The end of the month special is saving money when you shop "Chinese style". Shopping for jade from the carver or jade market is a cash-only business in China. Buy a high quality jadeite bangle today, pay with money order (USA customers) or Western Union (international) and save on
items #BB on YYJ or JBB on JadeBangleBracelets web sites.
Regular price $588-750, 10% discount
Regular price $800-1499, 15% discount
Regular price $1500+, 20% discount
Don't miss out, get that gorgeous jade bangle at a discount while offer available. Order form on Daily Special page. February 27

Some of the Chinese jade pendants are "each slightly different" because there are several, and the photo is representative of them, but each will truly be slightly different. A customer who ordered a river jade pendant requested the "most vibrant" of the selection, and I told him I would wait until morning, when the daylight was good in the jade room, to select for him. Jade looks its best in natural daylight. The carved jadeite bangle I am wearing today has some "hong" veins in it I couldn't see until I was outdoors, and then the entire bangle looked different than it did in my home. Sometimes customers receive their order for a one-of-a-kind item, and send an email asking if there was in error because it looks different than the photo. The photos are all taken in bright natural daylight, and if you look at your jade under artificial lights, in an office, it might look a lot different, so take it to a window, or outdoors and look again. Yes, different computer monitors make things look differently, but we look at the photos on several computer monitors, on smart phones and other electronic devices to make sure they look as accurate as possible. We take great care with our photos, and that is expensive and time consuming, but worth it because we would rather customers be very pleased than disappointed. Jade loves fresh air, daylight, and will glow and look prettier as you wear it, much nicer than it looks "in the box". February 25

The days prior to our cruise were stressful, and I noticed my jaw aching because I was clenching, making the effort to get through everything I had to do. When I was looking at the spa on the ship, I went by a mirror that was in bright natural daylight, and horrified to see new lines and wrinkles around my mouth. I immediately began massage those lines with moisturizer when I put it on day and night. As soon as I got home I started using my jade roller again. I rolled the small end over the lines and wrinkle areas. I could feel the fascia tightness and worked each area for a few minutes in the morning and evening after I moisturized. Then I used the large end of the double roller on my throat, which relaxed the entire area. I consciously made the effort not to clench my jaw all week. I used only the cool jade roller, not the heat pad because I didn't want to open my pores and take the chance of skin irritation. Today I took a good, hard look and notice a difference already, the lines are smaller and almost gone. It's amazing how well the jade rollers work. Sometimes I get a note in the comments box on orders for gua sha tools that women are purchasing them to use on their face, and I caution them to NOT use the scraping gua sha on the face because it will break those tiny blood vessels and cause facial redness. But the smooth action of the jade roller, breaking down the fascia of the muscle that starts developing when you move parts of your face more often, works gently, and quite well. (Can you guess the next Daily Special?) February 24.

Our cruise wasn't "spectacular", but it's purpose was a chance to get away for a few days. This business is busy through the fall and holiday season, Chinese New Year and Valentine, then I can take a break. I like cruises because I am "away", have limited interest access, and the only kind of vacation that's a true break from business. None of the ports were special, but the farthest in the south Caribbean we went was Panama Canal. Since we had been there last year, we didn't go on a shore excursion, but rather wandered around, see what there was to see, which was very little as it wasn't a good cruise ship port. One of the limited shops had a display of Columbian emeralds. Emerald is my birthstone, so I am always interested in emeralds, and the sign advertised them as starting at $50 UD dollars set in sterling silver. They had no clarity and the stone wasn't good cutting workmanship, and the seller showed me some very clear, very green emeralds for $75. Are you seeing the resemblance of shopping for jade? Yes, they were color treated. The seller told me no one wants to pay the prices for high end jewelry any more, so he sells low cost emeralds in less than .925 silver because most people don't know the difference. I don't know much about emeralds, but I know about quality, and that is you get what you pay for. The "good stuff" in any kind of gem stone is not of high color in low prices, whether it's emeralds or jadeite. And especially jadeite, because there has been an embargo for many years, illegal to ship to USA, Canada, Great Britain, Australia and other western countries. "Good green" natural color in jadeite is very rare. At YYJ, we purchased most of our inventory prior to the embargo and lowered output of jadeite with good color. So we have a few really good green color jadeites, but most is lighter with some nice green veins, so we can offer natural color, some good green and high quality jadeite. Actually now, our best "good green" is the Chinese jade, as we pay more to get the legal Chinese jade and are able to get good, natural green color. It seems like only a couple years ago sterling silver was an affordable alternative to gold, and now brass and other metals are colored to look like sterling, and selling for the prices sterling silver was only a short time ago. That's the way of the world of jewelry now. At YYJ you will always get what you pay for, and there's a variety of color and quality for every budget. I am not ready to join the "commercial sellers" of jadeite and other gems. I'll retire first! February 22

