A jade loving friend told me she found shoes that she just had to have because they looked so good with jade. And I have recently purchased shoes because I thought they looked good with my jade! Let me know if you have shoes that look great with jade. The shoes below are Lisa for Donald Midori and Jambu Touring sage color. Comfort + great with jade! And online you can get it all. March 31

The search for green green jade is so important to some jade loving women. If you like the very green jade, you need to know that prices for green green jade that is natural color is very high. But you can get color treated good green jadeite for a lot cheaper. There is nothing wrong with B or C grade jade for jewelry, as long as you know what you are really getting. In fact, many of the gemstones we buy today are color treated, from diamonds to emeralds and pearls , and color treating is common to most gemstones these days. But you can't pay $500 and expect to get an "imperial green" jadeite bangle that is natural color. Try $100,000 or more. You CAN get a good quality B grade imperial green jadeite bangle on your JadeBangleBracelets web set for $500 or less, click here to see our small collection. Unlike most of the very green bangles you might see, these have been tested and are genuine jadeite, not quartz like most you see for sale. There are only a few remaining. March 28

This was one of those difficult emails to respond to: do I give information which may be upsetting to the writer about her jade, or let her continue to be happy with something special she purchased in China and not be honest. The writer has purchased a jade bangle in China, from a reputable dealer in a hotel lobby, that included a certificate. She has been wearing the jade bangle for 5 years but it's showing a lot of wear, the polish is gone. Genuine A grade jadeite doesn't lose its polish, which is why it can be passed to generations and still look lovely. Jade substitutes aren't as hard, don't hold the polish. C grade jade color treated using acids which eventually erode through the polish and cause dullness. I can't be dishonest, and responded with that information. If you go to China, it's risky buying jade in the hotels. That kind of jade is usually commercial quality, made for foreigners, because they assume you won't be back in 5 years to show them your problems with the jade. You are better off wandering to a local's night market to buy jade, which even if it's not A grade, at least you will pay much less. Don't ever buy jade at the "jade factories" on the tours. Keep in mind China is one of the headquarters of fakes: from designer items, to jade. I experienced the same problems on my first couple trips to China, and bought A grade certified jadeite bangles that were not, and I didn't learn until later. One of my girlfriends and her husband will be going to China in May, and I know when she comes home she will show me her wonderful jade "bargains". She never bought jade from me, or accepted the gifts of jade I gave her because the color "wasn't bright and green enough" for her. Then what am I going to say! She went to Tahiti and came home with $1000 of fake "Tahitian pearls" (made in China, actually shell pearl). My tongue is often sore from all the biting..... March 27

Yesterday's blog about the yin and yang qi energy of the "emerging spring" jade pattern brought quite a few comments, readers happy to know more about the jade qi, how it fits in with the Dao and Chinese medicine. Our "sister web site" calmspirit.net started as an online counseling web site and evolved into Chinese wellness, but still features the counseling, and some blog readers know that connection and submit "ask the counselor" questions. One of the questions was very appropriate and related to yesterday's blog about "emerging spring", and asked about spring being a good time for transitions. And yes, spring is a very good time for transitions in your life: decisions about job and career, changes in family (kids going off to college), trips with possible relocation, and more. If you wear jade holistically, the emerging spring has the qi energy to help with these life transitions. That green yang gives you the motivation for the change, and the lighter yin helps your spirit remain calm and peaceful to gracefully handle those changes. March 26

