You can always see what's new, click here

A first time jade bangle buyer told me how much she admired jade bangles Asian women wear, and she would like to purchase one for herself, and we discussed getting her best size that fits really close to the wrist. Most of us buy a jade bangle that is the smallest we can get on, then with much effort and pain we do get it on, and discover that when we put our arm up, it will no longer be at our wrist, but slide up our arm a third or half way. When a young women gets her jade bangle put on when she is still growing, her body will become larger and her bangle will be permanent, and probably very tight on her wrist so she cannot remove it. I've had quite a few Asian customers who purchased a very fine jade bangle after they had their precious jade bangle cut off, because of a medical procedure, or as they aged they couldn't wear it anymore. They are very upset about losing their jade bangle which has become part of them. So don't be disappointed when you finally get your jade bangle on, then it's not staying at your wrist, because most of us have the same issue. Which can be a good thing when you want to move it up your arm so you can type your blog! August 30

I pruned back a gardenia bush today, wearing my jade bangle when I worked outside, of course! Good quality jade can be worn all the time, you don't need to take it of when you "work". It was hot and humid this morning, and I couldn't help but notice how my jade bangle really glowed as my hands were in and out of the leafy bush. The green color of my bangle and the green color of the leaves are really different, but when my wrist with the bangle was in the branches and leaves, they looked very harmonious together. Pruning is not something I like to do, but smelling the gardenia flowers, watching my jade look so good being in nature, and knowing I was making my plant more happy was very enjoyable. Wear your jade when you do yard work, you will both enjoy it! August 29

Today was a busy day for me, from grocery shopping to swimming and then to dinner, I changed clothes three times. But I didn't change my jade bangle. It didn't look too "dressy" for grocery shopping and running errands, and didn't "stand out" when I was at the pool, and looked good when I wore a more dressed up outfit for dinner. Maybe this is my "perfect jade bangle"! It goes with everything, all the time, and looks just right. Even if it is "perfect", that doesn't stop me from always looking for another one. And I'll bet most of you can say that, too. That's because we love jade. August 27

Summer is almost over. I wish those hot hot days could go on forever, but time passes, seasons change. We're getting the edges of a tropical storm in the Gulf, and it was very humid when I took my sunset walk with a girlfriend. It was so beautiful outside, we walked a lot longer than usually and I was so hot when I finished I took a dip in the pool, which was cool for the first time all summer. No sun today. With the end of summer, your qi energy needs may change. I need a little more "yang" energy to balance the cooler nights and mornings, and am wearing a jade bangle with some nice imperial green veins in it to add the yang my qi needs. It is mostly white and light green, but the imperial veins add just the right amount of yang. This jade bangle I'm wearing also has an inset of 24k gold for brightness, softness and helps to balance my mood on days when we don't see the sun, which is rare in central Florida. It's perfect for me, gives me a sense of euphoria, and looks great. August 26

When I buy jade bangle bracelets in the jade markets, I don't dare show how much I like certain pieces. The Chinese jade sellers are very shrewd, and there are never any prices on any jade, so the final price is determined by hard bargaining. When I saw BB2257 I fell in love with it. The color is fabulous, with tiny veins of "hong" Chinese red, the polish exquisite, and it looked like it was made for a princess. I wanted it for myself and guessed it was my size. I was willing to pay a little more for it because I was going to wear it. I couldn't risk trying it on to show that it was a jade bangle I loved, so I did spend more than I usually do. After I bought it, I put the other ones in the big bag, but tried it on as soon as I left the shop. I guessed wrong on the size by 1mm, probably because it is wider and has lots of jade in it. It's just a tiny bit too big. I kept it for three years thinking I might gain weight then I could wear it, but it's still a little big, so I priced it to sell so I don't have to look at it any more and be mad at myself for paying so much and not being able to wear it. I should price it at $888, but it's $650 and free shipping on August 26 (unless some lucky customer sees it after I load this blog and buys it).I guess I'm not the "princess" type of women, if I were it would be on my wrist. August 25

