelly Stone.
- Balinjixueshi [fangzhang] 巴林雞血石[方章]
- Balin Chicken-blood Stone.
- Balinniujiaodong 巴林牛角凍
- Balin Ox Horn Jelly, a black stone.
- Balinshi 巴林石
- Balin Stone. A popular stone for seals quarried in Daban Township in the Balin Right Banner, Zhaowuda League, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in the area of Mount Yamatu. Mined in north China only since 1973. It comes in many colors. It has been said to be less liable to crack than other popular seal stones. Pyrophyllite [another source says mostly Kaolinite].
- Balintianjihuang 巴林田雞黃凍
- Balin “Frog” Yellow Stone.
- Baiguodong 白果凍
- Gingko Jelly, a form of Qingtian stone.
- Balin Blood Stone
- See: balinjixueshi
- Balin Bull Horn Stone
- See: balinniujiaodong
- Balin Color Stone
- See: balincaishi
- Balin Frog Yellow
- See: balintianjihuang
- Balin Ink-figured Stone
- See: mohuashi
- Balin Ivory
- See: xiangyabaishi
- Balin Stone
- See: balinshi
- Balin Yellow
- See: balinhuangdong and balintianjihuang
- Bamboo
- Bamboo root is occasionally used for making seals.
- Bantouming
- See: shoushanbantouming
- Brocade Stone
- See: jinshi
- Calcite
- See: rongyan
- Changbailushi 長白綠石
- Changbai Green Stone, from Jilin.
- Changhuadong 昌化凍
- Chuanghua Jelly, a form of Changhua stone. See also: oufendong.
- Changhuajixieshi 昌化雞血石
- Changhua Chicken-blood Stone, a form of Changhua stone colored with red spatters.
- Changhuashi 昌化石
- Changhua Stone. Quarried in Shangxi Township, Ning’an City, Zhejiang province (originally under the jurisdiction of Changhua County). First used for seals in the mid-Qing dynasty. Available in several colors, it is one of the three most popular forms of stone used to make seals though not in such quantities as Qingtian or Shoushan. Includes Changhuadong, Changhuajixie, Dahongpao, Jixueshi, Liuguanzhang, and Oufendong stones. A form of Pyrophyllite.
- Changmaoxiang 長毛象
- Mammoth, wooly mammoth. The tusks are occasionally used as seal carving material.
- Changbai Green Stone
- See: changbailushi
- Changhua Blood Stone
- See: changhuajixueshi
- Changhua Cinnabar
- See: zhushadong
- Changhua Jelly Stone
- See: changhuadong, oufendong
- Changhua Stone
- See: changhuashi
- Chicken-blood Stone
- Any stone colored with red spatters (caused by inclusions of sulfite mercury). Natural chicken-blood stone is usually very expensive but look-alikes can be produced artificially, so buyer beware. Usually a form of Qingtian stone. See: jixueshi.
- Chushi 楚石
- Chu Stone, quarried in Xinhua County, Hunan Province. Named for the ancient Chu Kingdom. An opaque black stone.
- Cinnabar Jelly
- See: zhushadong and Balindanshadongshi
- Crystal Jelly Stone
- See: shuijingdong
- Dahongpao 大紅袍
- “Bright Red Gown,” a form of Qingtian stone fully covered in “chicken blood.”
- Dasongshi
- Dasong Stone, quarried in Yinzhou, Zhejiang Province.
- Danshadongshi
- See: balindanshadongshi
- Dasong Stone
- See: dasongshi
- Dengguangdong 燈光凍
- Lamplight Jelly, a form of Qingtian stone.
- Dong 凍
- “Jelly,” refers to the transparent look of a stone.
- Dongshi 凍石
- See: steatite
- Dongyoushi 凍油石
- Frozen Oil Stone, a form of Shoushan Shuikeng stone.
- Dulingshi 杜陵石
- Duling Stone, a form of Shoushan stone.
- Eel Weed Jelly Stone
- See: shancaodong
- Fangjieshi 方解石
- Calcite, a non-traditional seal carving material. Harder than traditional Chinese seal stone, it cannot be cut with a knife and must be worked with grinders.
- Fengmenqing 封門青
- A form of Qingtian stone. Also called Qingtian Fengmen Blue, although its color is not blue. Fengmen Jelly Stone is considered the best stone for seals.
