Duan Xi Yantai
Its material is taken from Helan Mountain (also known as hammer hill) at the southeast end of Gaoyao County, Zhaoqing City, Guangdong Province. Because it is "light and soft, it feels lonely and silent, and it feels soft but not slippery like a child's skin", it is harmless and suitable for ink. Since the advent of the Tang Dynasty, Duanyan has always been favored by scholars. Coupled with the beautiful texture, various names, more and more complex processing technology and higher status, it has risen to the top of China Shiyan, lasting forever.
Sheyan
The founder of "She inkstone" is Yi inkstone. According to historical records, Yi inkstone began in Yan State, the capital of Xia Dynasty in the Spring and Autumn Period. In the late Tang Dynasty, Chao and his son in Yizhou inherited the skill of making ink from pine smoke and created Yishui inkstone in Jinshuiyu on the Yishui River. Later, Ting Gui, the son of Chao, was awarded the title of "Mo Guan" by the common sense of the Southern Tang Dynasty and was given the surname Li. Later, he moved to Zhou She, Anhui Province to avoid chaos and became the founder of Huimo and She Yan. However, Gu Yan, a city located in Yishui, has a long history and is famous at home and abroad. Its material is taken from the stream of Longwei Mountain (Ganzhou in Tang Dynasty) in Wuyuan County, Jiangxi Province, so it is also called Weilong inkstone. Its stone moistens it, caresses it like a muscle, grinds it like a blade, holds a pen to astringent water, slides without rejecting ink, and the ink is small and easy to dry, making it clean. Since the Tang Dynasty, it has maintained its position as a famous inkstone.
Precious inkstone made of stone from Taohe River
Also known as Taohe inkstone. Its material is taken from the deep water of Taohe River in Zhuoni, Gansu (Tangshu Zhou Tao). Yan Tao is the most precious stone in the north, because its stone is fine, silky in texture, beautiful in color, fine and fast in ink, heat preservation and pen making. It was scarce in the Song Dynasty and resumed production after liberation.
Chengniyan
Cheng Ni inkstone is a non-inkstone material, belonging to ceramic inkstone. The production method is as follows: the filtered fine mud is used as raw material, mixed with yellow lead balls, vigorously kneaded, put into a mold for molding, carved with a bamboo knife, dried, fired in a kiln, and finally wrapped with black wax for firing. The production of Cheng Ni inkstone began in the Jin and Tang Dynasties and flourished in the Song Dynasty. Its characteristics are hard and wear-resistant, easy to ink, no ink consumption, comparable to inkstone. The main colors of Cheng Ni inkstone are eel yellow, crab shell green and rose purple. By the Tang Dynasty, Zhou State (now south of Lingbao County, Henan Province) had become a famous place of origin of Cheng Ni inkstone. In modern times, Cheng Ni inkstone is produced in Luoyang, Henan, Julu, Hebei, Qingzhou, Shandong, Jiangxian, Hubei, Ezhou, Sichuan and Baoshan, Jiangsu.
It depends on your financial strength, but I suggest that novices buy a general one first. After all, you are practicing calligraphy, not collecting.