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I went to a trade show this morning, mostly jewelry and gemstones. There are some exhibitors I place an order with in advance, and they bring my goodies so I can pick them up. Everything I bought were replenishment items, meaning nothing new. My biggest purchase was the silk "fortune cookie" that I sell with the jade ben wa balls, and as a holder for small gifts. I didn't buy any new jade pendants or carvings because they were either priced too high, or very highly color treated. My friend who is a jeweler bought less than usually because of the high prices. We both sell natural and genuine, but it seems like the general consumer want "pretty and cheap", so we are wondering what we need to do to stay in business. I won't compromise on quality, but she bought lower quality to make "pretty and cheap". She doesn't sell jade, so her situation is different. Anyway, it was kind of depressing to not buy new things. I still have boxes of jade bangles and other things in storage that are "new", because I promise I'll always have new items for you to look at! April 30

The jade bangles take a lot of time to get photographed for the web site. The goal is to get one good photo that shows off the jade bangle to its best advantage. Of course, you can never get a photo of jade that looks as good as the "real thing". Each jade bangle gets up to 30 photos, and then the best one is chosen for the web site. However the Thursday Daily Special, BB619, is a "chameleon" because it is so glassy and highly polished that it really reflects the light, and looks different in outdoor light,which is shown on the web site photo, and indoor light, on a dark background, shown on the photo in the shopping cart. It's one of the few jade bangle that needs two photos. I think of it as a "Gemini", a split personality, so if you are looking for a special gift for someone, or for yourself, and you have a May birthday, this is the best time to get it at a Daily Special price. I wish I could add several photos of each jade bangle, but the web space and cost involved would make the price higher. If you are a Ying Yu Jade customer, you know that what you get will be much nicer than the photo! April 28

When I started reading the novel "Secrets of Jin-shei", I didn't do much of anything else until I finished it. It's a story of 10 women in fictional historic China whose sister-bond of Jin-shei is stronger than any family or blood-bond. It's a long novel, 504 pages, a very "good read". And there are references to jade in the story, so that makes it even better! I'm done with it, it's in the "store" and for sale now. It's heavy, so will ship at the standard shipping rate. Although it's really not worth it to go through all the work of listing it to sell, I enjoyed it so much that I want to share it! April 26

I recently received a complaint from a customer that the jade pendant she received was plastic. I don't sell fake or plastic jade, so I guessed she received a pendant from another jade seller and confused it with her YYJ order. So how do you know if your jade is plastic, or resin? Plastic or resin will burn or melt. Stone (jade) doesn't. I received an order of red and green jade pendants and I wanted to make sure they were jade, so I broke one with a hammer, and could see the jade stone more easily through the polish and wax which was interfering with the refraction test. But that's pretty drastic, and while I feel obligated to check jade that I want to be sure of, I wouldn't do that to all jade. You don't want to heat your jade to test if it is plastic, because that might change the color, as heat is a method used to color enhance jade. Jade stone really does feel and look different from plastic or resin, so that shouldn't be a problem. But if you purchase your jade from a trusted seller, you don't have to worry about it. Trusted sellers give you lots of information, price their jade as you would expect a precious jade to be priced, and answer your questions to your satisfaction. You can also reviews in their online stores. And with a USA based seller like YYJ and JadeBangleBracelets, you can be assured that you will be able to work out any problems or questions, especially if you pay with Paypal. April 25

I've had emails from several people this week telling me about their cracked and/or broken jade bangle bracelets. It's odd how sometimes it seems so many people are experiencing this at the same time. But then a friend in China mentioned that this time of year, when the weather is getting warm and the cold is disappearing, is considered a dangerous time for health because of the changes the body needs to go through to adjust to the change, and many people get ill this time of year. So jade bangle breaking/cracking makes sense according to Chinese medicine belief, because the jade is protecting the person who wears it by taking the damage instead of the person. A women mourning the loss of an expensive jade bangle asked what I thought about getting a jeweler to add gold to make it a hinged bangle. Chinese people believe that this kind of jade bangle is "broken" and the luck and good qi has come out of it, and would never wear a hinged jade bangle. It's always upsetting when your jade bangle breaks, because you get so attached to it. If you had a jade bangle break, and you miss wearing a jade bangle and are ready to get another one, ask me for a discount before you make your purchase. We'll both share the luck of a discount, and you can get a new jade bangle to wear for it's good energy. April 22

