u/guoqingwalnut

Highly suggest compare this section with Ball python/leopard gecko multations if you familiar with. Also please be noted this is NOT a scientific explanation, it's just some common understanding in Chinese market over the years. And please see references image below in the comment part.

You really need to understand the different types of Three/Multi-ridged walnuts before you appreciate them. I personally divide ornamental walnuts into three broad categories based on their appearance:

1. Normal two-ridged walnuts;
2. Three-ridged and multi-ridged walnuts;
3. Irregular/abnormal shaped walnuts.

 

Let’s start with the first type. A normal two-ridged walnut actually has two internal chambers, or two ovaries. The ridges on the outside correspond to the partitions between those chambers. When you crack open a walnut to eat it, you’ll see that the kernel is divided into two halves. The ridge is essentially the line separating those two sections. So what exactly causes a walnut to develop three or more ridges? It happens early in the flowering and pollination stage, when the ovary of the female flower undergoes a variation and develops from two chambers into several. Three chambers produce a three-ridged walnut, four produce a four-ridged walnut, and so on. There is also a special case where two female flowers grow very close together. They develop alongside each other and push against one another as they grow, eventually forming what looks like a single, fused/conjoined multi-ridged walnut. This kind of fused multi-ridged walnut is completely different from a naturally single-bodied multi-ridged walnut. You can usually tell the difference by looking at the styles of the bottom air hole. 

So why would a female flower develop multiple ovaries in the first place? What causes this differentiation? The first factor is genetics. With ornamental walnut varieties such as Mt. Wen Hat, Mt. Pan Hat, Mt. Qi Hat, and Yu Xi (Jade Seal) lion head etc, which are known for carrying these traits and are relatively affordable, the genetics of the trees can produce multi-ridged walnuts year after year. Another factor is hormonal influence and weather conditions during that particular growing season. Things like unusually heavy rainfall or a sudden drop in temperature can cause variations in the female flowers. But there is one important point to keep in mind: a high number of multi-ridged walnuts does not mean they will necessarily mature well. (Shell quality/condition always comes first) In general, we can divide multi-ridged walnuts into three types: those resulting from genetic mutation, those resulting from inherited traits, and those formed by two fused fruits. 

Now, why should you pay attention to what kind of multi-ridged walnut you buy? I think the answer for most collectors is pretty simple: the appeal of three-ridged and multi-ridged walnuts is that they have something others don't. What you're really paying for is scarcity and the pursuit of something rare. So what kind of multi-ridged walnut should you look for? If you simply want relatively affordable, true three-ridged or four-ridged walnuts, then the usual choices are the so-called “Three Mountains and One Seal”: Mt. Wen, Mt. Pan, Mt. Qi, and Yuxi (mentioned above: Jade Seal). These varieties are prone to producing multi-ridged mutations because of their inherited genetic traits. Even so, it's not as if every tree produces them in huge numbers, and even when they do appear, they don't all develop the ideal 120-degree or 90-degree angles between the ridges. Still, the overall supply is relatively large, which is why these walnuts remain comparatively affordable. If you simply want to try owning and playing with three-ridged or four-ridged walnuts without spending a fortune, these are probably the varieties to look at. But if what you really want is extreme rarity—something that makes people think, “I've never seen anything like that before”—then these varieties won't necessarily satisfy you. An experienced collector will probably just say, “Ok,” because everyone knows these types aren't truly scarce. Show them to someone who doesn't know walnuts, and they probably won't have much to say at all—at best, they'll just think you're showing them some kind of agricultural curiosity. 