Feng shui comes from Daoism, which is the basis for Chinese medicine, tai chi and qigong, acupuncture AND wearing jade for energy. It's based on being in harmony with nature to help bring balance to your home or business. I keep a big jade three legged money toad in my home, facing the direction of my office so the "money energy" comes in, not out. I also have some feng shui hangers, including one with Guan Yin and Buddha in my protection corner to keep us protected from storms, hurricanes. I have a dragon jade pendant with a Chinese coin on a clasp attached to my handbag to protect money and keep me safe. These are not only beautiful jade, but have good energy to keep me balanced. I try to follow the principles of feng shui throughout my home, so energy flows smoothly. The biggest challenge for me is controlling clutter, which bring negative energy. I need all the help I can get! Tuesday's Daily Special are two of my favorite jade feng shui hangers, with nice substantial pieces of jade charms, a pretty red tassle, and an overall attractive piece. August 23

If you read the information about jade on this web site, including this blog, you have learned a lot about jade! When I first started selling jade 11 years ago, customers didn't know what kind of questions to ask about jade, but now most of the questions I get show there is much more knowledge of jade. Unfortunately, there is much mis-information, too, but when you search on the internet for anything, you have to read the information, then decide what you believe is true. And what it ultimately comes down to, is whether or not you like the jade. I can recommend the finest pieces to you, but if what you like is different, then that's what you should choose because you intuitively know the jade that has the best energy for you, and what colors you like. You really do know a lot about jade! August 22

A customer who ordered a Chinese jade bangle wrote that it broke shortly after she received it, and I felt sorry for her and offered to replace it for a modest charge. When I received it, it had a large crack that was caused by being struck on a hard surface. But I realized that it was not the same jade bangle I sold her because of the poor color and low quality of the jade. Rather than confront her, I decided to honor my end of the bargain, and let her live with the karma of what goes around, comes around. My Chinese jade mentor cautioned me to always be honest in dealing with jade, because of the luck associated with jade, and good luck goes with good intentions, as well as the reverse. I use damaged Chinese jade bangles to help my outdoor plants, so in my yard you see jade bangles hanging off of trees, shrubs, bushes and around sickly plants, and I planned to energetically cleanse the jade bangle and hang it on a hibiscus that has become a buffet for grasshoppers. But that jade bangle has absolutely no good qi energy. I don't know if it's the poor quality of the jade, or the negative qi energy of the woman who wore it, but it has remained dull, lifeless in the weeks I've been trying to bring it around. When I find pre-owned jade at estates, they usually cleanse and get good energy in a few days of my "treatments", but this one is "bu qi" (bad energy). There's a Chinese belief that when a jade bangle breaks, it's because it protected the person who wore it, and took the damage and used all its energy to protect the person, so broken bangles often look dull and lifeless because their qi is used up. And this jade bangle is definitely "used up". August 20

Jade rollers are one of the most popular items we sell at YYJ. We also sell these wholesale to spas and other professionals all over the world. Most of the online spa sites that sell rollers are YYJ rollers that are made especially for YYJ. Friday's Daily Special is the Practitioner model, a model we have worked on the design to see if we can get one that doesn't fall apart. Jade rollers are designed to be adjustable and sometimes the roller falls out of the holder during shipping, or the head falls off the stalk. 2 out of 100 have this problems, so that's not too bad. We've designed special packing for shipping them now that protects them so much better, so the new design and better packing mean you will get a good quality jade roller. These are not commercial quality purchased at open jade markets, but rather made by our jade carver, especially for us. So get a deal on the daily special. Watch the video to see the benefits of using it on your face for good health and beauty. August 19

A customer friend who lives in the Philippines has purchased some YYJ bangles, and wears them often. The most recent jade bangle she purchased is a soft lavender jadeite, and she wore it when she went into a shop owned by a Chinese woman, who looked at her bangle and immediately pronounced it as "fake", which was very upsetting. The jade bangle is actually very natural in appearance, the color is subtle and there's lots of "flower" pattern in it, and even with my experience of handling and testing hundreds of jade pieces, there is nothing about it that causes question, and I would have to test it. I've received emails from customers who go to the Vietnamese nail salons and are told their jade is fake, poor quality, etc, and they have a brother-uncle-friend in Vietnam who can get them a "real one, cheap". Non-Asian women have this thought that just because someone is Chinese, they must know about jade, they maybe have a special gene that gives them automatic jade expertise. Guess what...not so! They have opinions, but unless they have learned jade expertise, they don't "know" about jade. In fact, a traditional Chinese person would not say anything bad about someone's jade because Chinese people believe that jade worn by a person becomes part of the person, the qi flows between the jade and the person. So "dissing", insulting the jade, also insults the person. When I'm out, and someone comments on my jade bangle and also shows me hers, and if hers is dyed or appears to be fake, I never tell them what I think, because it's their jade and they love it, and it's part of them. Even when someone asks my opinion, and the jade is poor commercial quality, I don't want to say anything bad about it. Whatever a person buys and wears is something they like and makes them happy, so don't "dis" the jade! August 18

