We try to have a price range of jade bangles for every budget. The JadeBangleBracelets "sister" web site has had a Bargain Jade Bangle section, and now this section features sale items. The selection of sale jade bangle will change every week, so if you are looking for a jade bangle bracelet at a great price, don't miss out on these. April 28

The YYJ exclusive Frown Ease Forehead Wrinkle reducers are back in stock! Click the photo for more information and a video.

While we always have the jade rollers available, and using them without any other product can help reduce wrinkles, the moist heat pad and Frownies patches help reduce the wrinkles even more effectively. And the moist heat pads where what we were having trouble getting from China. The last order was not satisfactory, and as is our policy, I never sell anything I wouldn't personally use. The heat pads didn't smell good, didn't look clean, and when I cut one open to inspect it, I was appalled. Plus the expense to have them made and shipped was higher than what we sell them for. So we ordered the Chinese herbs from Tong Ren Tang pharmacy in Beijing, which carries high quality herbs and medicine. We crushed broken jade pieces to almost dust so it would mix with the herbs and rice, and when heated in the pad, the pad would be more esthetic on your skin. And we purchased 100% cotton fabric and made the pads, filled them with the mixture, and sewed them well so they won't fall apart. The pads look good, smell good, and along with the jade roller work to reduce forehead and facial wrinkles. I have been using the "Power Pak" with the Frownies patches for years, and often get comments on how nice my facial skin looks. These sell out fast, so get them while they are available. The weekend special will be four free Frownies patches with any Frown Ease order, an extra four with the Power Pak. When you order, write "free Frownies" in the comments box on the order form to get your four free patches. Pure, natural, and effective when used regularly, and an alternative to Botox treatments. April 26

It took us nearly two full days to travel from Tahiti to Orlando. Before we left, there was threats from N Korea with their missiles. While we were gone, there was a terrorist attack at the Boston Marathon. We flew from LAX the day the sequester and FAA cutbacks started, with only 40 minutes to make the connection for the final leg of our flight from Atlanta to Orlando. Not having any USA news we didn't know what to expect, what was really going on in our country, and if it would affect our traveling. I wore my soft green veins on white jadeite bangle, the one I wear almost daily, and was glad I did because of the calming, soothing energy. When I started stressing, I played with it. As our plane was taking off in LAX, we saw fire trucks and ambulances with flashing lights driving towards a fire that looked like a truck at one of the gates. I held that jade bangle close to my heart to keep it calm! I am sure my jade kept us protected, and know for certain it protected my sanity as we flew half way around the world in these uncertain times. I have always been a high strung person, but since I've been wearing jade my life has been more serene. I don't know how people can live without a special piece of jade that blends with their body qi to become part of them. April 23

Our trip to Tahiti and French Polynesia was wonderful. We were so lucky to get good weather every day. It usually rains every day this time of year, but the rain we got was at night, and it wasn't until the last day we were in Tahiti for the day that it started raining hard in the evening as we boarded the plane to LAX. And it rained for two more days, and it was raining in Orlando when we got home. Very lucky weather-wise for us, must be that jade I always wear! I fell in love with Tahitian pearls, and learned all I could about them so now I can tell the genuine real Tahitian pearls from.....you got it, fake Chinese ones! On one of the Marquesa islands I was looking at the pearls and saw a table with some that were big, black and slightly less expensive that one would expect. I found a very knowledgeable pearl seller who spoke enough English and he admitted that some of the pearls sold there were Chinese, not Tahitian, because they could sell a big size at a cheap price, and most people can't tell the difference. Sounds like the same issues that are going on with jade these days! I started Ying Yu Jade after going to China and buying too many jade bangle bracelets, and started selling them online. When I went to French Polynesia, I bought too many Tahitian pearls also, but I am NOT going to start a Tahitian pearls business! And the biggest reason is that I don't want to hear the question: "is it real?" I have always sold real jade. And the fakes and misrepresentations that permeate the gem market, and the pearls, these days has understandably caused customers to question what they buy, and it hurts honest sellers like myself. So I will love my beautiful black and peacock colored Tahitian pearls, and look wonderful with my natural jade. April 22

We are flying from Orlando to Los Angeles to spend a night, because the airlines haven't been very reliable and the Thursday flight to Papeete, Tahiti is the final flight on Air Tahiti Nui before the Paul Gaughan cruise leaves on Saturday. We will cruise for two weeks, visiting at least 8 islands, including two days at Bora Bora, and Moorea. The plan is to keep flying until we get home, and we hope that will be April 22. I have never visited that part of the world. And I have been fascinated with their pearls for many years, especially the black Tahitian pearls. For those of you who have read this blog over the years, you might remember reading that's how YYJ jade business got started: the passion, then the beauties to sell. I have a big bag of jade packed to take with me. I often sell jade right off my body when I'm traveling, so always take a good supply of jade with me, and I love to wear my jade in different parts of the world. The energies of locations and the energies of jade are interesting to see, and awesome to feel. The internet in French Polynesia, on the ship, is probably not very fast, which would make uploading photos difficult, if it's even possible. My accountant tells me since this isn't a "jade trip", I can't use it as a business expense so there will be absolutely no work, but if I feel like playing, sharing a photo, and can upload, will try to show a few photos. Back to business around April 24. The April newsletter is available, with information about Chinese wellness for April, and the kind of jade to wear if you wear "jade as medicine". Best to you all for a happy and healthy April.
April 1.

