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End of the month, times are tough, how about jadeite bangle bracelets for $100 today. There's nothing wrong with them, and they are fine grained old jadeite with high chime, icy cold. It's a "thank you" from me for keeping Ying Yu Jade business going during this recession. If they're your size, you are in luck getting a great deal today. February 27

Jadeite is often called "old mine" or "lao pit" jade to differentiate it from "new jade", or Chinese jade that is indigenous to China. The old, or "lao", jade that is in the older mines is very fine grained. You often see more jelai or clarification lines that are often in less fine grained jade, but you can see them more easily in finer grain jade. Another characteristic of old mine jade is the high "chime" when struck with a chiming crystal. The sellers in the jade market often strike the jade with a chiming stone or crystal to show off the quality of the jade. Of course, you have to know what you are "hearing" and have had experience with hundreds of pieces of jade to be able to tell the difference in chime. Chime combined with other information helps one to know the quality of their jade. Otherwise it's like the tourist jade shops or "factories" in China, where the tour guide demonstrates chiming, but it doesn't mean anything, because it's part of taking advantage of tourists! That's why I haven't made a video about chiming, because if you don't do it correctly you can damage your jade, or it might not be meaningful for you. Most of the jadeite on both Ying Yu Jade and Jade Bangle Bracelets are old mine lao pit jadeite even if those words are not in the description, because jade with good energy is this type of jade. February 26

Leslie from Australia wrote to tell me how much prettier her jade bangle is becoming as she wears it, and that's a perfect example of how body qi and jade qi work together. I would guess Leslie has more of a glow to her, also! Jade doesn't like to be stored in a dark box, and exposing it to daylight, but not direct sunlight, will let it gain qi, but wearing jade will really make it look wonderful. I jade piece you wear all the time has the glow that comes from the constant exchange of energy. In China, a jade pendant is often worn on a red silk string, close to heart, often under clothing. Precious. February 25

Today I received feedback from blog readers, reminding me to look for good energy jade for them when I go to China. It would be easy to simply buy pretty looking jade in a variety of sizes and colors instead of handling each piece to feel the energy and determine if it is "good". In fact, when I started the JadeBangleBracelets web site, that was my intention, just buy pretty jade, several of each so I wouldn't have to take photos of each one, and then just sell them without being concerned about "how good they are". In other words, buy commercial quality. But...I couldn't do it. One of my mottos is that I buy and sell only the kind of jade I personally would wear, and I might not sell as much because these kinds of jade are more expensive and I can't sell them as inexpensively, but I want to be proud of each piece of jade I have on the web site. I want to be sure the jade you buy will have good energy and be beneficial to you, and feel good when you wear it. I want to add to yesterday's blog about the emotions in Chinese medicine and how they affect the organ meridians. Worry damages spleen; anger damages liver; grief damages lung; fear damages kidney and unkindness damages heart. The emotion is a simplification of all the other emotions that go along with it, but it makes the point about why you might choose a certain color of jade to heal an organ meridian to improve your health. An example of this is the Tuesday daily special, an old river jade bangle with "hong", honey for overcoming adversity and lighter color jade for calming the spirit. Jade as medicine! February 23

Several readers have asked about the energy description of jade, and what the colors of jade mean. Natural jade colors are green, yellow/honey/, lavender, charcoal/black, hong/red and white. The colors are caused by mineral content. Some jade that is more colorful also has small natural jelai/clarification lines that have allowed minerals to seep in to give the color. In China, this is cherished, but most of the time customers complain that their jade is not "perfect" because they see lines, clarification that looks like cracks but is not, and so I rarely sell these beautiful jade pieces because most customers want "perfect" jade and will want to return a jade bangle because they don't like the "cracks". The jade I personally wear is often different from the jade I sell, because I understand the mineral make up of jade, and love the natural coloring. I pass up a lot of this kind of jade because I know I will have problems with customer complaints. In fact, the reason of color enhancing is to satisfy the Western preferences for jade, and why "fake jades" started being marketed, to produce a "perfect" smooth and clear "jade" bangle with perfect color. Jade energy comes from minerals that make up jade, and different minerals that cause colors give the different energies. I'm a certified Qi Healer and sensitive to energies, and the energetic descriptions are one of the things that set my jade web site apart from others, although I see I'm imitated often now! If you are familiar with yoga, and the chakras, you know the colors are related to the chakras, and that's similar in Chinese medicine. Colors are related to organ meridians: Liver is green; spleen is yellow; kidneys dark green, charcoals, black; heart is red; and lungs are white. Lavender is related to the spiritual center, or shen. When I photograph, measure, handle each jade piece, I get distinct energetic feelings from it which I use in the descriptions. Of course there's a lot more involved, but that's the basics about color. February 22