Picture this: today I received my weight in jade! I received a jade shipment, finally, that I ordered in January for delivery the end of February, but actually was shipped last weekend. Most of it was jade eggs and ben wa balls for kegel exercise. These sell so fast I can barely keep them in stock. If you would like to order a set and get a $3 discount, use coupon code EGGS3 April 20 and 21 for either jade ben wa balls or jade eggs. Short blog today, I have a lot of jade to sort and find a place for!
April 20

A jade lover who wears two of the "sister" jadeite bangles, from the bangles I purchased from a jade carver made from the same rough, wrote to tell me her jade bangle is glowing, getting more green as she wears it, like mine is. The fine-grained lao pit jadeite is the most beautiful jade, and I won't apologize for raving about it every couple of weeks, because it's such a pleasure to wear, and endlessly interesting as it reflects your body health. The "sister" jade I refer to is apple/imperial green veins on white, and some were all white jadeite. There are still a few left, small sizes, and I keep them in a basket in my work space so they can always be in natural daylight and not lose their beauty. And I play with them every day, too, because they feel so good! Makes me feel like a Jade Queen! April 19

I think the feedback and form links are working now. If you click a link and it doesn't work, please let me know. I needed to get my forms working again so I could have "Make an Offer Days" on Jade Bangle Bracelets web site. I want to make some changes on JBB and it will be easier with fewer products, so we will both win: you will get a great discount, and I will have less work to do. You need to have an account on JBB so I can mark the bangle with the discounted price for you to purchase. You can get all the details, visit JBB and make an offer! April 18

Our friend Deirdre sent me an email regarding the blog about arthritis, to add that a few ounces of Certo in a glass of juice is also a wellness "cocktail" for arthritis. But she also told me the "earth" link for blog feedback wasn't working. I checked my other links to forms, and found out they weren't working either. After a few hours of pondering about this, I realized that when all the web sites had been upgraded, they were on new servers that had different code, which makes the forms work. The "earth" ones are working now, but some of the other ones, like "Bangle of the Month" are not, and if you are interested in ordering 3 jade bangle bracelets, either receiving one each month, or buying all three at once with a 10% discount, use the "earth" to let me know. I try to make things as easy and convenient as possible for readers and customers, so let me know when something isn't working, much appreciated! April 16

Today I went to my health clinic for a routine checkup, and found out my regular doctor had left and there was a "substitute" doctor taking care of her patients until a permanent doctor was found. The doc was older (than me) perhaps mid-60's and Indian. He commented my fingers were starting to look arthritic (geez, it's always something!) and suggested finger exercises. I told him about the jade acupressure ring I use, and he agreed that was very helpful. I told him I do yoga, tai chi and qigong daily, and he told me he does yoga at 4:30 am for an hour. As you know from the Calm Spirit website, all of the ideas for jade things I sell come from my wellness beliefs. That's why I sell pure and natural jade. Anyway, he suggested rolling balls or eggs in my hands to keep the arthritis from progressing. I didn't tell him that some of my most popular products are jade eggs and ben wa balls for kegel exercise, but when I got home I held some of the undrilled eggs in my hand and they not only felt good for exercise, but for healing energy. So I want to share this information with readers, and suggest using jade for its healing qi, as well as being the right size for hand exercise to help with arthritis. It's always refreshing to find a physician who encourages wellness, and doesn't focus only on disease. Yes, as we age, more things go wrong with our bodies, but there's a lot we can do to slow down problems of aging, and/or prevent them. When I sign off here, I'm going to try the yoga breathing he taught me to help with allergies, as the pollen has been really blowing around in these Spring breezes. I'd rather use self help than take medicine. That's what wellness is all about. April 14.