Every few days I get an email from someone asking if I could bring my jade to their city to a retail show so they can see it in person and try it on. While that sounds like an interesting thing to do, I would be traveling all the time, there wouldn't be anyone "here" to get your orders out, I would have only a limited inventory with me, AND the prices would be three times what they are to pay for the costs of traveling and exhibiting at shows. I hope the photos and descriptions give you enough to make an informed purchase, and especially regarding the jade bangles, if it's not just right, I will work with you to make your purchase one that makes you happy. You have much more selection and better prices on genuine jade than you would with a "traveling" jade vendor when you visit Ying Yu Jade online. August 16

Remember when our jade friend Deirdre wrote about JAD (jade acquisition disorder)? If you read this, you just might have a touch of JAD. Last week a man purchased a Chinese river jade large bangle bracelet, very "yang" color like the night sky. He had been looking for a jade bangle for himself for a long time. He wrote that he has JAD, always looking for jade that is just right for him. I love to hear from jade enthusiasts, because a piece of jade that has the right energy for you really makes you feel balanced and complete. And it's not a surprise that guys have JAD, too. I try to carry some more masculine and larger jade bangles for our male friends out there, they need and love jade, too.
August 15

I was surprised to get an order for jade ben wa balls from a woman who lives in Beijing. It was strange shipping something to Beijing, which will take almost 3 weeks by first class mail, to a city so close to where they were made. These were conceived of and designed in Beijing with a Chinese doctor. And these were used by Asian women for centuries before "foreigners" became aware of them. So many "things" for sale in the Chinese street markets are poor quality (see the discussion about commercial quality) and maybe she wanted some that were good quality! August 14

Jade carving has symbolic meaning, and the colors of jade also have meaning. The classic green color is related to the liver meridian for improving health. Yellow is related to the spleen meridian for balancing metabolism and for the emotion of calmness, enjoyment of life. Black and deep green is related to the kidney meridian, and an emotion is courage, while fear damages the kidney. White is related to the lung meridian, overcoming grief and sadness, and having joy. And red, or "hong" in China, and varied shades of red including honey, is related to heart meridian, overcoming adversity, love, success in life. These are generalizations, and as a qi healer and Reiki master, I use the energies of the jade to help people balance their body, mind and spirit. This is all part of Dao, being in harmony with nature, which is where Chinese medicine comes from, as well as feng shui, the martial arts, tai chi and qigong. It's my experience that people are attracted to the color of jade that has the energy they need. While we look at a piece of jade and admire the color, the Chinese regard the color as relates to Dao. So it's all very complex. Then add the variables of the jade quality. That's a reason there are no prices on any jade in the jade markets. And the bargaining isn't only about price, but also all the Chinese tradition that goes into it. When I wrote about the difference between commercial quality vs gem quality, for example if you shop for jade in the Hong Kong jade markets, which are very commercial, you are shown "how pretty" something is. Where I shop, all the Dao culture is involved, which is fascinating, and very confusing with my limited Chinese vocabulary. Sometimes I "get" what someone told me days, weeks, months later! If you see a jade that has the colors that appeal to you, and colors that are other than green, you should get it because the jade color is significant to you, and color other than green really is rare. August 13

A reader asks what I mean by "gem quality" jade, pearls. I wrote that I go to China to personally buy items sold on YYJ. At the markets there are hundreds of items already made up, and these are commercial quality, meant for export outside of China or for sale to "foreigners". As I wrote previously, I like to know who I buy things from. So I go to certain sellers who have their own small business (and I know I'm not buying "sweat shop" items). For example, the jade and pearl necklaces I could buy already made up but I don't know the quality of jade or the pearls. So I found a woman who sold the pearls and jade pieces individually, I chose the nicer quality of pearls and jade beads, and she made them up while I waited, so I could also observe the quality of the work. That way I paid a little more, but I have a much nicer item to offer you, with good pearls, good jade beads, not commercial quality or fakes, seconds or inferior. I considered if paying more, as well as personally making the trip to buy them, was a good business decision because you can buy these kinds of things cheaper, but most YYJ customers appreciate the better quality, and knowing that what I buy isn't something made by forced labor or sweatshops. It's "gem quality", not commercial quality, and as I always say about YYJ, you really do get what you pay for. August 12