- Fengtiandongshi 奉天凍石
- Steatite from Liaoning province in NE China. Generally a white translucent stone.
- Field Pit Stone
- See: tiankeng
- Fish Brain Jelly Stone
- See: yunaodong
- Frozen Oil Stone
- See: dongyoushi
- Furongshi 芙蓉石
- Lotus Stone, a form of Shoushan stone.
- Gaoshan Stone
- “Named for its occurrence at Mount Gao (Gaoshan) near Shoushan, Fuzhou City, Fujian Province. A dense variety of dickite with red spots of hematite … it also contains quartz and pyrophyllite as minor impurities. The Chinese consider this material as a variety of Shoushan stone, although true Shoushan stone mainly consists of pyrophyllite.” (mindat.org)
- Gingko Jelly Stone
- See: baiguodong
- Grape Ice Stone
- See: putaobing
- Guangdonglushi 廣東綠石
- Green Stone, also called Guangdong Green, from Guangdong province.
- Guangdong Green
- See: guangdonglushi
- Hanbaiyu 漢白玉
- White marble, a non-traditional material for seals.
- Hushi 壺石
- Kettle Stone, another name for Shoushan stone.
- Huakengshi 花坑石
- Huakeng Stone, a form of Shoushan stone.
- Huandong 環凍
- Ring Jelly, a form of Shoushan Shuikeng stone.
- Huangdong 黃凍
- Yellow Jelly, a form of Shoushan Shuikeng stone.
- Huangdongshuizaohuashi 黃凍水藻化石
- Lit.: “yellow jelly algae flower stone,” a form of Balin stone.
- Hunan Chu Stone
- See: chushi
- Ivory
- Though now generally unavailable due to international restrictions on the use of elephant ivory, this was once a commonly used material for carving seals.
- Jelly
- Refers to the translucent/transparent quality of a stone.
- Jixueshi 雞血石
- Chicken-blood Stone, a form of Changhua stone. Also any stone with red spots. See also: Chicken-blood Stone.
- Jiangyoudong 醬油凍
- Soy Sauce Jelly, a form of Qingtian stone.
- Jinshi 錦石
- Brocade Stone, from Liaoning.
- Kaolinite
- A soft stone used for seal carving.
- Kettle Stone
- See: hushi
- Kongqueshi 孔雀石
- Malachite, a hard green stone occasionally used for seals.
- Kuaihuashi 塊滑石
- Steatite, Soapstone. See also: lashi, shijianshi.
- Lashi 蠟石
- Steatite; soapstone.
- Laiyangshi
- Laiyang Stone is quarried in Ye County, Shandong Province (formerly Lai Prefecture). A green semi-translucent jelly stone. In use by the early Ming dynasty.
- Laiyang Stone
- See: laiyangshi
- Lamplight Jelly Stone
- See: dengguangdong
- Landaiqing 蘭帶青
- A form of Qingtian stone.
- Landingqingtian 藍釘青田
- A form of Qingtian stone.
- Lanhuadong 蘭花凍
- Literally “orchid flower jelly,” Lanhua Jelly is a form of Qingtian stone.
- Lanxingqingtian 藍星青田
- A form of Qingtian stone with small blue dots.
- Liuguanzhang
- A form of Qingtian stone with black, white, and red colors.
- Lotus Root Jelly Stone
- See: oufendong
- Lotus Stone
- See: furongshi
- Manaodong 瑪瑙凍
- Agate Jelly, a form of Shoushan Shuikeng stone.
- Malachite
- See: kongqueshi
- Mengmaxiang 猛獁象
- Mammoth; wooly mammoth. The tusk is not a traditional material for seals.
- Mohuashi 墨花石
- Ink-figured Stone, a form of Balin stone.
- Mountain Pit Stone
- See: shankeng
- Oufendong 藕粉凍
- Lotus Root Jelly, a form of Changua stone. Also called Changhua jelly.
- Peach Blossom Jelly Stone
- See: taohuadong
- Peak Balin
- See: huangdongshuizaohuashi
- Porcelain
- Porcelain is occasionally used in making seals.
- Putaobing 葡萄冰
- Grape Ice, a form of Qingtian stone.
