Jade and Guanxi in China

This article discusses how the gemstone jade mediates guanxi (‘personal relationships’), and trade in China. Outlining some affective, spiritual, moral somatic meanings efficacies of jade, especially as a gift, first materialities, cultural history ontology influence human interactions with, through, contemporary Secondly, presents more economically instrumental investments in, exchanges of, why national anti-corruption campaign engendered fluctuations Chinese markets. Finally, ideally forges personal trust that facilitates transactions even though younger traders consider insincere. Studies China’s reform era have conventionally given analytical primacy to social relationships structure give meaning material exchanges. In contrast, this argues itself can be catalyst for span affect instrumentality. Combining object–oriented, ontological institutionalist approaches, conceptualises outlined relations between material–social congruity contingency context.