It's very rare to find a "glass" translucent jadeite bangle, so translucent and fine grained the jade has a glassy appearance. I bought one for myself a few years ago and when I was looking through my personal jade bangle collection I discovered it still packed in its wrapper. It's also oval 55x49mm so it fits like 52mm, and if you wear 55mm you won't be able to get it on because of the small side of the oval. It's much too pretty to sit in a drawer and needs a wrist, so I listed it. This kind of jadeite is very rare and very valuable, and in a jewelry store should sell for $8-10 thousand dollars. There have been more Asian customers looking for small jadeite bangles, and I don't have many, so am going through my personal jade bangles to list some I don't wear. It's BB2251 you can see at the top of this page. I'll be sad when it sells, but happy it will get on a wrist. August 11

Readers of the jade travelogs know that I prefer to personally go to China to buy the items I sell. Part of the reason is that I want to know my suppliers. On my first real buying trip, my supplier took me to a northern jade market, rows and rows of sellers, no prices on anything, purchases by bargaining only. He discouraged me from making purchases and I didn't understand why he brought me there, three hours by public bus on those scary mountain roads, then didn't want my to buy. I had 10 words of Chinese, and he had maybe 50 words of English, so that was challenging. But he took me out to the countryside, tiny old style homes with a small pile of jade rough outside the door. They eagerly invited me inside, and pulled out boxes and boxes from amazing, unseen storing places. They piled their jade pieces on tables, floors or the kang. Each family specialized in certain things: teapots and sets, pendants, carvings. I bought as much as we could carry, and understand why we didn't buy in the jade market. I felt really happy about being able to purchase directly from the carver, knowing we were benefitting each other. I've never purchased anything that was made in a "sweat shop" or by using unwilling and abused workers. I was able to see how jade was carved, works in progress, and join in with the family for a cup of tea, a world of culture. Yes, it was extra traveling, very strenous, arduous work to make purchased, but the memories and stories I have to tell are priceless. I can't personally buy everything I sell in China, but I visit everyone when I make my buying trips, and this way I can offer you not only good jade, but good qi energy because I know where it comes from. August 10

Women who have owned only Burmese jadeite are often astounded at the beauty of a Chinese "river jade" bangle when they purchase one. The color is so rich, so obviously natural there's never even that nagging question of being natural color, and some of them have nice translucence also. Here's part of an email: " I can't stop looking at them. When you gaze deeply into them, you are transported. The green one with the dark brown seam whispers of earth's creation and of its elements. The honey one sings of the liquid sun. Worn together, they are even more radiant as works of Nature's artistry" I appreciate someone else raving about this jade, because I sure have written much about it. My supplier tells me they are becoming more popular in China now, and the younger women who don't want to wear "their mother's jade" (classic green) have been purchasing these to indulge in their national treasure of jade. My supplier is trying to get the carver to invest in tooling that will make sizes other than 59-60mm that he makes, with occasional larger and smaller, but the carver is also a farmer who invests more in farm equipment than jade equipment. Some of them are wider, thicker so you might be able to comfortably wear one a mm or two larger than your usual size. I do. It's worth it to get one of these beautiful color jade bangle bracelet. August 9

A customer who placed an order for several items yesterday wrote a note in the comments box that she agreed with yesterday's blog about economic recovery, was doing what she could to support small business, as she also owns a small business. She decided to order some things for the holidays now. In turn, I decided to spend most of the amount she purchased with a small business that sells shipping supplies. I mentioned when I placed my order that I was "passing on" my funds to stimulate the economy. He chuckled and said he needed to place an order for some supplies and would keep the buying going, all of us doing what we can to stimulate the economy. Small business really struggles to keep going during this economic downturn, so I was happy we all benefited. These past months, after I pay my expenses and quarterly income taxes, I wonder if it's worth all the work. Then something happens to keep me going, like helping a customer choose a special jade gift, or getting a comment about how happy a customer is with their jade purchase. Yes, I need to make a living, but I want YYJ to be positive and provide jade with good energy that not only is beautiful, but has good energy for improving health, happiness and good luck in life. August 8