If you have a substantial budget and want genuinely exceptional multi-ridged walnuts, you need to understand that there isn't really a comfortable middle range in terms of price. A price that seems extremely high may still not be enough to buy a truly top-tier pair. If, for example, what you really want is a Three-ridged White Lion Head, then I strongly recommend following the current understanding among serious collectors. Don't make the mistake of understanding how short profile, compact hidden tips, tightly pinched two-ridged walnuts are molded, and then forgetting all of that when you move on to three-ridged walnuts. As you increase your budget, more possibilities open up, but multi-ridged walnuts produced through genuine genetic mutation are much rarer than those produced simply through inherited traits. If you apply the same standards collectors use when selecting a two-ridged pair—no noticeable color difference, best matching, similar weight—your budget will naturally need to be much higher. And if you also have a specific variety in mind, things get even harder. For example, if you specifically want a three-ridged Millstone walnut, you're looking for something especially difficult to find because Millstone is one of the varieties least likely to produce multi-ridged specimens. Or perhaps you want a four-ridged version of a variety that commonly produces three-ridged walnuts, such as Four Towers or Wang Yong Official Hat (aka.Kirin official hat). Those varieties can produce three-ridged specimens, but four-ridged ones are much harder to find. If you insist on that combination, your budget may have to increase again. And even if you manage to satisfy all of those requirements, you still have to let go of the idea that the colors must match perfectly. Truly exceptional multi-ridged walnuts from the same growing year that can be perfectly matched are extremely rare. If you pair walnuts from different years but the same growing region, you can usually get them to develop a fairly uniform color after two or three years of handling. If they come from different years and different growing regions, you may be looking at seven or eight years of playing and conditioning before the colors become reasonably close. If you've handled enough antique old, high-quality walnuts, you'll know that very few truly fine old pairs have absolutely zero color difference. So unless one walnut is red and the other is green, don't apply industrial standards to a natural product. These aren't pieces of painted plastic—they're walnuts.

In China, there are countless old/antique Wenwan walnuts that are several decades old or even over a hundred years old. However, if you have seen and handled enough of them, you will understand that not every pair of walnuts is beautiful. Not every pair can develop those desirable colors such as dark crimson red, jujube red, or a jade-like tone. And not every old pair of walnuts will produce a sound as clear and resonant as metal when tapped. What kind of antique walnut that dealers/pro collectors/experts really seeking for, and love to pay more to bring it back for resell, what kind of walnut they will pass and leave it with the owner, what kind of antique walnut be able to go to auction house. Therefore, the foundation of all these qualities is the walnut itself — more specifically, the quality of its shell. The shell must be exceptionally good, with high density, rich oil content, and the proper thickness. It is just like preparing a fine dish: the first and most important requirement is that the ingredients themselves must be fresh and of excellent quality.

1, there is always the possibility of finding a better shell, so please do not assume that this pair or single has the absolute best of best shell quality. Walnut tree owners and walnut dealers are constantly searching for walnuts with superior shell characteristics, because finding better-quality shells is always their goal. Same idea with the old/antique walnuts. 

2, when evaluating shell quality and condition online (which is popular today, including in the Chinese market), you need to have proper STANDARD for high-resolution product photos. Most buyers will not travel to Laishui County or personally inspect walnuts under the trees where they grow. Therefore, accurate photos are essential. The photos should ideally be taken under natural daylight (sunny or cloudy conditions), indoor white LED lighting, and include close-up shots showing detailed surface features. You cannot accurately judge shell quality from photos taken under tungsten lighting, heavy shade, bad exposure, random cell phone photos, colored lighting, mixed light sources, blurry conditions, AI pics, Photoshoped ads pics, or from pictures taken too far away. Even a quick change of focus can alter the lighting conditions, which is why you may see a white background appearing bluish or yellowish in different photos. For this reason, camera/phone with properly corrected white balance are necessary for a reliable evaluation. 

3. In general, a reddish-brown (tiny purple, orange, pink) shell with a slight layer of white "fog" or natural patina around the surface is often considered a sign of better shell quality. Walnuts with the better shell sometimes showing a bit oil/transparent spot on top of the grooves, rather than some are showing entirely dry yellow/yellow brown. (dealers/tree owners usually peeled off some walnuts to examine the shell quality around late Jun to late Jul) 

4. Many walnuts are also treated during the post-harvest cleaning process using methods such as Hydrogen Peroxide soaking or micro sandblasting to polish the shell surface. This is not to say that these methods are always unacceptable. However, in many cases they can affect the natural quality of the shell or make walnuts with inherently inferior shell quality appear better than they actually are. For this reason, they should be viewed with caution. If you come across a pair of walnuts that appears exceptionally clean, it has usually been processed using one of these methods. There are, however, a small number of nice cases where the shells have been cleaned and prepared entirely by real hand cleaning.

5. Every variety has its own standard for top shell quality. However, some varieties naturally develop deeper red tones than others, such as Millstone and Ping Guo Yuan, etc. Therefore, each walnut should always be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

This guide explains key terms used in the Wenwan walnuts world, where walnuts are selected, paired, and aged by hand as tactile art objects. This is NOT a scientific/academic explanation, it's just get a sense how people normally use it to evaluate a pair of Wenwan walnuts. Wenwan walnuts have hundreds of years history in China, but the modern Wenwan market is relatively short, mainly emerging in the late 90's and expanding rapidly around 2008 Peking Olympics. Again, Wenwan walnut is always considered pair by pair. Please share, upvote and comment. Thanks!