A jade friend sent me a link to a web site that sold jade and jadeite and asked what I thought about the items, and the prices. She thought the prices were quite high on some of the bangles, and wanted my opinion. The Burma jade mines have been closed for a few years because of the military rule, and then the international embargos on jadeite, including USA, so the natural jadeite that's available now is very pale, much of it off-white, and then the prices increase with the amount of good green veins and color in the stone. For example, BB2327 we sell for $1888 would sell for a minumum of $3800, and most of the other good greens we sell for $550-888 sell for thousands of dollars. And that's actually a decent price for this natural jadeite. Because of the shortages, clever unscrupulous jade dealers have developed an amazing process of making "good green" jadeite bangles by several process, some of them layering the top of a colored material with a thing layer of real jadeite, then polishing it so it looks like a solid bangle. It's kind of fake, of course, but to most people it would look like real Burmese jadeite. In fact, these processes make nice translucent good color jadeite bangles very cheap, and then when people see the kind of jade we have on YYJ, they think it's not real jade because so much of the jadeite in the market today is manufactured kind and it makes real, natural jade stone look "crude". Jade used to be an honorable business, but it's changed so much especially since the embargo. The reality is, you either pay the price to get pure, natural genuine jadeite, or you buy an inexpensive one that isn't what you think it is. And yes, YYJ prices are low compared to what they should be. March 31

Some people who shop online have the mistaken belief that using PayPal is a safe method for payment. But it's much riskier than credit card. It's been almost two years since we accepted PayPal as a payment, and here's the "final straw" story. It's easy for hackers to break passwords, and since PP is your email address, hackers can go to PP account and work till they discover the password. This "customer" hacked someone's PP account, changed the address so it appeared to be a valid and verified address, then proceeded to purchase and pay for items out of the bank account balance, then the credit card. The YYJ purchase was a high end priced jade bangle bracelet. A few days after it was purchased, PP notified me that a fraud had been committed, and they froze my PP account, and took the funds out of my bank account which caused it to be overdrawn, and had the bank freeze my business account. I sympathize for the person whose PP account was hacked, and PP helped the customer, but left me, the merchant, completely taking taking the consequences of the fraud, no protection to the seller. If you have your bank account linked to your PP account, you are at double risk, because not only can your credit card be compromised, but also your bank account. And unless you check your accounts daily, small charges can slip by you. We have used a credit card payment system for 15 years with very little loss because of fraud, but using PP we had 3-5 frauds and loss monthly. So no more PP for YYJ, not ever again! March 27

If you are on the mailing list, you received your email with coupon today. And there was a note about the store closing in April for almost three weeks. You will still be able to browse the web sites, but the shopping cart and ordering will be unavailable until April 20. So if you need a gift, or something special for yourself, the final day of business prior to closing is March 31, although we might work through the weekend. We are taking a trip to French Polynesia, including Moorea, Bora Bora, and then staying a few days in Papeete, Tahiti. I've been in love with pearls since my first visit to Hongshao Pearl Market in Beijing in 2000. And those Tahitian pearls are the next best thing to jade! Seems like I always have to mix a little business with my pleasure. While we are gone, our Hong Kong jade appraiser will look over the jadeite bangles and pendants on the web site like he did last year, and make suggestions about prices, as they have much experience will selling these kinds of jades retail in Hong Kong, and we try to keep our prices under the retail. We also will be making some changes in the over-all business. Having an internet business has changed dramatically since I started in 1999. Now I have an accountant to advise me because of all the compexities. Sometimes customers ask for a discount, and even ask for half the listed price. Which is impossible. We are not a discount web site with prices artificially high so we can give discounts. We have the price of the item, and either the shipping from China or the cost of our going shopping in China for it;. the cost for the photos; the cost for the webmaster to list it on the web site, then list it in the shopping cart, then link it all so it works; the cost the credit card company charges us for accepting credit cards; and then we pay taxes to the Internal Revenue, including the social security taxes. So asking for half price actually means a loss! We still accept offers, but only with a cash payment to avoid the credit card processing and shopping cart fees so we can pass that on as a discount to you. It's traditional "Chinese jade shopping way" to bargain for a price, and then pay cash. I suggest if there is an item you have been looking at to make your purchase prior to the end of March. I don't know how long it will take us to do the updating when we return, and not sure of all the changes that will be made. And you know the ancient Chinese saying: get it or regret it. March 25

