Updated Jade Information : The Good News and Bad News

I have mentioned on the blog about a tornado and hail storm severely damaging our home where the jade business is also located.  Our home will be demolished next week and a new home built.  That's part of the Bad News.

The good news is that friends who have a home nearby and don't live there full time are letting me use their huge entertaining room for my office.  All of my jade inventory fits in that huge room, and I can set up my shipping station.  So business will be as usual and the stores will not be shut down.   That's the Good News.

However, I may be slightly stressed and distracted during this time. (Not so good news)

But to keep myself cheered up, I went into my inventory and found one of the Chinese jade bangle bracelets I had made for me in the year 2002, very good green and translucent, and just my size.  That's Good News.

But there isn't any more of that kind of jade available,  that jade mine is now closed in China. (Bad News).

And there's more bad news.  USA government lifted some sanctions on Burma (Myanmar) this month.  Most of the sanctions were regarding business, and American business interests in Burma.  There has been embargo sanctions on jadeite and rubies since 2008. That's why you notice in many of the descriptions of the old mine jadeite bangles that it was purchased prior to the year 2008.  Jade that is mined from Burma, even if it's carved in China or Thailand or anywhere is illegal to import to USA.  If you purchase a jadeite bangle on ebay or from Chinese or Thailand sellers, it's illegal for it to enter USA.  And there's a small, tiny section in the new US Treasury law that jadeite and rubies are still prohibited to USA. 

Most jadeite from China and Thailand that go through customs get through because it might not be properly labeled, or as is the most common case, customs officials don't know it's jadeite from Burma.  But some women have told me when asking where our jade ships from, that they had a jade bangle confiscated in customs and threatened with legal action.

The Good News is that all of Jade Heaven jadeite was purchased prior to 2008 so it's in USA legally.  So it has good Karma, as well as being genuine and natural jadeite.

Ying Yu Jade Best Quality Jade and Carving Workmanship

Earlier this month I received an order for a variety of jade rollers, and jade eggs.  What surprised me was that they were being shipped to a customer in Hong Kong.  China's is so nearby to Hong Kong, and I know there are several jade markets in Hong Kong, so I wondered why someone in Hong Kong would order jade from Florida, USA and pay the $65 shipping fee.

I received an email from the customer asking about care of jade rollers, and what kind of maintenance they need, and how to repair if needed.  She was very happy with her jade rollers, and eggs. 

So why would someone who can purchase these jade items locally and pay half the price and not pay high shipping?   It's the quality. 

Ying Yu Jade Rollers

As I wrote about the Chinese jade, I've worked with my jade carver in China for many years so he understands that internet buyers expect "perfection".  We know jade isn't perfect because it's natural stone, but workmanship can make the best of it.

Ying Yu Jade was the first USA seller of jade eggs and ben wa balls.  They weren't cheap, because good quality jade is used for a product a woman puts in her body.  Any you know my saying, I only buy and sell what I personally would use.  YYJ is genuine, natural and a good quality.  The qi energy of the light, translucent green is yin, and that's the kind of jade that benefits women.  A dark green nephrite is yang, and while you may think that kind of jade is pretty, and really looks like jade, the qi energy is too yang for women who use jade eggs for wellness.  So good quality of jade, and good workmanship, plus the jade carver's fee and shipping those heavy boxes to USA, the price reflects a minimal mark up for profit. 

And again, as I always say about the jade your purchase from Ying Yu Jade, you get what you pay for.  The prices always indicate quality, workmanship, and rarity of the kind of jade used. 

As I've written previously, I can't resist buying some of the jade things I sell from other sellers who sell cheaper, just to see what they are really selling.  So I repeat, you get what you pay for.  If you want jade that you will use for health and wellness, it costs more than agate or aventurine, or some of the other stones passing as "jade".

Chinese Jade - China's National Jade

In 2006 when I went to China for jade shopping, it turned into one of the longest China trips for me.  I started in Beijing, then went north to Xiuyan to meet with my jade carver.  I've been working with him for many years.  It took a long time to get him to understand there is difference in Asian and Western shoppers.  Especially when it comes to buying jade.  Asian people can appreciate the natural-ness of jade, and cherish some of the little imperfections in jade.  There's a Chinese saying: "the jade carver always leaves something behind", meaning there's often a nick or scratch or minor imperfection from the hand carving of jade.  If you purchased a hand knit or crocheted item, or hand cross stitch quilt, you would expect to find some minor imperfections that shows it's hand made.  But Western people usually don't tolerate any glitches in jade.  And that's what I had to make my jade carver understand.