Basics
Ridges (棱): Vertical lines on the shell that define structure and symmetry. Single ridge also existed.
Two Ridges(兩棱): base type, loved by most people. But the ridge needs to be as straight as possible. Curved or angled ridges considered as turtle shell (龜背), acceptable.
Three Ridges (三棱 / 正奔): 3 ridges; relatively rare. aka. Mercedes Benz. Prized but depends on ridge angle, everyone wants a 120 degree.
Four Ridges (四棱 / 炸藥包): 4 ridges; aka TNT. most balanced but expensive depends on angle too.
Five / Six Ridges (五棱 / 六棱): Less common variations, could get super expensive if got a nice pair.
Half-Side (半壁): One side underdeveloped; mutation.
Fused/Conjoined (連體): Two walnuts naturally fused. So a pair of Conjoined are actually four walnuts.
Rhino (犀牛): Irregular horn-like shape.
Eagle Beak (鷹嘴): Sharp curved tip. These are deformities (natural or man-made), harder to match; good pairs are valuable.
Patina (包漿): The natural, glossy surface that develops on Wenwan walnuts over time. It forms through repeated handling—friction, hand oils, and sweat gradually work on the shell and inner oils, creating a smooth, rich shine and a slightly hardened, almost petrified feel.
Sandy Kernel (沙仁): Over long periods of hand-playing, the inner walnut kernel gradually breaks down and becomes granular or “sandy” in texture. This natural process is a sign of aging and frequent handling, and it affects the feel and sound of the walnut when rolled.
Belly (肚): Fullness of the body.
Base/Bottom (底): Bottom part of the walnuts.
Tip (尖): Top point, easy to crack, aesthetically the most important part of the Wenwan walnuts.
Low tip/Muffled tip(闷尖): Refers to walnuts that naturally grow with a low profile and a very small, subdued tip.
Truly natural low-tip walnuts are widely favored by collectors and are considered one of the key aesthetic standards in Wenwan walnuts.
Weight(克重): For example, a pair of 40mm ridge walnuts weight 35g-45g is normal. A little bit heavier is better, but not always.
Air Hole (氣門): Small opening at the bottom used during growth; separate chamber, not connected inside with the actual nut.
Shell (皮質): Density, oil content, and texture; affects aging, color, and shine. Most important part of Wenwan walnuts
Growth lines(生長線): Thin light yellow/white natural veins on the surface of the walnuts, totally acceptable, but less is better.
Betting on Raw Walnuts(賭青皮): A term used by collectors for unprocessed walnuts—still with their husk and fruit flesh—where one “bets” on whether a pair will eventually match well once cleaned and aged. The phrase emphasizes the uncertainty and skill involved in selecting potential high-quality pairs before any processing has been done.

Flaws/Defects
Dark Patch (陰皮): Dark discoloration from uneven growth or oil comes out from the nut; a flaw but sometimes accepted depends on person.
Wormholes (蟲眼): Insect damage; serious defect.
Yellow Tip (黃尖): Immature harvest causing yellow areas; major flaw. Can be hand carved, so have to pay more attention.
Cracks (開裂): Splits from drying/temperature; high risk first few month after harvest. (harvest: every late Aug to early Sep). Always put your walnuts back to the small plastic bag to separate from air. If your walnut cracked, put a drop of water on the top and put it in the small bag waif for few days, it could closed by itself. (50% problem solved)
Carving / Repair (修 / 微修): Manual trimming to improve shape or remove flaws; excessive work lowers value. Most common thing people do to walnuts, normally not acceptable.
Mold/Clamping (夾板): Mold shaping during growth; affects appearance, not internal quality. Can create anything that market love.
Chemical Treatment (打藥): Chemicals to control growth; pest control acceptable, growth-altering chemicals are not, serious defect. Chemicals normally used for walnut including Peroxide, Paclobutrazol, Forchlorfenuron/CPPU, etc.
Lead-filled(灌鉛)：A walnut that has been artificially filled with lead to increase its weight. This is considered a serious defect and a form of tampering.
Sealed Air hole (封底): Air hole sealed with wax after few years of rolling, not for new walnuts; personal preference.
Inlay (鑲嵌): Air hole sealed with decorative material/gemstone, personal preference.