The email with the coupons for customers on the mailing list had a photo of an "emerging spring" jadeite bangle and a section about how the emerging spring jade color pattern is the good energy to wear this time of year. Most of the color is the lighter green or white "yin" with calming qi energy for transitioning from winter yang season to spring. Spring is more yin, but also has yang because of the strong storms and the new growth in the earth. The green "yang" veins qi energy helps to balance by providing the yang necessary to make the transition. Also, the yin helps with allergies people often get during this season, while the yang green gives the healing energy for you system. I received some emails asking what the difference is in the "moss in snow" which you wear at the end of winter, and the "emerging spring" color patterns and energies. The "moss" is a deeper "mossy" color which give more yang to help balance your body mind and spirit at the end of winter, and the "snow" is a true white yin color. The "emerging spring" pattern can be the soft green veins on either white or pale green. The energy is similar, but if you wear jade as medicine and for health, the subtle difference is significant. If you wear only one jade bangle and wear it all the time, the "emerging spring" color pattern is a good choice for it's balance of yin and yang, and it's beautiful color. It is my choice for my everyday jade bangle. March 25

I don't think I've ever had as many items marked "sold" as I do now. Sales have been so busy this month and I haven't had time to list new products. The surprise to me is that my sales to customers in Asian countries has increased tremendously. The reason that surprises me is that generally Asian countries have jade markets, and especially night markets, where jade can be purchased "in person". Even though prices have been raised on some of the Burmese jadeite bangle bracelets, these Asian customers are telling me they are able to purchased better quality, prettier jade, and at lower prices than they can purchase in their own country. They also tell me there is very limited "good" jadeite, and more fake jade than ever before. So it appears there is still a jadeite supply problem. If you have already signed up to be on the new mailing list, you will be receiving a couple of coupons for even more discounts on jade bangle bracelets. I'm not "giving them away", but the prices are right. If you haven't signed up for the new mailing list, you can do so today, and be included in our next emails.
March 24

I received a request to look at some photos of an "ancient Chinese jade bangle" today. I'm hoping that she will send me some more information about it, like where she got it, why she thinks it's ancient, and what the size it. It looks like Chinese jade, and it appears to be more etched than carved, and also appears to have dark spots, I suppose to indicate age. A few months ago I blogged about a jeweler friend who was repairing an "ancient" carving and as she saw it broken, she realized it wasn't antique, but had a stain on it to make it look old. So what do I look for? The size for one thing, because an ancient bangle with a dragon would not be for a woman, so the size should be man-sized, at least 65mm. Then I would want to know where it came from. If it came from ebay, then it probably came from the "antique jade factory" (probably related to the "glass jade bangle machine"). If it's etched and not carved, it's probably not ancient, because that wasn't a carving style. And I would clean it up well to see what kind of jade it is, because there are some kinds of jade that are "new", mines discovered after Mao, in the 1960's. There truly are markets for antiques that have recently been made, and an entire jade industry that makes fake antiques, so there's a lot that we need to know to identify real antique from fake antique. March 19

The weekend special is a green Chinese jade bead bracelet. This is the same kind of jade that is used to make the jade rollers, gua sha tools, eggs and ben wa balls for pelvic floor exercise, and is pure and natural healthy kind of jade. When "new" jade bangle customers ask for my opinion about what one jade bangle they should they purchase, I usually recommend a green Chinese jade bangle. Women who want to wear jade for the energy appreciate this kind of jade, but women who want jade for "jewelry" are not impressed with this pure and natural jade, and want a "fancy" jade. I think the old river jades are "fancy", and there are some "fancy" carved Chinese jade bangles, but some women get it in their head that they just have to get Burmese jadeite because they think that's the "real" jade, often from reading a (usually incorrect) article somewhere on the internet. They want "traditional" jade. But the traditional jade for Chinese women is the indigenous Chinese jade, not the Burmese jadeite which was introduced to China only in the 19th century. My jade supplier informed me that the jade carvers won't make the classic rounded Chinese jade bangles anymore because of the amound of jade they have to use. So if you think you want one, I suggest getting one soon because when these are sold out, I won't be able to get them again, or if I do, the price will be much higher. March 17