While I was with him, he showed me a huge chunk of rough jade he had purchased from the jade mine.  It was from a government jade mine that had nice green color and translucent jade.  The jade had been mostly mined out, and the mine was closing, so he bought a hunk of rough jade stone.  It sure didn't look like anything special when I looked at it, and I guess I didn't show much interest, but he kept it.  Then the last couple years he made jade bangle bracelets from it, some classic round shape, and some "modern", flat inside.  They are lovely. 

Some women who purchase the Chinese jade complain to me that it's not "real" jade and want a refund.  They think only Burmese jadeite is real jade.  But Chinese jade is "China's National Jade".  It's the kind of jade used for centuries until jadeite was introduced to China in the 19th century.  It's a kind of nephrite, but not the deep dark solid kind, it's more translucent, more yin.  Nephrite is very yang, deeper and darker.  When I'm looking in Chinese jewelry stores, most of the carried the Chinese jade.  I would often see couples engaged to be married, the man buying his wife-to-be a Chinese jade bangles, picking out the one she likes the most and fits the best.  It's a traditional engagement gift.  And it's often a gift from the bride to women in her wedding party.  It doesn't have a history of being acid washed and dyed like Burmese jadeite, but the Chinese jade made commercially for export is often color treated, because the cheapest and worst color is used and then color treated to make it look better. 

This weekend the classic round and "modern" flat inside style will be on sale on Ying Yu Jade.  The classic round is not too thick because it was made "Chinese style".  The "modern" style gets its name because it used to be only wealthy, privileged women could afford them and working women couldn't wear them anyway because the rounded was uncomfortable.  So when China ended the Mao era and became more modern, women wanted a more comfortable bangle, like men wore, and the flat inside style became popular.

Classic Round Chinese Jade Bangle Bracelets

They are all slightly different color because the jade is natural color and varies throughout the jade rough.  The sale is on Today's Special through Sunday.

Gemstone Trade Show Trends - The Price of Jade, The Quality of Gem Stones

I attended the Orlando G&LW Trade Show yesterday.  I really have to do a deep meditation practice before I go to this show because it's overwhelming to walk into the main room with all the vendors and see all the sparkle and shine from the gems displayed.  It brings to mind what it would be like to enter Heaven the first two seconds, then realize you are in Hell.

But then realize you are in a giant shopping center for gems and jewelry and your credit card is itching in your handbag.

I like to walk through all the vendor booths first, and take a card to write down the booth number of those I want to return to.  I put either the letter "B" or "P" on the card, indicating if my interest is Business or Personal.  Because, yes, I usually buy several items for myself. 

The only "P" I wanted to return to was selling fabric material items from India, and I love their dresses and tops.  But I didn't buy any because the seller knew they were for personal use, not a package of 6 for reselling, so he made the price of one item triple of what one would be.  He lost about $100 of sales from me, because I didn't buy anything from him.
At the last show, a woman was working the booth, and she sold me several dresses and tops at good prices.  Ah, well....it's a trade show, not my personal shopping center.

I found five booths that sold jadeite, or Chinese jade.  I was shocked at the price, because it was at least three times higher than the prices they had listed at their previous show.  The cost of jadeite pendants wholesale was what they sell for on Jade Heaven your price.  And they weren't the older jadeite, they were newer jadeite pieces that are legally still under import embargo, and the stone didn't look very nice.  It wasn't the fine grain as the older ones on JH.  One seller had nice jadeite that she told me was older, prior to the embargo and even when I offered to buy all of it, she wouldn't "bargain" for a lower price, and I that was OK with me because I really didn't want it, just thought I should get it. 

So I didn't buy any jade or jadeite.

I looked at pearls, because on YYJ the price for a strand with clasp is $38, and the wholesale price for a 15" string to make jewelry with was more than that, so I'm debating about the price I have listed for pearl necklaces and earrings.  I noticed the trend of pearls being higher priced now when I was on the February cruise and shopping in ports.  Pearls are becoming more popular now.  The quality of the pearls at the show were not as good as the ones I bought in the Pearl Market in Beijing years ago.  I really like pearls.  The white pearls especially, for the qi energy.  I wear a mother of pearl flower with a white pearl in the middle necklace during allergy season, for lung health.

