Ying Yu Jade
April 2007 Blog
One of my customers commented that she went to a Chinatown in her city to look for jade bangles, to try some on to see how they fit and feel. Then she told me that I had a better selection of jade bangles than the Chinatown stores had. Well, of course! I love jade bangles, wear one every day, and love the opportunity to buy one of every kind of jade bangle I see, then enjoy looking at them, and eventually selling them. Then the more I sell, the more I can buy. My love for jade bangles make the selection of Ying Yu Jade bangles the best! April 30, 2007
I wrote a few days ago that I was going to get some new jade bangles in May or June. People always ask "what's new" and hope for something "really different", but natural A grade jade bangles don't offer many surprises. The classic color is green, of course, and there are various hues of other coloring, but I can't say that "new" bangles will be remarkably different. There's one kind of jade bangles that are natural jade, that really are different all the time, and that's the "old river jade". It's indigenous Chinese jade, and because it's an older deposit by water, minerals seep into it and cause a lot of colors. So if you want colorful and natural color jade, this is the kind to purchase. April 27, 2007
I
received a wholesale order from a cosmetic company in Germany for jade rollers
this week. Jade rollers
are very popular in Europe and used in spas frequently. This is an enjoyable order
to work with. The company ordered samples from Ying Yu Jade web site, and then
placed the wholesale order. We are also having premium custom made boxes for the
rollers so they will be an elegant presentation. I would like to be able to have
jade rollers for wholesale engraved with the company on the roller shaft. We like
to offer quality products, good service, and something special for our wholesale
customers.
April 26, 2007
I
forgot to take off my jade pendant before I went to the pool to visit with friends
this afternoon, and got sunscreen all over the pendant and bangle. It was hot,
and with sunscreen, sweat, water and general "dirt", the jade was really
dull and dirty when I got hot. I shouldn't have worn it in the sun, but I hadn't
intended to stay outside as long as I did. The best way to clean jade is with
soap and warm water to remove dirt. Then polish with a soft cloth. You can use
furniture polish to give it a light shine if it looks dull. Makes a big difference!
April 25, 2007
If
you wear your new jade bangle over night, it will feel more comfortablein the
morning. Wearing mine on my right wrist instead of the left as I had been wearing
it for years felt awkward, but I did wear it all day. Instead of taking it off
at night, I wore it and it felt like an old friend in the morning. But I'm still
going to wear it on my left wrist. I rarely wear a watch, but when I do, I either
wear the jade watch with my bangle, or wear a watch on my right wrist. However,
I have a small pocket watch that I have hooked inside my purse. and that's the
best way for me to keep track of time. April 24, 2007
I
have always worn my jade bangle on my non-dominant left wrist because I use my
left arm less than my right arm, and I think it has less chance of getting hit
when I wear it there. My size is 52-53mm but most of the jade bangles are 55-58mm.
My right wrist is actually larger than my left, and I can wear a 55-56mm bangle
on my right wrist comfortably. Well, not really comfortably as it feels odd to
have one on my right wrist. It's a good reminder to me how someone who is wearing
a jade bangle for the first time might feel. I do remember worrying about if I
would break my bangle wearing it all the time, but now my wrist feels odd if I
take it off. So I'll see how long it takes me to be comfortable wearing this one
on my right wrist. April 23, 2007
Monday
is the last day for the $15 off special on smooth
Burmese jadeite bangle bracelets regular price $150+. One of the problems
I have had offering this special is that the shopping cart program accepts only
one coupon, so if you order two or more, the coupons won't "work" for
each item. However, I always give the discount and adjust/refund over-payments.
The automated shopping cart is part of my web hosting program. I don't have control
over many of the features. One thing that makes me crazy is that the credit card
payment choice always says "linkpoint". I've sent many requests to the
tech staff of my hosting company to please change it to say "credit cards".
Linkpoint is the name of my service I use for processing credit cards. Sometimes
I think the people who design these software programs don't shop online! I considered
upgrading to a different shopping cart system, but then I would have to raise
prices to cover the hefty costs of these. I try to keep my operating costs as
low as possible, to keep my prices low as possible. I process each order personally,
and you can write a note in the comment box if you have concerns, or the coupons
didn't work right for you. I always strive to give personal service to my customers.
April 22, 2007 Happy Earth Day-Live Green. Wear Jade!
My
Chinese supplier sent me an email today that he plans to go to southern China
next month and will do some shopping for me. Good news! I didn't think I would
be able to get new jade until we went to China in October. He and I have worked
together for almost seven years, and he knows what kind of jade I like to buy
and what my customers like. We spent very much time discussing the quality and
kind of jade that I like to sell, and have learned from each other by trial and
error, and now I have complete confidence that I can tell him how many pieces
of things I want, and he will get them. He often sends me photos while he is shopping
if he found something special he thinks I might like, or if he's not sure about
something. He is truly a "gem". April 20, 2007
I
am sorry to say that I have to stop taking trade-in bangles, and consignments.
