EDMONDS, WA — Nathaniel Cook, 26, of Edmonds, was awarded the bronze medal for his hand-crafted jade sculptures at Zi Gang Bei, an annual international jade carving exhibition held in Suzhou, China from Nov. 18–20.

All of the nephrite jade Cook used in his sculptures was harvested from Washington state’s Cascade Mountains by local jade mining company, Washington Jade, where Cook is also employed.

Cook was one of the youngest carvers ever to be invited to Zi Gang Bei and presented alongside some of the best-known jade carvers in the world. “To win a medal on my first go was completely unexpected,” said Cook. He submitted two pieces for the competition, but the piece the judges liked best was ‘Oracle,’ an abstract piece made from local Blue Dream Jade and grossular garnet.

Cook plans to return to China next year to participate in the 2017 Zi Gang Bei Exhibition.