I have been reading that the economy recovery depends on consumer spending. I've offered some very low priced jade bangle bracelets over the last couple of months doing my part to tempt you to spend and help get the economy going again! This weekend I want to tempt you more. If you have items on your Wishlist $99+ you can take $10 off regular priced jade with coupon WISH10. If you have a YYJ account, you can create a Wishlist by adding items to your cart, then transferring them to your Wishlist. Even if you don't have a Wishlist, save $10 on items you wish for by using WISH10 this weekend. Starts now! (August sale jade bangles excluded) August 6

Final days for the August jade bangle sales. This is the end of this special purchase and they will not be offered at these low prices again. If you think you will need a special gift for the holiday season, now is the time to buy one and put it away. During the sale week, several readers have asked for a regular priced jade bangle on the web pages to be featured as a Daily Special, and hoping the price would be low like the sale jade bangles, and disappointed that a regular Daily Special is usually 10 per cent discounted, not priced at below $150. That's because the sale bangles were truly a special purchase, bought a long time ago by a buyer other than myself who purchased quite a few that were very similar, unlike my purchase of perhaps three similar in different sizes, but I purchase more variety. The sale bangles would retail for $350, and although I'm selling them much cheaper, it doesn't mean I can discount a regularly priced jadeite bangle to the same prices as these bargain bangles. The prices are based on what I paid for them, their quality and in some cases, the rarity of the style or colors. And YYJ is not a "discount" web site where prices are artificially marked up so they can be "on sale" all the time, or expected that you make an offer on them. YYJ prices are true prices, and you will always get what you pay for. August 5

The first time I went to Beijing in 1999 the air pollution was so bad everyone in our group got sore throats. This is when we were introduced to Watermelon Frost Lozenges, natural Chinese medicine. I have used these for sore throat of any variety since then and think they work better than any "drug store" product. I was a photo today of Tiananmen square. China was cleaning up its air pollution, especially prior to the 2008 olympics, but now it is much worse. I asked a Chinese friend about it on a very polluted day when I was in China in 2009, and she denied it was pollution, and said it was only "fog". But everyone was wearing a face mask. A financial article stated that China was third in the world for exports now, but regarding cleaning up their environment, they are still claiming that it's the responsibility of the "rich countries". If you go to China, and smog bothers you, pick up some Watermelon Frost in your hotel. August 4

A reader writes: " A while back you were talking about the OPI Jade colored nail polish and you liked it for your feet. I went out an purchased it just because I was getting tired of using pinks and reds all the time and I was curious. I liked the green so well that I just purchased the OPI Gargantuan Green Grape color. It is much lighter than the Jade green. I love it because it almost matches my last bangle I purchased from you, the Emerging Spring w/ Apple Green and White. I love the match and I really love the bangle".
Jade looks great with almost everything! I purchased some bright summer nail polish colors to use as a display with a talk about jade and they are unused. If you would like a free bottle of nail polish that looks great with jade, place your order for any jade bangle and write a note in the comments box that you would like a nail polish. I'll include one free while they last. August 3

A customer asked questions about the appearance of a jadeite bangle that had an "old" photo, not my current camera, so I decided to take an updated photo, which took about an hour, but looked a lot better. It's so difficult to take good photos of jade-try it sometime and see for yourself how difficult it is to capture not only the color, but the grain and translucence, and get it all to look like the real thing. While I was taking photos, I added one to the web site that I've been trying to get a good photo of for at least a month. BB2221 does not want her photo taken! I simply cannot capture the color, color pattern, translucence and nuances of this jade bangle. I would rather have you be surprised that it looks better than the photo, than to receive it and be disappointed because it was edited to look "nice" instead of as it actually looks. That's a promise: the real thing will always look nicer than the photo. August 2

I have a few more Burmese jadeite bangle bracelets that were carved from the same rough and imported before the jadeite embargo, that I will offer at bargain prices, under $150! The August Hot Jade Bangle sale starts today.

The Calm Spirit / Ying Yu Jade complete August newsletter is available online now, click here. This month features Chinese medicine wellness information for August 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.

Ying Yu Jade on Twitter
.

Return to Blog Index

Blog Home

Ying Yu Jade Web Site

Calm Spirit Web Site

Monthly Newsletter