It was very rare when someone wanted to trade in a bangle when they made a purchase,
but then more people wanted to trade in, and I have a box full of trade-ins. Some
are nice and I re-sell, but some are just not the kind I would be proud to sell
and I have been selling them at my yard sales. I will still occasionally acquire
estate pieces that are interesting. I enjoyed taking trade ins because it was
interesting to see what kinds of jade people purchased. There is an internet jade
seller who has a discount jade web site and the jade comes with certificates that
the jade is "A" quality, and I acquired some that I got as trade ins
with certificates and they were B and C quality when I had them tested. The persons
who traded them in wanted more for them, because they had certificates, but it
puts me in an uncomfortable position to tell people that they don't have what
they think they have. So no more trade ins, or consignment sales. April
19, 2007
The hollow carved jade spice "bottles" have been very popular, the inventory and selection is getting low and I won't have time to get more before Mother's Day. These are one of my most interesting jade items, used as fragrance bottles in China in ancient times. They are large, and can be worn as pendants. You can put essential oils on a piece of cotton and place inside to use for aromatherapy. I've sold many of these to people who want a gift for a parent who has Alzheimers disease, because they are stimulating both for the appearance and the aromatherapy. I don't like to burn incense to "cleanse" a room for Reiki treatments because some people are smoke sensitive, and these are perfect for adding aromatherapy and clearing the energy. My supplier told me if I want to continue to sell these, I better get them now because they are becoming a rare item. April 18, 2007
I finished
my Easter candy and jade inventory this weekend. Don't worry, your orders won't
have chocolate on them! I hope my supplier can purchase more jade bangles for
me when he goes shopping over the May 1 Chinese national holiday week. The Chinese
government encourages their citizens to spend money to boost the economy by making
the two week-long government holidays the first week of May and the first week
of October. If you do go to China, avoid these two weeks because it's not a good
time for foreigners to be in China. It's difficult and more expensive to get hotel
reservations, travel by bus, plane or train, and it's extremely crowded. Chinese
people don't have a tradition of "waiting in line". If you are reading
this today, there's a bonus coupon for you for $5 off any purchase of $35 or more,
use coupon code BONUS5 on the order form when you check out.
April
16, 2007
One of my friends who read yesterdays blog about wearing jade bangles with a gold bangle asked when I was going to start selling the Asian gold bangles. I've been thinking about it for a long time, and looking for a supplier I can trust. Today I wrote a "page 2" about wearing jade bangles with ivory. I acquired a collection of pre-ban ivory bangles a couple of years ago, and have been wearing some of them with jade together. I picked a few for myself, and put the rest of the collection for sale in the trade in section. I'm surprised that I have sold so many of them because this is a "jade web site", and I'm not the only one who loves the natural, old ivory. The ivory bangles I wear with my jade are about 3-8mm larger than the jade bangle, which look and feel "right" together. April 13, 2007
People
often ask if they can wear
two jade bangles together on the same wrist. The answer is "yes",
if you are careful. Asian women cherish their jade "sister
sets". I recently purchase an Asian gold bangle to wear between two bangles,
rich 22k gold, very slender and elegant. I took photos of jade bangles together
with gold, and there is an article you can
read about this topic here. April 12, 2007
I
received an inquiry if I accepted Google Pay for payment. Google has been advertising
their program for internet shoppers, that sounds like a really good deal for shoppers
because, like PayPal, you don't have to enter your credit card information for
purchases. However, for sellers, it's not a very good program. I signed up to
accept Google payments and did a "test" purchase, and the Google option
took over the entire payment page, changed the color to encourage the shopper
to use Google. Google payments have more disadvantes for me, the seller, because
they don't make funds available immediately, Google can limit the payout to the
seller. For example, Google can decide a monthly payout limit for me, like $500,
so if I take in payments over $500, it will still only let me take $500, then
I can get the balance the next month unless my sales are over my limit. Also,
the administration for taking payments is quite complex compared to Paypal. So,
all things considered, I have decided not to take Google payments for orders,
and I apologize if that is an inconvenience for you. April 11,
2007
The past two days have been cool and raining, so a good reason to stay inside, get caught up on business and optimimizing the web site. I was lucky to get airline reservations for a non-stop flight to visit my mom over the Mother's Day weekend, and a discount on a rental car, so a productive day. I'm still working on my next order from China. It takes a long time because items change, some things are no longer available. One of my popular items, the crystal pendants, is no longer available, so when these are gone, that's the end of them. They are much nicer than the photos show, and are very difficult to photograph, and I have kept one of most of them for myself. I made two into necklaces, and the a jeweler make gold bails for two. It's also getting difficult to get Chinese jade that's round inside, because the cost of jade has gone up and it's more expensive than flat inside, but flat inside doesn't have the "good color" as rounded, because rounded has more jade. And I looked at the Chinese RMB and USD exchange rate, which is making things more expensive. I am getting worried about what I'm going to have to pay for jadeite bangles when we go to shop in October. If you think you might want to buy jadeite bangles as gifts for the November-December holidays, I would suggest buying them now, because the prices having been slowing creeping up, and I foresee a big price increase in price and lower USD value coming up here. April 10, 2007
