You can always see what's new, click here

Yesterday I decided to put on a jadeite bangle that I knew was really too small for me, the jade bangle in the photo below is 53mm and this one is 50mm and 16mm wide, so it fits like 49mm!! I stuck my arm in the freezer for awhile, then put a plastic thin produce bag over my hand, and really worked to get it on. It hurt like crazy, I have some arthritis in my hand so it was painful, but I finally got it on. It was well worth the few minutes of pain because it fits so close to my wrist it barely moves around, and looks like a "permanent" jade bangle. Men who buy jade bangles tell me they "suck it up" to get jade bangles on so it will be right on their wrist. Don't ask me how I'll get it off....October 31

I went to a trade show today. It was very different, more vendors and more buyers, so maybe that's a sign the economy is improving. A Chinese seller buys jade things he sets aside for me, so I get there early to get "first look" and chose some really nice "river jade" bangles in larger sizes AND smaller sizes, so watch for those in the next few days. Then I also got a shipment from China, more river jade bangles and some other goodies I ordered for holiday gifts offerings. And maybe next week I'll get another shipment. Lots of new jade for your holiday shopping, so keep checking back. October 29

Natural genuine jade looks great with anything, even though most jade is green. The translucence gives it light. The only thing I purchased on our trip was a pendant made from natural stone found in Dominican Republic, the cherished blue larimar (energy for centering), black coral (grounding) and pink conch shell in the middle, energy for my free spirit, and set in sterling silver. I was surprised that the blue larimar looks so good with green on my jade bangle. These stones in the pendant have lots of irregularities of nature, like jade does. As with jade, the lines and irregularities are not considered imperfections, but part of the natural-ness of the stone. I love the energy of the pendant stones, perfect for me, which was why I was attracted to it. I think we are attracted to the energy we need. So I'm very happy with my one souvenier from our trip and will cherish it. October 27

We got home late Monday and are getting caught up. The first few days were really stressful. We went to the Dominican Republic to an all-inclusive resort, and just as we arrived the militia also arrived by helicopter and trucks, soldiers with guns, to close the place down because they hadn't paid taxes. They resolved their tax problem and we were able to return late Wednesday, but we were stressed out not knowing what would happen. The beach and resort were gorgeous, perfect paradise appearance, but it took them awhile to get back to business. There were power outages and other problems. We didn't get internet until Saturday afternoon and that was only in the office, which was a l..o..n..g walk up a steep hill. Our room was a dump, although our traveling companions had really nice rooms. I got bit by a spider or a bug and have ugly painful boils. I finally started to feel like I was on vacation and relaxed Sunday late afternoon, and Monday we left. They offered free days but SOME of us had to get back to work and our lives. It WAS beautiful location, the staff was good, food OK, and I'm not a drinker so the all inclusive liquor was lost on me. I'm trying hard not to be crabby about "life" and will play with jade a lot to get back to balance. There weren't any vendors, opportunities to go shopping, a real surprise and disappointment also, but I'll write about the one stone pendant I bought tomorrow. Of course it looks great with jade. October 26

If I have internet access, and if there's a good jade story as I travel, I'll blog while I'm gone. Otherwise, to get your jade fix here's some suggestions:
Browse the store
Read Blog Archives
Learn more about jade
Read about past China trips
Browse Calm Spirit Chinese Wellness
October 17

THe "girlfriends" went to Southern Women's Show in Orlando yesterday. There are so many unique vendors there and we all enjoy buying something special for ourselves. Many of the vendors raved about my jade bangle bracelet, and most of them didn't know it was jade and were surprised that the lovely, seafoam green veins on white "stone" I wore on my wrist was really jade. I guess it's because the jade most people see is what is sold at department stores which is the uniform green color due to color treatment, or at flea markets which I blogged about a couple of days ago. Genuine natural jadeite is so beautiful it looks great even if you don't know what it is! I stopped at a chiropracter's booth to get an assessment and a massage, and the woman giving the massage was drooling over my jade bangle and asked to touch it, and asked what it was. I told her it was jade, and she said she never even thought about jade as something to wear on your wrist, had never seen a jade bangle before. Jade is so beautiful, it doesn't matter if anyone knows "what it is", but it will be noticed and envied. We women love our jade. October 16

