The "Peace and Compassion" jadeite bangle that is the daily/weekend special is a special contribution toward the fundraiser for the victims of the storms in the south USA. All proceeds from this jade bangle will be donated to the American Red Cross for disaster relief. Thanks so much to those who are purchasing during this weekend, especially to the "regular" customers who, in my opinion, have a great collection of jade already, but still make purchases to get some gifts to keep on hand while helping others who are going through a difficult time. Many of you have discussed Karma with me the last couple of days, and jade and Karma sure go together. April 29

My heart goes out to the people in the southern USA who have experienced so much damage and loss during the storms and tornadoes, and Ying Yu Jade is doing another fundraiser starting today and running through Sunday for disaster relief. 20% of profits from Ying Yu Jade and JadeBangleBracelets web sites will be donated to the American Red Cross targeted to the disaster relief in the South. This is a good time to purchase your Mother's Day gifts, or something special for yourself, and know that your purchase will also do good by helping others. I don't think this is one of our famous "Chinese sayings:, but "what goes around, comes around". Your purchase will bring you good Karma, good luck and happiness. April 28

Today I was trying on shoes at Macy's, and a woman sitting next to me tapped me on the arm to show me her new jade bangle, and commented on mine. She had a smile on her face, and was thrilled with her "rare" pink jade bangle she recently got as a gift and was thrilled it was so unique and different. Unfortunately, pink is not a natural color of jade, and I doubted her bangle was really jade, but it WAS pretty, and she sure was happy, so I smiled and ooohhh'd over it. But I also felt like a hypocrite letting her think it was jade. Blog readers have written about being in a similar situation, and while you want to let someone share their happiness, you also don't feel right letting them believe they got real jade. Since casual contacts like that generally don't ask for my opinion, I feel alright with smiling and admiring its "prettiness". Want to share what you do and say? April 27

If the sales I've had the last couple weeks indicate what women are getting for Mothers Day, it's mostly jade eggs and jade ben wa balls! Men have been buying them and they are flying out the door. In fact, the clearance jade eggs are close to selling out. But I've also sold quite a few jade and jadeite bangle bracelets, purchased by women for themselves or for their mothers. I emptied a box of bangles I had stored, and found a plastic bag of sweet jadeite rabbit adjustable bracelets. They are very nice, a little 3-D rabbit charm on an adjustable knitted silk cord with big jade bead accents. One is going to my mom for Mothers Day, the rest are online for tomorrow's Daily Special. It's so fun to find a jade surprise when I least expect it! And a perfect gift. April 26

A potential customer had been looking at jadeite pendants and asking several questions every day about the pendants. He sounded like he was really interested in a couple but he didn't purchase them. Then last week he wrote me a livid and scathing email because he was all set to purchase, and the one he really wanted was gone! He was sure I took it off the web site to "punish" him for not buying it. Of course, what would my motivation be to do that! A frequent customer purchasing jadeite pendants for his mother and his wife purchased several, including the unique one he wanted. When I buy jade pendants I try to buy at least three that are similar because it's so difficult to photograph jade pendants to get the carving as well as the jade color accurate, and the jade pendants have very little mark up, so it's better business to purchase 3. But I haven't shopped for jade pendants in two years, and almost every pendant is one of a kind. When it's gone, it's really gone. Ancient Chinese saying: "Get it or regret it". There are some very feminine "yin" jade pendants perfect for Mother's Day, with lotus, peach, monkey carving that is classic and traditional for women. But the best selection is NOW! April 25

Best wishes for a very happy, peaceful, and blessed Easter to you. April 24

"Emerging spring" jade color pattern is perfect to wear this time of year for being in harmony with nature and energy for balancing your body, mind and spirit. The soft "spring green" color emerging through snowy white is not only beautiful, and always good to wear year round, but is the color of the Dao for spring. (Dao:being in harmony with nature and basis of Chinese medicine and feng shui). I wore my every day emerging spring jadeite bangle while doing yard work yesterday, and it glowed so beautifully and I felt blissful and peaceful. Beautiful, good qi, "emerging spring" April 23

A customer-friend who purchased a "mutton fat" jade bangle a few months ago sent me an email that she felt her jade bangle finally "kick in" during a stressful day. She experienced a sense of peace and grounding coming from her jade. When you wear your jade, the jade qi and your body qi mingle, both become stronger. For me, when my body-mind-spirit reaches a point where I'm having trouble handling everything coming at me, I fondle my jade bangle, move it up and down my arm and around the acupressure points on my wrist, and I draw the strength to contine peacefully from it. In China, it's traditional to give a jade piece that you wear all the time as a gift to someone special, because it's like giving a part of yourself. I listed several small extremely good quality jadeite bangles that were "mine" during the past couple of days. I had to take the ones I decided to sell and put them in a neutral area, a box in my business office, to get some detachment from them, and left them there for several months to detach from the jade qi. But when I handled them to describe them for the web site, I could feel that qi pull again, and it was very difficult to put them in the "for sale" section instead of back in my jade collection. An Asian women recently wrote to me telling me about her mother who died and that before the cremation she took her jade bangle and put it on, and it helps her feel closer to her mother. When she misses her mother, she touches her jade and "feels" her there. April 21

