Snuff bottles are made of a wide variety of materials. These include coral,ivory,jade, jadeite，mother of pearl, lapis lazuli, quartz, malachite agate turquoise as well as gold, silver and many more exotic materials. Despite the number of exotic materials to choose from, glass remained the most popular substance to use and most surviving models are from this material.

The most charming and truly fascinating snuff bottles are those with paintings painted on the interior walls. These were painted from the inside out through a technique that first painted the interior with iron oxydal mixed with water. This created a milky white surface suitable to take the paints, which were applied subsequently.

Snuff bottles of this genre include landscapes, flower pieces and other works.  These were created in a day or less of painstakingly intricate brushwork and are truly works of art.  The earliest examples of these date from the 1880s so this form was a relatively late development.

Snuff bottle with a old history is a famous traditional art of China. In the ancient China,they were used for filling the snuff which is used for helping to dispel colds, cure migraine, sinus and tooth pain, relieve throat trouble, cause sweats and counter asthma and constipation. Now most people consider the snuff bottle an art for appreciation and many people present them as gifts.

Chinese snuff bottles have been spread all around the world and are deeply welcome by the foreigners. There are a lot of export of snuff bottles from China every year.