We're taking some days off next week. An internet store is open 24/7 and means we work every day, so to keep healthy and balanced we need a break, especially before we get ready for the holiday season sales. Ying Yu Jade and JadeBangle Bracelets will close October 17, reopen October 22 and resume shipping October 26. We may not have internet access, so please hold all questions until October 26. You will still be able to look at the web pages, but the shopping cart will be disabled. You can order until the middle of the day October 17 for shipping October 18. October 15

I went shopping for Halloween costumes last week with a girlfriend, and we went to one of the local flea markets. There was a Chinese seller who had a big area of space and sold all kinds of Chinese things, feng shui, Chinese culture items. I also saw some jade bangles in a lighted display case, which of course my girlfriend had to take a look at while I stood by. She was delighted to see the price of $29 on nice, green jade bangle bracelets. The Chinese guy "showed" how it was "real jade" by tapping it to chime. It was kind of a dull thud, not a high chime. I didn't even have it in my hand and could see the two pieces stuck together. It appeared to be a composite that was molded then the top and bottom attached to make a bangle. To make matters more embarrassing for him, he proudly said that his family had this jade business in China. I bit my tongue instead of saying anything. But customers who think they are getting real jade only get cheated by this kind of "jade seller" and then reputable sellers like myself suffer because I get customer questions that I know they doubt the jade at YYJ and JBB is genuine. This jade seller even had fake certificates of authenticity. I sure hope visitors to YYJ and JBB can look at the photos and see that the jade, jadeite is "real" as we put a lot of effort into showing off our beautiful, natural, genuine jade. October 14

I spent the entire day yesterday updating the jadeite pendants pages. You can click the link above to see some of the new ones, not all the new jade pendants are showing in the "what's new" section for some reason I can't figure out. If you think taking photos of jade bangles is tricky, try getting good photos of jade pendants to show off all the carving. Some of these are absolutely wonderful, difficult for me to sell because I'd like to keep them for myself. Jade pendants are truly little carvings and works of art that you can wear. And natural color, of course. October 13

Some of the jadeite bangles are wider than the average 12mm, and I describe them as "a cuff of jade for your wrist". I was thrilled to be able to get these with so much jade in them and at a good price. But customers have been wary of them, especially small Asian women who think they will be too big and overwhelming in size for them. When I first saw one in China, it was being worn by a tiny Chinese woman jade seller, and it looked fabulous on her, and of course I put one on my wrist right away. Wearing a 52-53mm I thought it might look too big, but it just looked wonderful. Natural untreated jadeite always has translucence, which is a reason it's so difficult to get a good photo of jadeite, even when the jade is solid in appearance, it still has translucence, and this quality keeps jade bangles, even the darker ones, from looking too bulky. If you have never had a cuff of jade on your wrist, you don't know what you're missing. Looks and feels fabulous. October 12

I can barely keep the jade ben wa balls and jade eggs in stock. As soon as I receive an order, I make another one and it takes 2-3 months to get them made and delivered to me. They are very difficult to get made. Quite a few aren't "perfect" when I get them, the shape might have a flat spot, or odd shape. So I sell those in the clearance section. And they are heavy, so the shipping cost is astronomical. But they are the most popular products and there are sales for them every day. And every day I get emails from customers telling me how much using them has positively changed their lives, from not having to "go" all the time, to more enjoyable sex, and more comfort. Pelvic floor strength is so important to women's health, and using jade eggs and ben wa balls gives you feedback when you do the kegel exercise, so you can feel confident you are doing them correctly. The October 12 special is $3 discount on the natural finish jade ben wa ball pair, a little less polished which I personally like because that makes them easier to use. So if you've always wanted to try them, get them on sale and use a woman's health product that Asian women have used for centuries. Oct 11