Last month I donated a jade necklace with a fish pendant as a raffle prize for a fundraiser for a children's advocacy group. We attended a dinner first, and the raffle followed. There were many contibutions to the raffle, so it was a lengthy raffle draw. When the jade necklace was announced, all the women at the table I was sitting at expressed their desire to win it, but the winner was a single man who wasn't in attendance and the some of the women suggested that since he wasn't there, he wouldn't know he won it, and they should draw again! Yesterday evening the man who won it was sitting at our table and thanked me for donating it. He told me he thought about all the women he knew (and he has a reputation for being a lady's man) and decided to give it to a friend who has a fishing business with her husband. All the women at the table, including some who wanted to do a re-draw, were really touched that he was so "thoughtful" about giving the necklace so appropriately. It's very lucky to receive a gift of jade, and it's lucky to give a gift of jade. Jade is a special gemstone, and always appreciated as a gift. If you see a jade piece as a daily or weekly special, it's a good opportunity to get it for a gift, and tuck it away until you need it (unless you decide you just have to have it for yourself!) February 19

I went to a large informal dinner tonight and sat at a large table with 12 other people. I knew most of the people we sat with, and I was directly across from a neighbor who lives across the street. She was sitting next to a woman who was a friend of hers, but I had not met her. When I sat down, she reached for my wrist to check out my jade bangle, and started telling her friend about jade, how she could tell it was a very good quality, and expensive, pointing out different attributes of the jade bangle. . I was impressed that she knew so much, because I gave her the "grand tour" of my business only one time, and perhaps discussed the jade bangles I wore a couple of times. What struck me was that even a little bit of accurate information can give you what you need to know if you are getting a good piece of jade. You don't have to know "everything", no one knows everything there is to know about jade, and I learn something new all the time. But knowing the basics of what to look for is helpful. You can look at the photos on Ying Yu Jade and Jade Bangle Bracelets web sites to learn what good jade is supposed to look like. If jade looks flat, colors look strange, you can wonder about the quality. So learn a little, and feel confident about the jade you choose. February 18

The good news is that I finally have the airfare reservations for a trip to China completed. The bad news is I've neglected your emails and requests, because it's been so time consuming to get these reservations. It's easy to fly to Beijing, but leaving from Guangzhou is a challenge because NWA didn't work out, and the other international airlines leave from Beijing, Shanghai or Hong Kong, and I am extremely reluctant to take a connecting Chinese airline flight to connect because of the possibility of losing our luggage with everything I purchased. It's crucial to get everything on the international flight without any connecting flights for coming home. My travel agent is wonderful, arranged all the airfare schedules including the China Air flight from Beijing to Guangzhou, and we'll take a train from Guangzhou to Hong Kong to get the international flight back home. It's taken me at least a month to figure out a schedule and make the reservations, and I am relieved it is done! Now I can really get excited about going to China. We'll leave here March 31 and be gone almost two weeks. Now I need to make hotel reservations, make appointments with business contacts, brush up on my Chinese language, and figure out what to wear. Beijing will be cool, maybe cold, and Guangzhou will be hot and wet. It's not the best time to go for China weather, but I needed to be done with everything before the Canton Trade Fairs start, and then there's the May holiday, then tourist season starts. May and October are the best weather months for Beijing. So still a lot of work to do to get ready! Feb 17

I hope you all had a happy Valentine's Day, if someone special didn't treat you, I hope you treated yourself. You are your own best friend, after all! We had one of our most enjoyable Valentine's days. I know some of you got a really nice piece of jade because I helped your special person choose it for you! But, I didn't get either of the two things I wanted, and not because "he" didn't try. It just didn't work out. So I decided I should get what I really want now, get it for myself, and I thought maybe you would like to, also, so how about a discount. February 15-16 you can buy one jade bangle at regular price and get the second same price of lower bangle for 35% off. Or buy a jade pendant at regular price and get the second for 25% off. The details are on the Daily Special page. . So look around, and get some beautiful jade that you really want. February 15