Origin/Growth
Wild Caught (野生果): From natural trees; irregular, hard to match, valued for authenticity.
Mountain-Grown (山地果): Grown on hillsides; often better shell quality. Depends on the side of the hill.
Old Tree (老樹): From mature trees; generally better density and quality. Most Ma walnuts today are grafted from Qiu trees, but some variations still have some old original trees.
Same tree nuts(同樹果): Two walnuts come from the same tree. Basically can't be proved unless you were there.
Good Harvest Year / Poor Harvest Year (大年小年): Depending on weather conditions (temperature and rainfall), some years produce large quantities of walnuts with fewer defects—this is called a “good year.” The opposite, with lower yield and more defects, is a “poor year.”

Handling/Aging
Machine polishing(機刷): There are now various machines designed to rapidly polish walnuts in a short time. However, inner grooves and tight areas are still difficult to reach. Whether this kind of artificial polishing has value is up to the buyer.
Cleaning (機洗): Machine removal of outer husk; may cause minor damage. Basically nobody peeled it off by hand today.
Artificial aging(做舊): New walnuts can be made to look like they’ve been hand-played for decades using machines, chemicals, or dyes. Without seeing the item in person, it can be difficult to distinguish from naturally aged pieces.
Splicing / Assembly(拼接): Common in 3-ridge and 4-ridge walnuts. Different walnuts are cut and reassembled to create a more “perfect” shape. Some are even made by combining molded plastic parts.
Sculpting(雕刻): A traditional craft where walnuts are artistically carved by skilled artisans. This practice has historical roots and is still appreciated by some collectors today. Also common in Olive pits, one of the famous Chinese folk art.
Gentle handling/Aggressive handling (文盤武盤): Slow, careful hand play with minimal force. Two walnuts not touching each other, roll silently Vs. Faster, heavier handling using more pressure and friction to make sound/noise. Some sharp parts can crack if pay less attention.

Proportion/Shapes (樁型): Overall height and form. (tall, balance or medium, low, original)
Triangle Form 三角樁
Bullet shape 炮彈樁
Willow leaf shape 柳葉
Spherical 球體
Traditional Chinese gold ingot shape 元寶樁
Toad 蟾型
Peach-heart 桃心樁
Horseshoe 馬蹄樁
Shoulder shape 肩膀樁

**Pattern/Texture(**紋路）
Ant 螞蟻紋: Nan Jiang Shi, Ma Yi Wang, etc
Streaming water流水紋: Si Zuo Lou (four towers), Mo Pan, etc
Asia Plum branch梅枝紋: Ping Guo Yuan (apple garden)
Twisted Flower 擰花紋: Nan Jiang Shi, He Lao Men, etc
Wan (万) pattern萬字紋: Nan Jiang Shi, etc
Kirin pattern 麒麟紋: Guan Mao (official hat), etc.
Wheat ear 麥穗紋: Hu Tou (tiger head)
Dense pattern 密紋: Cheng De Mi Wen, etc.
Pitted/Stippled pattern 點刺紋: Man Tian Xing, etc.
Coral Pattern 珊瑚紋: Qin Ling Men Jian
Vein 筋狀紋: Da Cu Jin, etc.

Growth Location
Laishui County, Heibei Province (河北淶水縣): 95% Wenwan walnuts are from this place today. Search on your map for better understanding. Any type, any varies, accessories, entire industry business from top to end, etc. If you don’t know Lai Shui, don’t tell others you’re a Wenwan walnuts collector.
Pinggu County, Beijing （北京平谷區）
Men Tougou County, Beijing （北京門頭區）
Yan Qing County, Beijing （北京延慶區）
Fang Shan County, Beijing （北京房山區）
Huai Rou County, Beijing （北京懷柔區）
Ji County, Tianjin （天津薊縣）
Tang Gu County, Tianjin （天津塘沽）
Xing Tai, Heibei Province （河北邢臺）
Zhuo Lu County, Heibei Province （河北涿鹿縣）
Shan Xi Province（山西省部分地區）:Been largely grafted in recent years between Shan Xi and He Bei provinces.
Mt. Qin among other surrounding area, Shaan Xi Province（陝西秦嶺地區）****: One of the most famous area for Qiu Zi walnuts
Hei Longjiang Province（黑龍江省）: Most WC Qiu Zi walnuts
Ji Lin Province（吉林省）****: Most WC Qiu Zi walnuts
Liao Ning Province（遼寧省）: Most WC Qiu Zi walnuts
Yun Nan Province（雲南省): Famous for Tie (Iron) walnuts
Etc.