- Pyrophyllite 葉腊石
- A soft stone (1-2 on the Mohs scale) in the talc group used for seal carving. Pyrophyllite quarried in Africa is marketed for carving as “wonderstone.”
- Qiancengwen 千層紋
- Thousand-layer-vein stone, a form of Qingtian stone with various colored lines running through it.
- Qingtianqiancengshi 青田千層石
- Qingtian Multi-layer Stone.
- Qingtianshi 青田石
- Qingtian Stone. Quarried in Shankou, Fangshan, and Zhoucun in Qingtian County, Zhejiang province [10 km outside Qingtian County town]. Mostly light green, but found in other colors, it is one of the three most popular forms of stone used to make seals and was the most common stone for seals made in the Ming and Qing dynasties. Used today by students at the China Academy of Art as a cheaply available stone. Mostly pyrophyllite.
- Qingtian Fengmen
- See: fengmenqing
- Qingtian Multi-layer Stone
- See: qingtianqiancengshí
- Qingtian Padauk
- See: zitandong, zitanhuasuzhang
- Qingtian Stone
- See: qingtianshi
- Qingtian Wuchi Red
- See: wuchihongshi
- Red Sandalwood Jelly
- See: zitandong
- Ring Jelly Stone
- See: huandong
- Rongyan 溶岩
- Calcite. Somewhat harder than Chinese seal stone; not tradionally used for seals.
- Ruanlanding 軟蘭丁
- A form of Qingtian stone.
- Ruanyu 軟玉
- Nephrite (jade).
- Sandalwood Jelly Stone
- See: zitandong
- Serpentine
- A stone (2.5-4 on the Mohs scale) in the serpentine group. Sometimes called “Teton Jade” and often found as a substitute for jade. Antigorite mostly used for art. See also: shebaoshi, shewenshi.
- Shancaodong 鱔草凍
- Eel Weed Jelly, a form of Shoushan Shuikeng stone.
- Shankeng 山坑
- Mountain Pit Stone, a variety of Shoushan stone.
- Shebaoshi 蛇寶石
- [Mineral] serpentine. See also: shewenshi, serpentine.
- Shewenshi 蛇紋石
- [Mineral] serpentine. See also: shebaoshi, serpentine.
- Shihuihua 石灰華
- Travertine; tufa.
- Shijianshi 石碱石 / 石撿石
- Soapstone. See also: kuaihuashi, lashi.
- Shiyu 石玉
- Jadeite.
- Shouningshi 壽寧石
- Shouning Stone.
- Shoushanshi 壽山石
- Shoushan Stone. Quarried in Shoushan Village, 40 km north of Fuzhou City, Fujian Province. Also called húshí (壺石 kettle stone) or tăshí (塔石 tower stone). Glossy and wax-like. Available in many colors, it is one of the three most popular forms of stone used for seals. Includes Tiankeng (field pit stone—the most valuable of the Shoushan stone), Shuikeng (water pit stone), and Shankeng (mountain pit stone). A form of Agalmatolite/Pyrophyllite.
- Shoushanbantouming 壽山半透明
- Shoushan “Taiji Head” Stone, lit. Shoushan “tranlucent/semi-transparent.”
- Shouning Stone
- See: shouningshi
- Shoushan
- see: shoushanshi
- Shoushan Cinnabar
- See: zhushahonggaoshanshi
- Shoushan Stone
- See: shoushanshi
- Shoushan Tianhuang
- see: tianhuangshi
- Shoushan Taiji Head Stone
- See: shoushanbantouming
- Shuicao 水草
- “[Water grass],” a form of Qingtian stone.
- Shuijigong
- See: shuijingdong
- Crystal Jelly, a form of Shoushan Shuikeng stone.
- Shuikeng 水坑
- Water Pit Stone, a variety of Shoushan stone. Includes Dongyoushi (frozen oil stone), Huandong (ring jelly), Huangdong (yellow jelly), Manaodong (agate jelly), Shancaodong (eel weeds jelly), Shuijingdong (crystal jelly), Taohuadong (peach blossom jelly), and Yunaodong (fish brain jelly).
- Soapstone
- Named for its slippery feel. A term often used for any soft stone. This causes a lot of confusion because most information in English says the Chinese use soapstone for seals, which is in fact not usually the case. From Wikipedia: “Pyrophyllite, a mineral very similar to talc, is sometimes called soapstone in the generic sense since its physical characteristics and industrial uses are similar, and because it is also commonly used as a carving material. However, this mineral typically does not have such a soapy feel as soapstone.” See: Steatite.
