The various motifs are thus an internal part of jade carving. 

In Chinese the first character of a jade name often times describe the jades color patterns. While the second character describe the jades shape. 

If you want to really know jade you must first know the names of the different patterns and designs. 

The multicolored a symmetric pattern is often simply described as grainy 

Many times grainy pattern actually looked like a grain or seed that has set down roots. 

If a piece of jade is grainy in pattern and round in shape it is called a grainy round. 

The nipple motif does not leave much to the imagination it is a raised portion of jade that is a different color of the surrounding surface. 

Jade artiest often left many nipples on there carvings 

The cloud motif makes use of a symmetric color variations and is much softer then the grainy patterns. 

Often times hornless dragon patterns were carved into frogs or décors 

If the artiest was carving a lady like figurine out of jade then the hornless dragon might be carved to resemble the top knot of a lady's head dress. 

Imaginative use of color pattern was an art in itself 

And asp is a small but very poisonous snake. Jades artiest were very fond of carving such venomous creature onto a piece of jade. 

Any jade that has an asp carved onto it is called asp jade 

A jade that has many asp carved on it is said to be called serpentine style 

Braided jades are those that had three strips of different colors that could be carved to resemble weaving. 

Ancient Chinese felt that these braided jades looked like the reed mats for setting so they also called these kinds of jade reed mat jades. 

A Gui was a mythical animal found only in the mountains the so called Gui and dragon motif was carved to resemble short little dragon with either one or two feet. 

There were two circular motifs the single loop and the double loop. 

The double loop pattern was actually a circle with in a circle 

In China the circle represents the unity and strength to word off enemies. 

Tao Tie is an ancient name of a mythical creature famed for its greed and re-patchiness the name was later used to describe some of the barbaric Chinese tribes living in China that were thought to be actually savage. 

The Tao Tie motif as carved on early bronze objects and on jades as well. The design looks something like the face of a man with no chin and was use to warn people not to be gluttonous. 

This is the so-called string motif, which connect curves. 

This rope design is one of the most difficult designs to carve. It is often added as a boarder to circular pieces. 

A supplementary motif refers to any pattern that adds to the beauty of a jade carvings primary design. For instance the body of this figurine seemed to be a little bland so the artiest added a supplementary design to add in the empty spaces supplementary designs are often symmetric. 

The jade pictured here has a thunder motif  

Animal's faces were also a popular motif 

Sometimes it is impossible to tell if the artiest was carving the face of a lion a tiger or a leopard so the carving is simply said the have an animal motif. 

The Tao Tie motif, which is named for the mythical creature, is currently classified as an animal motif. 

If an animal is depicted in its entirety it is not included