| | | These
jade bangle bracelets are also some of my favorites. I rarely wear them because
they are rare and expensive. But jade doesn't like to set in a drawer in the dark,
so I take them out to wear occasionally. That's the problem with "the perfect
jade bangle", the expense makes me feel uncomfortable wearing it. It's never
the cracked bangles that break or get damaged, it's always the best ones. There's
a Chinese saying that jade protects the person who wears it, and a crack or break
shows a time the person was protected by the jade. But, that's small consolation
when you break a favorite and expensive jade bangle. | | | | |
| | This
is a classic "water jade" bangle bracelet, like Ming's water jade. This
one is 100+ years old, tiny 53mm, but with enough jade in it to keep it strong.
I took the photo on a black background so you can see through it. It takes a long
time to take an accurate photo on a dark background, because black makes jade
look better than it actually is.But it shows the stone quality, called "flowering"
which I want to show here. This is my second favorite bangle, but valued at more
than $10,000, it's worn rarely. I acquired it in China from a Chinese woman who
had it in her family for years. I don't know why Chinese women are so willing
to sell their jade bangles, but when they hear I am buying vintage jade, I get
many at quite low prices. It's the younger women who are willing to sell them,
as jade is perhaps not "modern" enough for them, and they want to money
to buy something more fashionable. | | | |
| | | | During
my 2006 buying trip in China, I found "the perfect jade bangle" that
was new, and similar to the one above, but more the "glass" quality
which is extremely rare. It was in the wholesale market but in the retail section
and the price was $6000, and my husband was with me and making choking noises,
so I didn't buy it. I didn't have enough cash with me at the time, as the rate
of exchange is about 7 yuan Chinese money to 1 USD, and that's a lot of cash to
carry around. And the jade market is cash only, no credit cards. So I bought this
carved jade bangle as a consolation. It's an oval, natural color, with a honey
hong red phoenix carved. It's really prettier than the photos shows but I wanted
to show the detail of the carving and this is how the photo turned out. Often
carved bangles start as "regular" jade bangles with a crack or a flaw
and the carving disguises it. But this one looked perfect. I try to buy good quality
carved jade bangles to sell to my customers and most are gem quality. The carving
is low and substantial, and I can wear this as an every day jade bangle. This
is my fifth favorite jade bangle. Value: $750+ | | |
| | I
traded this Burmese jadeite bangle bracelet with a Vietnamese woman. It was a
gift from a man she didn't want to remember, and she wanted a Ying Yu Jade bangle.
She said it cost almost $10,000 in Vietnam, and that the person who gave it to
her would be really mad if she got rid of it, especially for the relatively low
price. Hahahaha-I think she accomplished that! It tested as genuine jadeite and
natural color, so it probably is a very high quality imperial green. I am always
suspicious of jade from Vietnam because Vietnamese people often like rich colors,
so most of the jade from Vietnam is color enhanced. If you get your nails done
at a Vietnamese nail salon, they manicurists almost always criticize and claim
your jade bangle is fake or colored, but if you buy yours from Ying Yu Jade, you
know that yours is natural and genuine. Theirs is probably fake and/or color enhanced.
So don't take them up on their offers of having their relative in Vietnam give
you a good deal. This jadeite bangle is 52mm and slender 7 mm. |
| I
am known to not care much for lavender jade, so this jade bangle may come as a
surprise to my readers with whom I've discussed this. However, in January 2007
when I was going through a difficult time in life, I felt compelled to wear this
one day and immediately my life started becoming more balanced and peaceful. This
is the third jade bangle I purchased. It is natural color apple green and lavender
Burmese jadeite. I bought it while I was staying in Guilin with my qigong tour
group in 1999. This bangle was priced originally at $16,000 USD, and it was in
the jade shop in the hotel where our group was staying. I had already learned
about bargaining Chinese style, and decided I wanted it but not at that price.
Every time I went through the lobby I bargained for it, and every time I went
through the lobby, the same three sales ladies would come over to bargain with
me some more. They showed me how to test by refraction, and how to use filters
and certain lights to look for artificial colors, which this one didn't show any
resins or artificially coloring. I also learned so much about the women who worked
in the jade shop. They came from peasant backgrounds and were required to buy
their smock for uniform which was a big expense for them. They sent most of what
they earned to their families. They received little pay, but slept dormitory style
in the hotel and got their meals as part of their payment. They were impressed
I have a small "Chinese style" wrist, 51-53mm, and kept touching my
clothes, and asked to look at what I had in my purse. (During my previous trip,
I noticed that the contents of my purse were of great interest to Chinese women,
so this time I filled up my purse with samples from the department stores cosmetic
counters and gave them to women who craned their necks to look in my purse..fun!)
The evening before we left the hotel, with an audience of hotel personnel and
other tourists, we finally agreed on a price. We were at then end of our tour,
with only Shanghai to visit, and I gave the young women almost all my cosmetics
and some of my clothing, which they were thrilled to receive. The next morning
when our group got off the elevator, the sales women were all waiting, big smiles,
wearing my clothes and make up. Our tour guide made the comment that they all
look like Kathleen. (Not really, but it was sweet), This jade bangle has a lot
of good memories, and it is certainly a favorite. Value:priceless.
(Please
don't ask what I finally paid for it, as I won't tell.) More
favorite jade bangle bracelets
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