Thursday, July 19, 2018

The Sad and Often Asked Question : Why Did My Jade Bangle Bracelet Break?

I often get an email from  a jade loving person who is sad because their jade bangle bracelet broke.  And they are looking for a replacement jade bangle.  They often tell me something about their jade bangle bracelet, and ask if I could tell them why it broke.  Last week a woman told me she had her jade bangle bracelet in her pocket, and it accidently fell onto a hard floor and broke.  She concluded it must be "fake jade" because it broke, and jade is supposed to be "hard".

Yes, jade is a moderately hard gemstone.  But even grade A genuine and natural Burmese jadeite will break if it is struck in just the right (or wrong) place. 

There's a Chinese legend that when your jade bangle bracelet breaks, it has protected you from getting hurt or even worse.  And there are physical reasons why it may break.

Jade bangle bracelets will break more easily than jade pendants or smaller jade pieces.  The round shape puts stress on the jade and if struck on a hard surface has a risk of breaking.  The reason I don't have a physical store is because I have personally observed in China jade shops that customers often drop the jade bangle they are trying on, perhaps falling on the counter top or floor.  Chinese jade bangle sellers want to make sure you get the smallest size jade bangle you can wear so it fits close to your wrist comfortably, and that requires using lotions, oils, soapy water to get it on. 

Yes, grade A Burmese jadeite will break.

Classic round style jade bangle also has a higher risk of breaking, again, due to the shape.

Jadeite that is C grade has been bleached with acid, then color added to make them the "good green" and translucent "icy" style.  The bleach makes the jade stone more brittle.   The Clearance section on the JadeBangleBracelets web site has some C grade jadeite bangle bracelets, including the classic round "fu lu shou" jadeite bangle in the photo. 



The Fu Lu Shou three color jade is often worn during holidays because of its meaning: happiness, health and longevity, wealth.  People who wear "real jade" most of the time often like to have one of the fu lu shou style for special occasions, so the prices are relatively low.  The jadeite itself is good quality, but the acid washing has made it less strong.

I have been wear jade bangle bracelets since 1999, my first trip to China and falling in love with jade.  I like to wear one all the time.  When I'm doing "real work", it helps me to be mindful, and I am aware of the bangle.  But yes, I have broken two excellent jade bangles.

Here's a hint if you are an active person looking for a good quality Burmese jadeite bangle bracelet on Ying Yu Jade or Jade Heaven:  check out the Clearance jade bangles, with reason for Clearance price in description of "clarification lines".  It might look like a "crack" inside, but the line formed as the jade was being formed in the earth.  The pressure on the forming jade was extremely high, there was movement, and the clarification line formed.  Now because of the formation, it actually has more strength.  If you see the line running through the circular part of the jade bangle, you know it's a true clarification line.  A crack runs up and down the width of the jade bangle. 

Jade Heaven #8560 grade A Burmese jadeite bangle bracelet with clarification line


If your jade bangle breaks and you are heartbroken, and looking for a replacement, I will be happy to help you find a good replacement.   I still have the "old mine" Burmese jadeite, mined prior to this century if you like the older kind of jade.  If you like newer jadeite, and want a certificate of gemology testing, these are also available.  Contact me with the item number using the email address on the web site, and I will do my best to help you get your next jade bangle.

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8 comments:

  1. my 11 year old son just bad a bangle break. he is a boy, but he wears a bangle. I was sad when I heard it broke until I heard how it broke. Then I felt like it "took one for the team."
    He was at his little league football game, when some silly little girls were climbing the soccer goal. Because of this, they made it fall and it hit my son. As it fell, it hit his back and arm as he tried to protect himself. The bangle broke. Lastly, it hit the back of his foot. He could have been way more injured then just bruised up. When I looked online for other kids being injured by soccer goals, I found a lot worse. Kids who had ended up passing away from having one fall.
    I think he felt worse about his jade then his injuries. He cried and cried about his jade, even in front of his football team. He didnt even care, he was just hurt that his jade bangle broke I think. Hurt and angry, because those girls had been told before to get off of the field and the soccer goal and hadn't listened.
    So, as sad as we are about the bangle and as much as he misses his good, faithful bangle now, I feel like it did its job and I'm thankful to it.
    We kept the pieces of it since it did so much for him, and hopefully, someday very soon, we will be able to afford a new bangle for him again so he isnt as sad about the one that broke.
    Jade is VERY protective of its owner. I learned that last weekend fully. It is as beautiful as it is protective and I'm thankful my son had his on.