The other gem stones I looked for were to add the the jade yoni eggs to make a Chakra set with them for healing Chakra balance.  A jewelry maker wire wraps them for me to sell with the three egg set.  I looked for quartz crystal, clear and lavender, and other Chakra gem stones but the only string I found that was natural quartz crystal was $120 for a small string. 

It's the first time I went to this show and came home empty handed, except for a parking receipt of $7.  And disappointed because this is my birthday month and I was looking for a splurge, maybe emerald and 18K gold "something". 

I contacted my jade associate in southern China and asked about the price of jadeite pendants like I have purchased from him in the past.  He told me that the price of jadeite has indeed increased because of rarity of the good quality, and the jade carvers who do detailed beautiful pendant carving have dropped out of the field because of the lack of availability of jadeite stone, so they have to find other work now.  I'm still in the process of packing up all the jade in my inventory to take to storage when our home gets demolished June 1, and replaced with a new one because of the storm damage.  I have a small box with older jadeite pendants, and decided to list some of them at very low prices,  what my receipts shows I paid for them, just to give you true jade lovers a chance to buy some at a good price this weekend.  They are very nice to wear, and will increase in value as the jadeite situation continues. 

Monkey Protects Peach Jadeite Pendant JHP126

Slender Elegant Guan Yin Buddha of Compassion Jadeite Pendant JHP127

Small "Pixiu Protect" Carving  Jadeite Pendant JHP128

AAA+++ Jade Grade - What Does it Mean?

I often get visitors to the web site who ask me where the "AAA+++" jade is, because they searched and couldn't find that grade.  They could find "only" A grade.

In the gemology world, AAA grade doesn't exist.  And AAA+++ in a jade description is a warning signal to you that it's either fake or color treated.

Web site visitors (I won't call them customers because they want only that AAA+++) have told me how cheap they can buy jade bangles and pendants on ebay and some other jade sites that are very good green and the AAA+++, and they bought them and love them.  They are "disappointed" to find only grade A and natural, earthy color on Jade Heaven.   Of course, I ask them to send me links so I can check it out.

I bought a few pieces to find out for myself what it is really like.  One of the purchases I made are very nice green translucent bead bracelets that are now in the clearance section on YYJ.  They were so bleached out that the stone was fragile.  A few months ago I bought a very good green translucent jade bangle bracelet on ebay from one of the AAA+++ sellers. I've kept it on my desk and half of the green color has disappeared.  A couple of years ago when I first saw this rating, I bought a jade bangle that had pretty green veins and when I found it last week while I was cleaning up, the color had turned to all brown.

For years, and mostly after the Lantos embargo on jadeite, some of the big gem and jewelry sellers like HSN have added disclaimers to their gemstones "gemstones and pearls are sometimes treated to enhance their natural beauty".  Diamond, rubies, emerald, opals and in fact most gemstones have been enhanced by heat, dyes.  And just because jade is color enhanced does not mean it's fake.  it's still real jade.  I'm very experienced at being able to look at jade and know if it's natural color or not, but sometimes I really can't tell and it takes a gemologist to test it.  One of my personal jadeite bangle bracelet is C grade.  I've had it for 15 years and the color has not changed, it's still very beautiful.  It was made when jade carvers did color treating purposely to enhance jade appearance, not to try to pass it off as natural.  That's why the overall quality is so good, and it still has good jade qi energy.

AAA and AAA+++ is not a gemology term for jade.  A, B and C are the grades used by gemologist.  A is natural genuine jadeite.  B is washed with acid, or color added.  C is the grade for jadeite washed with acid, then infused with color.

I can promise you that Jade Heaven and YYJ  does not have and will not carry AAA+++ grade jade.  (Except for the beads in clearance)  So don't be disappointed if you find only grade A jadeite.

JH268 Genuine Natural Color Jadeite Bangle Bracelet

We Can Never Have too Many Jade Bangle Bracelets

My long-time jade bangle bracelet customers visit the Ying Yu Jade and Jade Heaven websites often, several times a week, and even every day.  And some of them add a note to their order when they purchase another jade bangle, "I really shouldn't, but I really want just one more".  I certainly understand that feeling, because sometimes I feel slightly guilty for hoarding all the jade bangles I keep for myself.