Some women like to wear a jade bead bracelet with their jade bangle bracelet, either on the same wrist, or the other wrist. If you wear jade for health and healing, a jade bead bracelet that is different from you every day bangle can add the extra qi energy you need. The March 15 Daily Special will be a white jade bead bracelet. White jade is related to the lung meridian. If you have trouble breathing, asthma, white jade can be beneficial to wear. The lung meridian is related to emotion of grief, and white jade helps people heal through the grief process. In China, people wear white for funerals, and wear a piece of white jade to help and protect them. A special friend of mine is dying from cancer and I have shared the white jade with some of her friends, and am wearing it myself. There are limited quantity of the special wonderful white jade bead bracelets. March 14

I was helping a women who also lives in Florida choose a jade bangle she could wear all the time. I commented about how nice the green veins in mine look when I am working outside, pruning flower bushes etc, and how the jade color is so natural looking when outside in nature. She looked for the blog about my "bangle in the bushes" and we decided it was time for another photo. This is my everyday jadeite bangle as I am picking a gardenia to bring indoors to add fragrance to my home. Natural jade looks absolutely wonderful in nature. Nothing like it. March 11

I received some comments from blog readers about "real vs fake" jade. One jade lover told me she feels bad that her friends buy "jade" at open air markets and think it's A grade and/or real. That "glass jade bangle machine" those Chinese sellers want me to buy must be getting good workouts! Another reader told me her sister had bought some jade bangles on ebay that she knew were either C grade or not even real jade, and she gave her a gift of a really nice jadeite bangle she purchased from YYJ. Her sistercomplained because she said she only wanted real and A grade, and wouldn't wear her new jade bangle because it was so "defective", referring to the appearance of the stone qualities of the jadeite. Her bangles might have been from that glass bangle machine because they were dark green and clear and completely smooth, none of the little things that some people think are imperfections. She was devastated that her sister, who is also Chinese, is wearing what she thinks is jade and rejects natural jade as "too imperfect". There's a Chinese saying, "the jade carver always leaves something behind", meaning that when you work with stone, a natural mineral, and hand carving, those little variances are what mainland Chinese women who truly know jade show off proudly to prove their jade is natural, carved and not glass from the "bangle machine". YYJ will keep selling the traditional kind of jade and jadeite, and not make excuses for all its natural spendor. March 10

I've heard from our "hunt" prize winners about how much they like their jade "bi" (symbol of heaven) pendants. The photo is of Ali, who added a silver bale to hers. She is also wearing the jadeite bangle she purchased last year and hasn't taken off since she got it. She commented on how difficult it is to take a good photo of jade, that shows if off to its best. That's because of the translucence, absorbing light. Ali looks great with her jade, and jade suits her well. March 9

Jade selling used to be one of the most honorable business in China, and I was honored to be trained by an officer in the China southern jade association. He is from a family with a long tradition of jade carvers and sellers, and told me if you are honest selling jade, you will have a happy and profitable business. That was before eBay where selling jade became a very dishonorable business. It's so distressing to me and I have been uncomfortable being associated with these "modern" jade sellers. The last time I was in Hong Kong I was truly appalled at the C grade and fake "jades" I saw being sold in their jade markets. It's distressing to see so many women wearing jade that is poor quality, but they think it's A grade and wonderful. All of the jade that I purchased from China that I didn't personally go to China to buy had been tested in China and sold to me as A grade, but I know some of it is not, and have sold these wholesale to other jade sellers in USA and Canada who I see re-sell as A grade when I told them it was B or C grade. I have had customers who proudly wore a jade bangle that I know was A grade on a trip to China, go to jade shops, and were told their jade is fake or not natural, but the shop person would be happy to sell them real A jade. Yeah, right. Then they come home either angry, or confused, or both. I've worked diligently to provide jade information in these blogs and the resource pages to help you learn more about jade so you can make a good choice. And yes, there is a great deal of mis-information about jade on the internet, and it boggles my mind to get emails with some of this stuff they found on internet searches. I am keeping Ying Yu Jade an honorable business, try to be patient with confused and nervous internet customers. I have loved jade since I put on my first piece, and will continue to love to wear and sell it, and hope to share that with you. March 8

