Lv Ni (green clay), with a mineral composition of light gray-green or light yellow-green, is found in the rock layers of Huanglong Mountain in Yixing, within the interlayers of Zi Ni and other clays. It belongs to the rarest category of clays and is known as the "mud among clays." The mineral layers are only a few centimeters to several tens of centimeters thick and lack continuity, making it particularly scarce and difficult to mine.

Firing Temperature: Approximately 1190°C.

Shrinkage Rate: Approximately 12%

Composition: Muscovite, Kaolin, Quartz, Aluminum Oxides, and a small amount of Iron

Characteristics: The clay is heavy, with a relatively loose body that is prone to cracking, difficult to fire, and prone to deformation, bubbling, and wrinkling. It has weak breathability and other defects.

Tea Recommendations: Puerh tea, lightly roasted oolong tea, semi-fermented teas, dark tea, and heavily fermented teas.

1. Why Green Clay is Popular

  1).Green clay is difficult to mine and is extremely scarce in quantity.

  2).The raw clay from this mountain (Lv Ni) is challenging to control, making teapot shaping difficult and resulting in a low success rate.

  3).Finished teapots made from Lv Ni present a pear-skin-like appearance (cream yellow), with snowflake-like white particles inside, interspersed with black iron traces. It has a strong jade-like texture, with a very fine and delicate body that feels as smooth and tender as a baby's skin, warm and moist like jade.

2. How to Distinguish Genuine Lv Ni from Fake Lv Ni

Due to the scarcity of Lv Ni, many fake versions have flooded the market. Here’s how you can distinguish them:

  1).Color: Genuine Lv Ni teapots are typically cold-toned cream yellow or light yellow. They are not green teapots. Green-colored teapots are usually made with synthetic chemical dyes.

  2).Look at the Particles: Lv Ni is relatively tender and has low sand content. White, blue, and yellow particles are fused together, and unlike Duan Ni, there will be no significant large particles protruding.

  3).Texture: Lv Ni has a unique, jade-like smoothness and feels delicate and sleek to the touch. After aging, it becomes oil-rich and beautiful.

Lv Ni and[ Zi Ni ] are completely different types of Zisha clays. Next chapter, we will introduce another type -[ Zhu Ni ].

More [ Lv Ni Teapots ] here.