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  2. I have heard when the stone lines run horizontally around the bangle and are stacked up that they are also sometimes called "croissant bangles" because of the way the stacked up stone/clarification lines are, how there are thin layers to a croissant. And while these types of bangles aren't very pretty or beautiful sometimes because of the stacked stone lines, they are thee STRONGEST bangles ever.
    I can personally attest to this as I have a white one with a bit of dark green and it was actually hit with a swinging belt buckle once.
    What happened was around 10+yrs ago, my little brother & I were at a 711 to get a fountain drink when some guys he apparently had some type of problem with approached us and proceeded to fight my brother unfairly (3 against 1.)
    When I tried to pull my brother out of the fight, one of them swung a belt buckle and it hit my bangle.
    Because I love my jade bangles SO much, I totally forgot about pulling my brother out and turned my attention to the guy who hit my bangle in order to push him back(and slap him I was later told, but I don't remember that.)
    After we were able to finally leave, I checked my bangle visually, then checked it again with a light as well as felt for any cracks, chips, or damage.
    My bangle was just fine.
    One thing I do remember, when it was hit, it rang high, and clear....like a loud bell!!!!
    That startled me a little...because while I've heard my bangles chime when I checked them or accidentally bumped them together, This was LOUD!! Exactly like a bell!!!
    And my wrist? ---Just fine.
    The bangle protected me from getting hit AND apparently protected itself too.
    That was more than 10 yrs ago, and that bangle is still around. It gets knocked now and then when I wear it, but it is one tough chick and my brother calls it "Scrappy" bangle because of the scuffle it was in during my brother's fight.
    I just always remember how it protected me from any damage at all. Had that belt buckle hit my bare wrist, I'm sure that my wrist would have been badly hurt & bruised, maybe even broken. But it did its job and lived thru it too ❤

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  3. Hi are you able to tell me the exact one of the fu lu shou jadeite bangle in the photo? Thanks!

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  4. There are some of the classic round fu lu shou Burmese jadeite bangle bracelets in Clearance on JadeBangleBracelets site. They are genuine jadeite, tested by refraction, and color treated to make them "fu lu shou" colors
    https://jadebanglebracelets.com/collections/clearance-lowest-prices-on-jade-bangle-bracelets

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  5. Hello, I would like some help to find a new jade bracelet. I tried to take my jade bracelet off to show a friend and I dropped it on tiles and it broke. This jade bangle was very sentimental to me. I bought it at the Jade museum near the terracotta warriors in Xian, China. I was given a certificate that it was real jade and I believe it was. I had a green jade bangle. Now im not sure whether I should stick to the same colour or get a new colour. I am in Australia and have no idea where authentic jade bangles would be.

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  6. Sorry to hear your special jade bangle broke. Jade becomes so personal when you wear it all the time, and you miss it so much when it's gone. I understand about concerns of authentic jade bangles. All of our jade on YingYuJade.com is genuine and natural Chinese jade, or Burmese jadeite. The newer Burmese jadeite bangles have certificates of gemology testing, the "old mine" were purchased prior to 2008, tested in China, but that was before certificates became popular after "fake jade" started showing up. All of our bangles on JadeHeaven.com are genuine Burmese jadeite, and again the older ones no certificates, the newer ones have certificates. We are located in Florida, USA, and ship world wide. You can contact us through the emails on each site. Good luck. Hope you find one you like soon.

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  7. Where I can contact you?

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    Replies
    1. Emails for two of our jade stores online:
      Jade Heaven jadeheaven88@yahoo.co,
      Ying Yu Jade yingyujade@yingyujade.com

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