How to make the best use out of disappointing stone

I saw this on one of the jade carving forums I belong to in China. The craftsman concerned bought a cobble of Hetian jade with a thick orange rind. There was no window cut into the stone but after using a strong flashlight he believed the flesh inside was pure white. He took a gamble and bought it but when he cut it open he found the white was marred with black spots. Still a nice stone but far less valuable than if it had been pure white jade. He got round the problem by carving a leopard like creature inside the rind. It is a great carving and shows the marvellous creativity that can go into fashioning a thing of beauty from jade. They say a true master can see the design within the stone before he starts work on it. This may be true but I also go along with the old English saying, ‘necessity is the mother of invention’, Learn more at www.jadefiend.com