Yesterday's blog got me thinking more about my trips to China and buying jade. On my second trip to China, which was a tour, I asked our tour guide if we could go to a real jade shop, not one of the "jade factory" tourist stores, and she took us to a jade shop that wasn't surrounded by tour buses. The jade expert there helped me choose a light green jadeite bangle with some mossy veins in it, showed by her testings it was natural color. Then I fell in love with a green and lavender bangle, with a $12,000 US dollars price tag on it. I had paid $300 for the green one, and didn't understand the price. Again, with special lights, spectography, she showed me how the lavender was natural and the bangle was A grade, and after a couple of hours we negotiated a $2000 price (amazing the beginning and ending price!). I was thrilled and of course took them on my next trip to China in 2000 when I went by myself, and started learning about jade and training with my jade master. Turns out, neither were A grade. But I had "proof": I watched the testing and got certificates. My jade teacher showed me how these jade testing gemologists can manipulate the testing. He took me around to many jade shops to teach and test me on how to identify natural A grade jadeite. But lavender color jade is extremely difficult to test accurately, and he is the only person I know who has equipment to do that. Even international testing like GIA and other reputable testing can only give an opinion about lavender jadeite, not give a numerical value on the certificate like the values for hardness, refraction, specific gravity. That's why I don't like lavender jadeite. First of all, it doesn't look good with my skin color, and doesn't have the right kind of qi energy my body likes. Some women just love lavender jade, so of course I had purchased lavender to sell, but I sell if for a much lower price that world market prices. I do have some jadeite bangles that are the old mine lao pit, and I know without a doubt the lavender color is A grade, but it's not what many women think is "pretty". And some of the lao pit jadeite bangles have soft lavender veins, that I know are natural. And the prices for those reflect the quality. More tomorrow about "real China, not so real jade". March 7

Friends of ours are taking their first trip to China in May, a two week tour including the Yangze River cruise. They used to pick us up at the airport sometimes when we returned for our two week buying trips in China, and we were tired, dirty, smelled bad, so they are a little concerned about how grueling their tour trip might be. They don't have to be concerned. China has changed so much since I first started going in 1999 that they have nothing to worry about. Being on a tour, they will be on the "government show off tour", and see only what China tourism wants them to see and do. The first two times I went was with a tour, learning about Chinese medicine and culture, and the tour guides were very strict about keeping all of us together, no wandering off on our own. But our qigong master spent most of his life in Beijing prior to living in Ohio, and he took us to some places tourists usually can't go to. And at night when the tour guides made sure we were in our rooms, often quite early, I would leave the hotel and wander around the area, which is where I learned about night markets and night food markets. So in the year 2000 I made my first trip to China by myself, which was quite an adventure. I was fortunate to meet Dr Li who continued my education in Chinese medicine, taiji, and we have stayed friends and associates. I also met other people who are friends and associates. They have shown me "real China", which most "foreigners" never experience, and helped me build my confidence and "guanxi" network of associates to help me do business and learn more. So if you go to China, you will get the government approved tour, see government approved tourism sights, shop in government approved stores (including one of the worst tourist rip-offs, the "jade factories", and come home with lots of photos, stories and souveniers of what you think is "real China". March 6

I hope you are all safe and well, following the strong storms throughout the USA over the weekend. It was heartbreaking to see all the damage, loss of life, loss of homes, some towns totally destroyed. I'm going to send a personal donation to the American Red Cross for relief, as I am sure their resources are stretched with so many people in need. And I am going to donate 10% of YYJ and JBB profits through Friday. If you are considering making a purchase of jade soon, now is a good time to make your purchase not only a pleasure for you, but as a compassionate gesture to those in need. We do a Red Cross fundraiser at least once each year. The Red Cross provided relief to me and our community after the 2004 hurricanes, three of them within a six week period, ravaged central Florida and all of them went right through our community. I know personally how much even a small gesture of the Red Cross food truck coming through when you haven't had power or water at home or at local stores for a couple of days can mean. It was not only the food, but the feeling of someone who cares. So let's help out. Need a suggestion of a purchase? How about a Guan Yin Buddha of Compassion pendant, either in Chinese jade or Burmese jadeite.. Perfect! March 5