Today's blog responds to a question from a reader: "Sometimes from the pictures, it is hard to tell whether the green is imperial or spring green or apple green. How do you distinguish the shade of green? Also, why don't we see a larger quantity of imperial green jade bangles? I love the imperial green"
The term "imperial green" refers to the green-green that is the highest quality found in the old mine jadeite. It's the most precious and most expensive of the jade colors, and the better the translucency, the higher the price. However, I do use the term "spring" and "apple" green to describe the imperial green color, as some people like that terminology. When I use the term "imperial" I am referring to the quality of the old mine "lao pit" jade. This green-green is the first I sell out of, and I have a few 57-58mm, but the larger sizes are long gone! They are number one on my list to shop for. An interesting fact about imperial green color, the reason it's called that is because only the imperial families were allowed to wear that color. Maybe that's why even today Chinese people prefer the more subtle colors for jade, or some imperial green veins instead of an all imperial green jadeite bangle. With the price of jade now, you can expect to pay $10,000+ for an all imperial green jadeite bangle. The imperial family didn't have to work, so they didn't have to worry about breaking the precious imperial jade they wore. Can you imagine washing your bathroom floor and whacking your imperial green bangle on the toilet bowl? Keep in mind one of my mantras: I sell only what I would wear myself! February 13

We went to Chinatown in Las Vegas, and I went to my favorite jade shops. The biggest jade seller still has her jade bangle bracelets displayed in a hot glass case, and about 10% of them were natural color but she claimed they were all natural color. She doesn't handle them carefully and they were chipped and nicked from damage, although some were OK. And the prices were 2-3 times higher than I sell similar jade bangles, which was a surprise to see jadeite selling that high. It seem the "big thing" in jadeite is that modern jade, darker coloring with black or very deep green veins, and these were listed at the highest prices. She called them "Chinese writing" jade because the darker parts look like Chinese writing. I am amused by this kind of jade being the most expensive because although it is truly fine grained old mine lao pit jadeite, it's the kind of jade that jade carvers became notorious for color enhancing to get rid of the dark areas by bleaching with acid, then adding color to make it a prettier green. Now people love this old, natural appearance. I didn't buy anything from her, too expensive, but I did rescue a couple of jade bangles from some pawn shops, that were being displayed in glass under lights. The pawn shops were in the downtown area near the California, and I got one that is really old jade, a pair of jade cufflinks, and a couple of other jades that I thought would look good on YYJ web site. So when I get a chance, I'll get them listed, and one is really a treasure.
February 12

Ying Yu Jade has many customers in Australia, and USA blog reader Deirdre writes this:
"I' ve been heartsick looking at the devastation from the wildfires in Australia. I have a friend right in the middle of it down there, and she fears for several of her friends and relatives who have not yet checked in as safe. She herself lives quite near water, and is keeping in constant readiness to evacuate by boat if necessary, staying on the boat with with her elderly mother and their pets, even while they watch the fires coming nearer. She goes back to the house every few hours to put water on the roof and shrubbery, in case the fire changes direction and threatens them directly; but she knows if the power goes the water will be gone, too, and there will be nothing more she can do.
I know you also have customers in "OZ" and I know how you value your customers - who more often than not also become your friends! On top of that, the Aussies, as much as the English, Canadians, or anyone, share a love of individual rights and freedoms that is very similar to what we are still fighting to protect right here in the U.S. They truly are our friends, and have always been among the first to send us aid during storms and strife, even from the other side of the world.
Could you please say something in your blog about the Australian wildfires and ask for prayers and energy to be sent down to those so unfortunate to be in the path of destruction, or trying to protect their homes and those of their neighbors? This is so much worse than anything we faced in California or Florida last summer, because of the record heat and low humidity (117 degrees and 7% humidity, with 60 mph winds) and also because their government's approach to evacuation has been to leave that decision more up to the residents - many of whom could never have expected the fury they faced until it killed them.
I can't express the care and concern any better. To all our Australian friends, we wish you well, be safe, take good care. Our thoughts and prayers are with you. Wear your jade, send your best qi to Australia. February 11