The trade show yesterday was interesting. There was some jade for sale, but no natural color jade, so I didn't buy any. But I got some of the little things like silk pouches for the jade ben wa balls, and some other things I use for packing, and even a few things for those "free gift with purchase" Daily Specials. I met a seller from India who had some very cute clothes and handbags (which I indulged in) and I commented on her 24k gold bracelets she was wearing, and we discussed how just a few years ago we were able to buy 24k gold bangles at "reasonable" prices, and how I like to wear mine as "spacers" when I wear two bangles on the same wrists. She pulled out a small box from under the table and showed me some lovely gold tone bangles with gemstones, crystals, enamel and very detailed workmanship. Several weeks ago I blogged about shopping for "spacer" bangle sets, and never found any that were "good enough" to wear with jade bangles. I have a few customers who have been interested in purchasing slightly pricey spacer bangles, and if any remain after I contact them, I will put them on the web site. Spacer bangles should be larger than your jade bangle. For examply, my jade bangle is 53mm and my best size spacers are 56-59mm. Those sizes seem to look best. So if you buy a spacer bangle, I suggest getting 4-8mm larger than your bangle size, of course depending on the style of the spacer. If I get time, I'll take a photo to show how these spacers that are larger look with a jade bangle. March 24

I have been behind with the jade blog. It started when I began making a shopping list for the next trade show. There's a few Chinese sellers who bring some traditional jades and give me "first pick" if I arrive at the beginning of the first day. And there's also jade in sterling, like earrings and some other things that are more "modern". I realized that I not only need a list for the trade show, but also needed to do a complete inventory of what we have, and what we need to get for summer selling. That lead to realizing that we sold so much over the past few months that there was a lot of wasted space, so I reorganized the space to get all these lovely jades more neatly organized. Today, I realized I could do a complete work room "make over" but that's going to take several more days, and I am already behind in listing new items, keeping up with customer requests. There are still many, many burmese jadeite bangle bracelets that are not on the web site that need to be photographed, listed, and linked in the shopping cart system. If you are a blog reader, I'm giving you a chance to make an offer on jadeite bangle bracelets so we can move them out and add new ones. Our email address is below, and the offer is good while we are working on our "organizing project", so if you have been looking at one of the nicer jadeite bangles, items #BB, make your offer and get a good deal on a beautiful new jade bangle. March 19

We are not having typical central Florida weather, because it's supposed to be warm and sunny, not cool (cold) and raining. It's made me feel out of sorts and restless, irritated. So I make it a point to look at my "moss in snow" jade bangle a lot during the day, and rub it to feel happier. The yang of the moss, the yin of the snow is very balancing, very Dao, reminds me that's the way of the world. This is life, and it can be difficult, unpleasant, but jade helps you calm your spirit, and feel balanced. March 12

Customers have been asking if we are going to have another jade bangle bracelet sale, and we will have a 10% discount on jadeite bangle bracelets item #BB on YYJ and also on JadeBangleBracelets, on jade bangles regular price $400+. How this sale will work: order your jade bangle online and write "10% discount" in the comments box on the order form. The regular price will show when you check out, but you will get your discount when your order is processed. Your receipt will also reflect the 10% discount. Some customers have reported having ordering problems when they use coupons, so we are going to try this for our current sale. Order now, the sale is through March 12. And if you want to save 15%, contact me with the item number and pay with money order (USA customers) or Western Union outside of USA, and we will send payment instructions. We are NOT a discount web site with prices artificially high so they can be lowered for a "sale": our sales are REAL sales. March 10

The city of Tianjin, China, kept coming to my mind yesterday, and I dreamed about my visits there last night. I was fortunate to meet a Chinese family who lived there. The oldest generation were in their late 70's, the patriarch was a university professor who was imprisoned during the Cultural Revolution, and he was the epitome of an older Chinese man. But very education and spoke excellent English. The next generation of family was in their 40's, had both come to USA for university education, became citizens and returned to China because they prefer China to USA. Their son was a teenager at the time. They truly took good care of me while I was there, including the matriarch hauling me to her Chinese doctor when she realized I was having pre-menopausal hot flashes and could benefit from acupuncture and herbal remedies. She didn't speak a word of English, nor did anyone at the clinic, but they all knew what I needed. The patriarch took me all over Tianjin and introduced me to the jade trade, and got me well-trained in Burmese jadeite. Every time I went to China, I spent a few days with them in Tianjin. I could write a book just about them and the interesting time I had with them. I haven't been to China in awhile, and maybe that's why I'm having these thoughts and dreams. I never thought China would get such a hold on me, but the first day of my first visit, I felt like I connected, maybe had a former life there. And my jade bangle I wear all the time keeps me connected to that other side of the world. March 3

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.

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