I received an email from a customer who was concerned that the Chinese jade pendant she purchased was not real jade because when she examined the hole, it's appearance was different from what the pendant looked like. This kind of jade can be intricately carved more so than jadeite because it is slightly softer. A bail was attached to the pendant, and the hole had to be reamed to make it a little larger for the bail, and she could see a light color. Rough jade, jadeite and nephrite don't look anything like the finished product. In fact, the carvers call it "gambling on jade" because they can't tell what the jade will look like by its outward appearance and buying it is a gamble. You can click here to see a photo of a very dark Canadian nephrite that was shipped to China for carving. The top of the rough has been covered with water so you can see the color, and it is darker, while the bottom of it is dry, and it looks very pale. After a jade piece is carved, then it's polished and waxed, and that's when you can see the color. If you break a piece of jade, or a jade bangle, the inside will look much different than the outside, and if you know what you are looking at, then you can tell if your jade is real jade, or something else. April 9, 2007
I changed my jade bangle today, from a rounded bangle to one that is flat inside. I used to wear only classic round bangles, but changed my mind because I think the flat inside are perhaps more comfortable for me to wear. Rounded bangles can be felt more, and are sometimes uncomfortable as they stimulate the acupressure points in the wrist. This pain or uncomfortable feeling is a sign that those points need to be stimulated to improve your qi flow for body health. The inner roundness of a jade bangle bumps on them and helps clear stagnant qi. I think a flat jade bangle also stimulates the acupuncture points, but in a softer way. Any jade bangle that is good quality will improve your health, as well as look really classy. April 6, 2007
I dusted off my Pimsleur Chinese language program today, time to brush up and learn some moreChinese language before my trip in October. You don't really need to be able to speak/understand Chinese when you go to China, but it makes it more interesting. When you are with Chinese people, or shopping, a speaking a little Chinese gives you a lot of "face" and often a cheaper price. And Chinese people might practice their limited English with you! One time was I was riding a bus in Beijing and sitting next to some older women who were discussing me in great detail, and when I got off the bus, I said "have a nice day" and "good-bye" to them in Chinese, to see the expression on their faces. Fun! My language skills are very limited, but if I keep learning, and practicing, I do improve. The other advantage is that learning a foreign language makes your mind sharper. If you are planning a trip to Chinese, I suggest you get a Pimsleur language introductory set, which will teach you enough to actually speak and comprehend a basic conversation. I have my introductory Cantonese language set on sale, if you want to try to learn some Chinese, or exercise your brain. April 5, 2007
There's a Chinese saying about jade, that the carver always leaves something behind. Jade is not perfect, and small imperfections are considered to be part of the uniqueness of owning a hand crafted item. Jade stone itself has a lot of variation in it. All these aspects about jade show that it is natural. If you inspect your jade piece under magnification and light, you will almost certainly find something that isn't perfect. These are not considered to be flaws. Wear your jade with joy. April 4, 2007
Trivia:
We all know that the Chinese place great importance on food. The development of
the various Chinese cuisines is a clear testament to how loved food is and its
role in families and friendship.But food has been used for many nefarious means
throughout Chinese history. Those seeking to overthrow emperors often tried to
use poisoned food to achieve their aims. More than one Chinese leader has succumbed
to this nasty practice.Other than employing tasters to try each dish before the
emperor, what other method was thought to be able to detect the presence of poisoned
foods?A. Frying all foods in 'palace oil' before they were served;
B. A celadon
dish;
C. Saying a prayer to the gods before eating;
D. Litmus paper.
ANSWER:
B
is the answer you were looking for. It was believed by the ancient Chinese that
if a celadon dish - glazed jade-colored stoneware prized for its beauty - contained
poisoned food, the vessel would break or change color. April 3,
2007
We went to the beach today, near Titusville, and I walked too far and got too much sun, then had to drive home with the sun glaring in the windshield, and had a tremendous headache when I got home. I used a couple drops of White Flower Balm, smacked it in my palms to release the aroma and inhaled for a couple of minutes, then took my jade pillow cover and placed it over my face while I was lying down. I have taken the jades off the backing and use it all the time, that way I can wipe it to keep it clean. The jade is really heavy, and felt heavy on my face, but the little pieces conformed to the shape of my face, and felt cool and good, and my headache went away quickly. It was too late in the day to take Excedrin with all the caffeine, so I was relieved to get rid of the headache and not be "wired" from Excedrin. There are a lot of creative ways to use jade for health and healing, and if you have any suggestions. I'd by happy to hear from you. April 2, 2007
Were you "April Fooled" today? If you are reading this, this is not joke, you can take $5 off any order today only $45+ by using coupon code APR5 on the order form when you check out. April 1, 2007
contact:calmspirit@calmspirit.net
