Choosing a pair

First check risks. Then assess shell quality, surface quality and natural character. Only afterwards compare size, pairing, price and popularity. A beautiful silhouette cannot make an unstable shell or unclear treatment history acceptable.

Guzhi is a combined collector judgment about the shell’s density in the hand, solidity, firmness, structural stability and long-term foundation. Consider sound and surface behaviour as part of the whole. It is not equivalent to weight, size or any single test.

After checking both walnuts’ risks and foundations, compare their proportions, overall form, ridges, handling feel and harmony. Exact symmetry is not the only possible good pairing, especially with naturally variable wild walnuts. Matching should not come at the expense of shell and surface quality.

Separate natural traces, disclosed minor repairs and serious structural damage. A small insect hole may mainly affect appearance if the main shell is sound and infestation is not continuing. Ask how the mark formed, how extensive it is and whether it affects handling. You can decline a pair with a disclosed flaw that bothers you.