The intrinsic qualities of jade (nephrite) made it a material of choice for the carving of exquisite objects in both India and China. During the Qing Period (1644-1911), and following Emperor Qianlong's taste, local carvers emulated the refined designs and sophisticated techniques of their Indian counterparts. Whether they were successful remains to be seen but there are reasons to believe that only on rare occasions might Qing jades be confused with Indian models. A residency at Shangri La facilitated the examination of the DDFIA collection, and contextualized the problematic issues around these two productions as well as to establish their aesthetic, stylistic and technical characteristics. The role of the Delhi workshops and the so-called tourism trade to which they catered to in the nineteenth century was also analyzed.