I found some black/charcoal jadeite bangle bracelets to list. They are old mine "lao pit" natural "A" grade jadeite, with wonderful high chime, fabulous polish. They are also the kind of jade that if sold commercially would get bleached with acid and then "pretty green" color added. But I was lucky to get these natural. Black jade has energy for protection, clearing negativity, and is good for travelers to wear to protect from viruses and bacterial infections. Black jade energy also helps a person to learn their strengths and limitations, and develop emotional maturity. It aids in accepting qualities about yourself that you don't like, and liking yourself in spite of faults. And protects against physical and psychic harm. And interesting energy in beautiful black jade. April 19

I have been attracted to shades of blue for blouses, dresses, outfits to wear since our cruise to the French West Indies in February. That Caribbean blue is so pretty and peaceful but I wondered how it would look with my jade bangle which is green. Today I wore a blue and white blouse and then checked my jade bangle to see if I needed to change to a white jade, I went outside to see it in the daylight. It looked wonderful with the blue color, and as I was driving I was thinking that the reason jade can look so good with outfits you wouldn't think green jade would look good with is because of its translucence and ability to pick up on colors around it. People have sometimes commented on the web site jade photos that they see other colors in the photos and wonder where the color comes from. Genuine and natural jadeite will pick up other colors in nature. An example is when I am trimming branches off bushes, like my gardenia bush, the green in my every day pale green and white jade bangles glows and looks extra green. So if you purchase natural and genuine jadeite, it will probably "go" with everything you wear if it has some white in it to pick up your outfit colors. April 18

This week's Daily Specials will be themed for Easter and Spring. We'll list jade that has the best color and energy for this time of year, and some other items appropriate for spring and renewal like jade rollers to stimulate your skin to grow new cells for spring, get rid of winter dullness.We are taking off a week in early May to visit mothers and family "up north" and will not be available to take orders the week before Mother's Day, so if you are thinking about buying Mom a jade gift, you might want to get one of the Daily Specials this week. But do be sure to order before May 2 for your gift for Mother's Day. It's auspicious to get a new piece of jade in Spring. April 17

This is an example of a jade bangle with appearance Chinese consider valuable and cherish

I purchased it for myself, it's 50mm inside diameter and I have to use a plastic bag to get it on, it fits right on my wrist. It has lovely imperial green veins on white and is old mine "lao pit" jadeite, a real beauty. But this is also the kind of jade that many people outside of China think is not attractive because it has dark spots, some brown and green veins that mingle with the green. So jade carvers who want to sell this kind commercially will bleach it with acid and make it more translucent, then add color to make it "pretty". The process makes it "C" grade, although they will advertise it outside of China as "A" grade. And that's the reason jadeite gets color treated (making it B quality) and/or bleached with acid (making it C quality, hardly even resembling jade stone anymore), so that it will be more "pretty" and commercial for selling, which doesn't make it cheaper because the cost of doing this adds to the cost sometimes.. Everyone has a different idea of what they expect their jade to look like, but if you wear jade for health, "jade as medicine", you want to know if your jade has been bleached with acid, because it loses its jade qualities. April 14

Today I got a text from ATT letting me know they had finished the investigation into why my iPhone wasn't connecting to the Microcell, but when I looked at my phone, it still wasn't connected! I called them to find out more information, and they had trouble hearing me because the call kept dropping. This is a great example of poor customer service.When I experience poor customer service, like I do with ATT, I learn a lot, like what NOT to do if you want happy customers. Looks like a trip to the ATT store is in my future, and I can't tell you how happy THAT makes me. What's cheering me up is looking at a "glass" super high polish translucent jadeite bangle, rare oval shape, sitting on my desk. It's my size, I bought it for myself, and haven't been able to get a good enough photo that shows it off, it is so very gorgeous, raises my endorphins just looking at it! It will have a high price, so it needs a very good photo. Glass jade is the most difficult to photograph because any light on it reflects back. Maybe I'll just have to keep if for myself. Now that thought really cheers me up! April 13