I blogged last month about jade prices, and want to add some more because I've had comments about the increased prices on some of the BB jadeite bangles which the prices increased this month. At the beginning of the year I usually get assistance from two jade dealers in China to determine if some of the prices of jade bangles should be changed. With the news of USA and Burma possibly reestablishing diplomatic relations and ending the trade embargo, especially on jadeite, I was hopeful that I could continue selling jade joyously as I had in the past 12 years, pricing very low by world standards so everyone could get a jade bangle in their price range. But last month I was informed by one of my Chinese associates that the civil war in Burma continues, jadeite is not being mined as it was before the western world's trade sanctions, and because of the civil war the Burma peoples money was becoming worthless and they were acquiring jadeite, the more green the better. This caused an even more scarcity of good color natural jadeite on the market. The people in mainland China are becoming more wealthy and love their jade which they are having difficulty getting now, so they have been going to Hong Kong looking for it. My associate in Hong Kong contacted me because the jade on YYJ is better quality than he can get now, and wanted to know why they were priced so low, and could be 10 times higher to match prices in Hong Kong. Over the past few months I have many inquiries from customers asking if the jadeite we sold was genuine and natural because of the low prices, and people from mainland China begging me to sell to them. I don't ship to China because they always "disappear" in customs inspections. One Chinese man told me that some corrupt government officials were confiscating jade carvers jades because of the great demand for them. This month I raised the prices on some of the "lao pit" old mine jadeite with imperial green veins, and good green color to be consistent with world prices. I invested in these years ago, prior to the sanctions and embargo, and it was a risk buying so many, but now I am grateful I have these. They are A grade and natural color, there is no doubt about that when you have it in your hand. I have heard from people who buy "A grade jadeite" from Chinese sellers for $100. . If you are in USA, you are purchasing any jadeite illegally, and it can be confiscated in USA customs, you can be fined and prosecuted and your jadeite confiscated. I can't tell you how many inquiries I get from potential customers very suspicious about YYJ, wondering if it is genuine and natural, because they have been buying what they think is jadeite on ebay or other sellers, and they can't say why, but they don't think it is what it is supposed to be. When they tell me how it gets scratched, that's your answer, because jadeite is hard and doesn't get scratches with regular wear. I understand the suspicion, and how difficult it is to buy jade on the internet. A reason I sold "cheap" was to give customers a chance to own genuine and natural jadeite, to see for themselves what it's supposed to look it. YYJ prices are still lower than world prices for the quality of jadeite we sell. It's in the USA legally. And the prices reflect the value of this kind of jade. March 4

Pinterest is really interesting, but oh, my, I can really spend a lot of time looking around at all the stuff. So I added Ying Yu Jade board to Pinterest. There's a link below. I just started it today, and am working on how to figure it all out and use it to "show off" our great jades! Click the Pinterest below.
March 2

It was a big surprise that 10 minutes into the Leap Year Hunt, the free item was found! It was a jadeite "bi" pendant, regular price $188, Item #BJP679. I was concerned there would be a check out problem because it was free, and sure enough the winner was unable to check out. In fact, there were three people who found it within 2 minutes of each other, so it was awarded to Ali in Kansas, Isis in Californa and Jason in North Carolina. The winners told me they set their alarm clocks early. Isis wrote that she reasoned it would be a small item, and started looking at pendants. Jason used search features in Firefox. I'd like to do something like this again, and will appreciate any feedback you might have.

The Calm Spirit / Ying Yu Jade complete March newsletter is available online now, click here. This month features Chinese medicine wellness information for March 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. March 1

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