The Hetian "mutton fat" jade bangles remaining are sizes 58mm, 14mm wide, and 65 16mm wide. The larger ones are wider because they are true mutton fat jade carved for Chinese people, not intended for export, which is how I got them for the lower prices. Chinese women size is usually up to 58mm, and those are made in average width. The larger sizes are made for Chinese men which is why they are wider. The way they are sized is indication that they are "real" mutton fat. Photos below . Tomorrow is final day for preview special price. February 20

I was ready to come home, and one of the big reasons I was excited to get home was that my new shipment from China was delivered while I was gone. Some of the new items received were specially carved Chinese jade bangle bracelets, including some excellent color and quality "black" deep green jade knows as "luminous jade" in China, and today is the last day for a selection as Daily Special. There are also some larger size and WIDE cuff green jade bangles, and a few Hetian "mutton fat" jade bangles. If you have been waiting for these mutton fat jade bangles, let me know your size and I will let you know if there is one available in your size. The price will be between $500-750 based on size and width (amount of jade used in them) and payment is by money order for USA customers, Western Union for outside of USA. If any remain when we get them listed on the web site, the price will start at $750 for sizes smaller than 60mm, so this is a private sale for discriminating jade lovers. "Mutton fat" jade is white, with creamy or soft creamy green, not translucent as the "creaminess" is one of the qualities that adds the value. There are only a few, they won't last. February 19

Best wishes for happy, lucky and healthy Year of the Snakel. Blog will resume February 18

A few years ago, I set aside a fabulous fu lu shou three color carved jadeite bangle to wear as a gift to myself on a Chinese New Year, and I took it out and put it on....and it's just a little too large to enjoy wearing. So I will painfully put it on the web site for sale "one of these days". I want to make a short video about it, because it's a "perfect carved jade bangle". It has subtle color that the jade carver spent a lot of time thinking about how to use that color in the carving, and he sure did a good job. It has a bat, a money toad, lotus flower that is slightly raised, then half of it is smooth and uncarved. Beautiful natural veins of imperial green and hong, some light green but basic color is milky white. I had hoped to make the video today, and got everything ready to make it, only to find out that road repair people decided that today was the day to fix the drainage ditch through the road next to our house. It was so loud and noisy there was no way we could make a decent video. After we get home from traveling and caught up, will try to do it. Tomorrow will be the final daily special until February 18. We will still take orders through approximately noon on Friday so they can get shipped Saturday, and customer service will resume again on February 18. Best wishes to you for a happy, healthy and lucky "year of the snake" and I hope you have your jade snake to start the new year out right! February 6

Starting to pack for our vacation later this week. I want to take some special jade jewelry to celebrate "Year of the Snake", and an taking the snake pendant and bead necklace my friend made, and considering taking my fu lu shou three color jadeite bangle. It's very traditional to wear a fu lu shou jade bangle during the Chinese spring festival time. The colors, the fu lu and shou are the gods of happiness, wealth and luck, health and longevity. My fu lu shou bangle is one of the more expensive $3800 ones and reluctant to take any really good jewelry when I travel. But since it's a lucky bangle, I am going to take it because I think it will keep itself safe. You can view the limited collection of YYJ fu lu shou bangles here, and one is a daily special, one day only. February 3

The February 1 Daily Special is a few items marked for clearance today. Nice gift for Valentines Day or Chinese New Year, great prices.

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