My husband got his flu shot this week, but I'm allergic to eggs, so I don't get the flu shot. But I believe that wearing jade will keep my immunity strong to guard against virus and bacteria. I've noticed that when my jade bangle starts looking less bright, not as green, that it's a "first symptom" of illness starting, so I take extra care, drink a couple extra cups of green tea daily, take a nap and get a little extra sleep. Blog readers have written that they notice their jade doesn't look as nice when they are not feeling well. Pay attention to your jade, those subtle changes may be meaningful and give you an early warning that you need to take extra care. October 9

The number 8 is considered lucky by Chinese people, and Friday is October 8, an auspicious day. To end jade bangle week, there's a $100 coupon good on jade bangles regular price $950+ with coupon code BANGLE100. If you're reading this today, you can take advantage of the coupon NOW, you don't have to wait until October 8. Good luck! October 7

A customer ordered a key ring and "purse jools", an option to purchase a jade pendant and then have it made into a custom key ring or "jools" charm for your handbag. I had a charms "jools" on my handbag but it caught on something and got lost a few weeks ago. I like to have jade on my handbag for good luck and protection, so I had one made up for me, too. I used a bamboo bead, a feng shui and lucky Chinese old coin, and some other pretty beads, then clipped it to a ring on my bag. Very unique! There's so much crime in central Florida that I feel safer with some extra jade to protect me as I walk through parking lots. Makes a nice sound, too! October 6

I got an email from a jade friend who cracked her jade bangle today. She told me she saw a jade bangle at her manicurists that had gold put on the ends, then made into a bracelet. I'm still working with my jewelry friend about doing a repair with wire wrap and tiny gemstones for cracked or broken jade bangles, but she's struggling with getting the right kind of wire. If you have a repaired jade bangle, I would love to see photos. October 5

A jade friend went to the World's Fair in Shanghai last month, and I was excited to hear about her trip, and she sent me a summary and photos. It sounds like a fascination, fun trip! She wrote about her tour guide taking her to a jade store, and when the person explaining jade asked someone to choose the real vs fake jades, she was able to do it correctly. She has excellent taste in jade, so I had no doubt she would be able to choose genuine and natural jade while in China. Sometimes first time visitors and customers to YYJ comment on how the jades look different from what they are used to seeing, and upon further investigation and viewing photos of their jade, it turns out that the "jade" they have isn't real jade, or so highly dyed it doesn't even look like jade. Most of the jade sold in jewelry stores is very dull because it's been in lighted display cases which damages jade. So if you want to learn more about jade, read the resources on this web site (which are accurate and true) and study the photos, ask questions, and buy the best piece of jade you can afford because good jade will get prettier ans you wear it. Low quality jade loses its glow, polish and if dyed, its color, too. October 4

This is jade bangle bracelets week on the web site. I have some new listings to go on both Ying Yu Jade and JadeBangleBracelets web sites, but before I get them loaded on the web pages I can offer them for preview prices because the time and expense of getting them permanently listed hasn't been committed. So you can save big on some exceptionally fine jadeite bangles now before the cost of the work and web space gets added in to the price. What a deal! October 3

Western women often write to tell me about wearing their jade bangle to a Chinatown and an Asian person telling them that their jade is fake or something derogatory. I went to a Chinese medicine store in Orlando Asian district, wearing one of my best jadeite bangle bracelets. When I checked out, the woman told me too bad my jade bangle was fake and dyed. I "chimed" it, then told her it was a best quality, then said in Chinese "I thought you would know jade". She smiled, and in English told me she thought it was so pretty and so expensive that maybe I would give it to her if I thought it was a "bad one". If you're wearing a beautiful natural Ying Yu Jade bangle, it will be envied by those who know jade! When I go to trade shows with Chinese vendors, the women pay more attention to my jade bangle than to taking orders. This kind of jade...no question it is genuine and natural. October 2

October 1is National Day of the People's Republic of China. In October 1999 I went to China right after the holiday week and was able to see all the incredibly fabulous floats in Tiananmen square. There were many with a military theme but also many with social themes, and wonderfully done. Jade is China's national gemstone. To celebrate National Day, take $25 of jade bangles $300+ with coupon code BANGLE25 (also good on Jade Bangle Bracelets web site) or $10 off your order of $95+ with coupon code JADE10, today and tomorrow. October 1

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