One of my e-friends told me she was in Las Vegas for Chinese New Year, and the ladies in the California casino were really decked out with their special jade bangles and amulets. I saw quite a few Asian ladies in casinos on the strip, especially the casinos that were decorated for the Lunar New Year, and did see quite a few jade bangle wearers, but the California really had many Asian guests, as they offer travel services to Hawaii and some cities in Asia. I counted 18 jade bangles in my walk around. I told my husband I was looking at jade, so he would keep an eye on me, to not run into anything or anyone! He's getting really good at identifying jade that has been color enhanced, and pointed some out to me. What struck me was that a classy well dressed woman can wear a pretty jade bangle, but if it doesn't suit you, then it doesn't look right. A "regular" customer who has very good taste in jade bangles purchased a wide carved cuff jade bangle a couple of months ago, and asked to return it because she couldn't wear it. The width was fine, but with the carving it was "too much" bangle. I'm tall and have a small bony wrist, and I can wear a wide cuff bangle if it fits really tight, and hurts to put it on. Otherwise, it looks "clunky". And light color jade looks better on me in slender widths. So take the width, color, carving, into consideration when you purchase a jade bangle, because you want your jade to look and feel comfortable so you can wear it all the time. February 10

I changed my jade bangle before we went on our trip to Las Vegas. I had been wearing a favorite wide cuff (more about this style of bangle later) but wanted to wear my more expensive white with imperial green vein for the end of celebrating Chinese New Year. The energy feels very peaceful and protective. On the plane, a man with a terrible cold/flu sat next to me, and sneezed, coughed, hacked all five hours of the flight. I kept rubbing my jade bangle on my wrists and hoped it would protect me from those virus/germs, because white jade is related to the lung qi and is helpful for treating coughs, colds. As soon as we arrived, I also bought a box of Zicam, and the combination of the two worked because I didn't get sick. I receive stories frequently about the protective powers of jade, including one I got while I was gone that I'll share later. So wear your jade. If you didn't get a flu shot (like me) wear your white jade, and keep it on all the time. February 9

I received a question about jade today: "I recently received a jade bangle from my mother, who received it as a gift from a very affluent family friend about 30 years ago. The bangle was apparently, quite costly and it is beautiful, it is mostly white with some pale green and grey hues with good translucency and flowering; however, it has one crack/line with slight brown discoloration that runs up half the width of the bangle (not quite all the way around). I was wondering, firstly, if this crack would have occurred during the production of the bangle or if it may have occurred while it was worn. Secondly, will this affect the durability of the bangle, and thirdly, it is possible to reduce the obviousness of this inclusion? Due to the pale colour of the bangle, the brown stain along the crack is fairly obvious. Perhaps I'm being a bit too picky with my jade, i'd just rather not lose face so to speak if people noticed. Please give me your advice on this, and thank you so much for your time. "

And this is my response: When you look at any jade, you shouldn't look too closely if you are a perfectionist, because you will always see "something", due to jade being a natural stone.
If the crack is up and down the width, then it's a real crack that was caused by damage.I
If it runs around the circumference, it is probably a jelai, or jade root, a natural part of the stone. The brownish coloring may be where minerals seeped in through the stone and by natural mineral formation, settled in the jade root. Actually, in China and Asia, this is not considered damage, rather is it is cherished because it "proves" the natural-ness of the stone, and also indicates it is not color treated. When I shop for jade, the sellers often point out this kind of line that looks like a crack, as they consider it adds to the value, but Western buyers complain about it, really think it's a crack, and it bothers them. When I find this on a jade I buy, I usually put it in the clearance section at a reduced price because I KNOW buyers will complain it is a "crack", but actually I should be able to sell it for a higher price because of the root!
An up and down crack might affect the durability, but not always because I have some with cracks like this that have held up for 10+ years. And if it's a root or jelai, it won't affect the durability either, and in fact is natures way of taking some pressure off the stone so it is LESS likely to break if it strikes something. End of response.

Jade is a natural stone, if you want "perfect", don't buy jade, buy a fake jade! When you buy a hand knit sweater, it's not perfect, hand made items are never perfect and that's what adds to its value.
This is a "lead in" to what I intend to blog about the jade I saw during my Las Vegas trip, as well as some more information for you to understand and know what to look for in jade. February 8

We're back! It will take a couple days to get caught up, but I can't wait to share my jade stories and ramblings with you. I always feel a sense of calm, peace, and happiness when I return home, and am surrounded by all the good energy of the jades in my inventory. February 6

We're off for a few days vacation until Thursday. Orders placed after about 7PM EST will be shipped when we get back February 5. I'll put a "consolation coupon" on the Daily Special page if you want to order and wait for shipping.

The Calm Spirit / Ying Yu Jade complete February 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.
February 1

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