I've been trying to get my yard work done before Florida summer arrives. We've replaced many of the plants that died over the unusually-cold winter, and I've trimmed, fertilized and nurtured my favorite plants. The air is filled with the scent of orange blossoms and jasmine. The hibiscus might still be alive, and have Chinese jade bangles hanging on them to protect and give them good energy. While I'm working with the plants, I notice my jade bangle really glowing, the green color popping. I received an email for a jade lover who told me she put on her lao pit old mine jadeite bangle and noticed how it also becomes prettier as she wear it. Old mine "lao pit" jadeite is the finest jade you can get, and you really notice its natural beauty when you are wearing it when you're in nature. Dao is being in harmony with nature, and this kind of jade enhances your love of nature. April 11

The jade ben wa balls and jade eggs are almost done. Below are photos of the process. First the jade is cut into cubes, then placed on the carving machine, and shaped into balls. Water is always used during jade carving, and it's a messy job. Then they are polished. April 7

Often when a first time jade buyer gets her jade, she is concerned because her jade isn't "perfect". If you look at jade with a magnifier and in good light, you should see "imperfections" because jade is stone, and stone is natural. You may find lines, spots, black spots, and if you don't, unless you paid hundreds of dollars, you might be concerned that your jade is not really jade. You may even see lines or marks from the jade carving. These are all the aspects of natural jade, and what make your jade natural and cherished. I have a pair of jade bangles that have a lot of real imperial green veins in them, but the jade stone itself has lots of lines in it. In China, the value of these is $20,000 retail. Probably more now because jade carvers are hoarding imperial green jade since the jade mines closed a couple of years ago. I love them for their natural appearance, and the fabulous energy. To me they are beautiful, and have a lot of personality. Perfect jade? Perhaps it's not jade. April 6

The automated shopping cart pages allow you to search for an item. When you are on the web site and click any "order" link, you land on the automated shopping section. On the left hand side near the bottom is a search tool. For example, you want to see all the 58mm jade bangles, so you enter
58mm in the search box, and all the 58mm jade bangles will show. You can do the same for 57mm and find those that are 57mm plus a fraction of a mm which may also fit you. Makes looking for just what you want a little easier. April 5

Several people have asked for the best value in a "spring green" jade bangle bracelet. The jadeite bangles have color patterns that are "spring" or "apple" green, and white, but jadeite is more expensive than the watery, translucent green of the Chinese jade bangle bracelets. The Chinese jade natural color is perfect for any season, but especially nice for spring. This is the same jade that the rollers, gua sha tools, ben wa balls and jade eggs and other health tools are made from.It's pure and natural jade that gets prettier as you wear it. It's traditional jade the Chinese people have been using and wearing for centuries. I sell a lot of these, and order in large quantity so I can get a good price to pass on to you. Most are less than $100, which is less than they sell for in China in jade shops. If you have never tried Chinese jade, today is a good day to get one using coupon code EASTER10 for a $10 discount. They are perfect for Easter, a time of new beginnings and hope. April 4

Much of the enjoyment of wearing jade is that you are wearing a beautiful piece of nature. People who wear jade are often very in touch with nature, live in harmony with nature. I was supposed to have my new shipment of jade eggs and other jade things last week, but I'm still waiting for them to get carved. The jade carver chooses an auspicious day to begin the carving, and that means jade gets carved when his feng shui is right. My supplier gives me the option of waiting for the auspicious day, or getting the job done when I want it done. Our "mother" web site is Calm Spirit, and our philosophy is doing things "Chinese way", which follows the Dao and is in harmony with nature. I do get frustrated when I'm waiting, though, but console myself knowing the energy of the jade will be what we all expect from Ying Yu Jade. April 3

Today is the second and final day of No Fooling Jade Bangle Discount days. Check out the Daily Special to get your coupon. Love those jade bangle bracelets! April 2

The Calm Spirit / Ying Yu Jade complete April newsletter is available online now, click here. This month features Chinese medicine wellness information for April regarding balance of body, mind and spirit. There is information about what kind of jade to wear this month if you wear jade for your health, and more

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