- Soy Sauce Jelly Stone
- See: jiangyoudong
- Steatite
- The softest stone. A massive form of talc. Because of it’s greasy feeling it is also called soapstone. Be careful when using this material as it can be found along with asbestos; be sure to wear a dust mask. Most of the steatite I have found locally has been too soft to use for seals. For the same reason this is why I suspect the ancient Chinese sometimes used this material for seals intended as grave offerings – it was easy to carve and didn’t need to stand up to much use. In Chinese it is called dongshi (凍石).
- Tashi 塔石
- Tower Stone, another name for Shoushan stone.
- Taiji Head Stone
- See: shoushanbantouming
- Talc
- Another name for steatite. When ground down it is made into talcum powder. See: steatite
- Taohuadong 桃花凍
- Peach Blossom Jelly, a form of Shoushan Shuikeng stone.
- Thousand-layer-vein Stone
- See: qiancengwen.
- Tianhuangshi 田黃石
- Field Yellow Stone, a form of Shoushan stone. “The material consists mainly of nacrite, but may also contain minor illite or dickite in varying proportions. The most valuable variety consists of golden yellow nacrite with a coating of colourless, transparent to semi-transparent dickite. This material is only known from the Banlian gravel beds near Shoushan, Fuzhou Prefecture, Fujian Province. The Chinese consider Tianhuang stone as a variety of Shoushan stone although true Shoushan stone mainly consists of pyrophyllite. This material is the most valuable variety of the so-called Tianhuang Stone. It is traded in China for very high prices.” (Mindat.org)
- Tiankeng 田坑
- Field Pit Stone, the most valuable variety of Shoushan stone.
- Tianhuang Stone
- See: tianhuangshi
- Tongyin 銅印
- Copper seal.
- Tower Stone
- See: tashi
- Water Pit Stone
- See: shuikeng
- Wuchihongshi 武池紅石
- Wuchi Red, a form of Qingtian stone.
- Wuchi Red
- See: wuchihongshi
- Xianjushi 仙居石
- Xianju Stone, quarried in Dahong village southeast of Xianju in Zhejiang Province.
- Xiangya 象牙
- Elephant’s tusk, elephant ivory. Occasionally used for seals.
- Xiangyabaishi 象牙白石
- Balin Ivory Stone.
- Xianju Stone
- See: xianjushi
- Xiaoshanshi
- Xiaoshan Stone, quarried in Xiaoshan District, Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province. An opaque stone.
- Xiaoshan Stone
- See: xiaoshanshi
- Xinjiang Yili Stone
- See: yilidengguangdong
- Xuehuashigao 雪花石膏
- Alabaster, a soft stone not traditionally used for seals.
- Yellow Jelly Stone
- See: huangdong
- Yilidengguangdong 伊犁燈光凍
- Yili Lamplight Jelly, a stone from Xinjiang province.
- Yili Stone
- See: yilidengguangdong
- Yunaodong 魚腦凍
- Fish Brain Jelly, a form of Shoushan Shuikeng and Qingtian stone.
- Yuzibing 魚子冰
- Fish Roe Ice, a form of Qingtian stone.
- Yuzidong 魚子凍
- Fish Roe Jelly, a form of Qingtian stone.
- Yueweizi 月尾紫
- A form of Shoushan stone.
- Yunnankongqueshi 雲南孔雀石
- Malachite from Yunnan. Sometimes used for seals.
- Zhejiang Xianju Stone
- See: xianjushi
- Zhushadong 朱砂凍
- Cinnabar Jelly, a form of Changhua stone.
- Zhushahonggaoshanshi 朱砂紅高山石
- “Cinnabar red high mountain stone,” also called “Shoushan Cinnabar,” a form of red Shoushan stone.
- Zitandong 紫檀凍
- Red Sandalwood Jelly, a form of Qingtian stone.
- Zitanhuaqing 紫檀花青
- Red Sandalwood Indigo, also called “Qingtian Padauk,” a form of Qingtian stone.
- Zitanhuasuzhang 紫檀花素章
- Qingtian Padauk, a form of Qingtian stone.