A year ago my husband and I each got iPhones with a two year ATT contract. His has always worked perfectly. Mine is the business phone for phone orders, and has never worked properly. Apple kept telling me it was "my problem" but after months of complaining agreed to replace it. But ATT service is so poor where I live, that the only place I can take phone calls at home is when I'm standing by the dining room window. If a customer would ask me for information, I couldn't move to get it or the call would drop. So we invested $150 for a ATT Microcell Tower to boost the signal using my internet, NOT the ATT data service. Just when I was ready to put the phone number back online, my iPhone stopped getting the signal from the microcell tower and I don't get enough bars for calls. I called ATT April 10, they told me they would resolve the problem by April 14. 5 days of no service for something I paid $150 for AND is the business phone! Unbelievable awful service from ATT, and probably tech issues with the Apple iPhone. Will use this Blog to let you know if/when we get our phone working again, but don't hold your breath. April 12

I blogged last week about taking a jadeite bangle from my inventory for my personal use, and I have it on now. I have to admit that I have quite a few small 52-54mm jade bangles stashed away because I like them a lot and am reluctant to sell them. But, this is a jade business, and that's what I'm supposed to do, so have taken a few from my private stash to put on the web site. The first one is a 53mm jadeite bangle I purchased 11 years ago, one of a pair, and I am keeping one for myself, and selling the other as Tuesday's Daily Special, with a 20% discount. If it's not going to be on MY wrist, I hope it can go to a jade lover who will wear it with much happiness. April 11

When I get a headache I get out my small magnetic vibrator and roll it over the acupoints on my forehead, over the brows and then usually my neck where tension headaches often start. It it's "one of those days" I put on my pretty pearl and magnet necklace. Magnets seem to "clear the fuzziness" that headaches bring, especially migraines. Next to jade, pearls are beautiful and have great energy. My jade bangle, pearl and magnet necklace, and I'm going to have a good day. April 10

Customers sometimes ask me to help them choose the best jade bangle bracelet for themself, and I enjoy getting to know the person better so I can help them find the best jade not only for beauty, but also for qi energy. I can give my opinions, but what it comes down to is that the jade that appeals to you most generally has the best energy for you. For example, it's getting summer-hot here in central Florida, temperatures climbing into the 90's. My "work time" is usually early afternoon and then again in the evening. When early afternoon comes, instead of working I'm feeling very lazy and want to join friends at the pool for socializing, and you have problem seen some "sold " items throughout the website that I haven't replaced. To get over my laziness, I put on a new-for-me jadeite bangle that has been on my desk awhile, ready to sell but I've been too tempted by it and am keeping it, which I rationalized that it has some big green "dragon yang" veins in it to give my qi energy a boost. My usual jade is soft color, very peaceful to help keep my calm. The "dragon green veins" energy has given me the boost I need to get some of this work done! It also seems to be increasing my metabolism and I feel my heart rate a little higher. I might have to switch back to my "calm spirit" jade for night, though, so I can get a good sleep. Those of us who are sensitive to jade qi have an intuition to know what jade we need, and use jade "as medicine" to feel better. April 8

Customers occasional ask if some of YYJ is really genuine jade because of the low prices on some items. It's been a long time since we raised prices throughout the web site and it looks like it's time to do that, not only because of these kinds of comments, but to keep up with the current price of jade items. We updated the price of the Chinese jade bangles, but haven't gotten around to other items. Also, we like to have items in price ranges for everyone, for example the truly fine jadeite pendants have higher prices, but there are also many very fine quality jadeite pendants under $50 so there is something for every budget. Most of the jade pendants I purchased at remote jade markets, not commercial jade markets, and bargained well, and bought a lot so I could get good price, which I truly do like to pass on. But if there is something you have had your eye one, I suggest you get it before we take the time to go through the web site and see what need to be re-priced. Jade is an investment as well as a wonder gemstone to wear for your body qi, and you can pass it on to family members, or keep in in your financial portfolio, because the price of genuine, natural jadeite is only going to increase with time. April 7

There are several jade-loving women who write to me every few weeks to tell me how much they enjoy their jade purchases, and comment how their jade gets prettier as they wear it. Jade qi is yin, woman's qi is yin and they are both compatible. In ancient times, the emperors of China would send young and very feminine women to search out the best qualities of jade. For example, the river jade was considered as only a jade that women and the emperor could touch, and chosen young women would walk barefoot in the shallow river, their feet finding the best jades. Often the jade we have for sale has been sitting in a box for awhile, looks OK when you get it, but after you wear it a couple of day, WOW, it looks so much better and brighter and has a good glow. Of course, it's good quality jade, not full of resin or artificial colors, so with your body qi it will continue to look better as you wear it. April 5

It's rare when I can get a jade pieces carved exclusively for YYJ because now days the jade carvers have patterns and special tools and make the kinds of things they always make, and charge a great deal to make something custom, unique, and part of the reason is they have to buy additional tools. But I was lucky to get some of these, I think an experiment by the carver to see if there is any interest in "goddess" pendants. There seems to be a lot of goddess style pendants available, and I own a silver and gemstone goddess pendant, but having the JADE goddess is really special. The Yin of the carving, the yin of the jade is a great combination. And the Daily Special. April 3

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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