We call this JAD:   Jade Affective Disorder

If you have a good supply of jade bangle bracelets, and you see one that really appeals to you, and you just "gotta have it", it might not be an extravagance.  It might be the color or the jade veins pattern appeal to you because it has the qi energy your body needs at this time.  If you wear jade often, you become more aware and mindful of your qi energy, how your body is balanced.  "Body Feng Shui".   There are five colors of natural jade: green, red (called hong in Chinese), yellow, black or charcoal, and white.  These colors are related to the five meridians: liver, heart, spleen, kidney and lung.  There's also lavender, which is related to a special meridian, "Big Heaven".  So when you eyes see a jade and it really appeals to you, your qi-intuition is speaking to you.  And if you feel like it's so appealing that you almost drool over it, chances are it's your body qi craving it for balance.

I spent the last two days packing my personal jade, and jade for the online stores and the inventory.  We have to be out of the home end of May, because June 1 it's being demolished and the new one will start getting built to replace our damaged home from the hail storm and tornado.  It takes a long time to pack jade because it's so enjoyable to touch and look at while I'm doing it.  But jade is rock, and rock is heavy.  I'm exhausted at the end of the day, but surprisingly not sore when I packed the jade.  I still have a lot to pack, maybe only 20 percent through all the jade.  I came across the stash of jadeite bangles from the "ring of sister" jade bangles I bought at least 12 years ago, and there's still a few remaining.  I decided to reward myself for all the work I've been doing by taking (another) one to wear now.  They are all from the same jade rough, so all very similar.  The one that appealed to me has more green veins that the one I wear most of time, and is more translucent.  It looked dull, though, so I thought it might not be one other women would want.  In fact, they all looked dull.  I store jade the way it's supposed to be stored: in a dark, cool, moist place.

Ring of "Sister Jade Bangles" carved from the same rough purchased in 2005
Photo taken in China, they are much more pretty than this photo shows.

 Did you every stop wearing a jade bangle for awhile, then when you decided to wear it again it just didn't look right?  That's what happens when jade isn't worn,  It doesn't share qi energy, and loses some of its beauty.

I put the sister bangle on, and it's only three hours since I've been wearing it.  The green is more pronounced, the green veins stand out more, and the translucence is glowing.  And I feel more calm and relaxed.   It called to me, and I made the right decision to wear it.

 If you are a jade lover, trust that you will know the right kind of jade for you to wear.  You change, your jade needs change, and you will intuitively know what jade you need to keep you balanced. 

And that's the main reason I have purchased only genuine and natural color jade to sell online. 

Ying Yu Jade Jade Acu-Rollers, Jade "Needles" to Stimulate Your Body Qi Flow

 Jade acu-rollers were designed by a Chinese medicine doctor in Beijing for Ying Yu Jade. The roller is large and heavy and "needles" are carved on the top of the roller to stimulate the acupressure points on the meridians to keep your body qi flowing smoothly.  Roll the acu-roller along your arms, legs, hips, chest and back and sides, neck: all over your body.  This stimulates the body qi.





Then follow with the jade double roller to smooth and soothe the qi energy after it has been stimulated.  Use the small end of the roller for face and small body parts, and the larger roller end for long areas, like arms, legs, back.

YYJ "Roll into Spring" offer gives you two jade rollers for the price of one.  Buy the acu-roller and get the classic jade double roller free

Special Sale: Buy the acu-roller, get the jade double roller free

Keep your body health by stimulating your qi energy to flow through the meridians.  A few minutes 3-4 times a week, or every day if you are suffering from chronic health problems, can improve your health, body, mind and spirit.

My Jewelry Box (es)

It's been a year since Ying Yu Jade was moved to the new web site.  There's still some products that haven't been listed on the new site.  "The Plan" is to keep Ying Yu Jade a Chinese jade site, including the Chinese jade bangle bracelets, especially the carved Dynasty styles that my jade carver made exclusively for YYJ.  Also for jade rollers, gua sha tools, pillow covers, and other jade health tools.  There's a variety of Chinese jade bangle bracelets, including the "luminous" almost black jade bangles made from the kind of jade that is usually reserved for making cups and teapots in China.  The "river jade" bangle bracelets are used to balance the body's meridians and qi balance, and the colors are related to the qi meridians.  And jade carvings and teapots are older and made in the traditional way.  None of Ying Yu Jade is commercial quality, intended for export.  My jade carver is very traditional and doesn't make jade for export because he has a small business. 

One of the categories missing on the new YYJ is the "YYJ Jewelry Box".  That's where I listed the jade bangle bracelets I had purchased for myself, and got carried away and bought "just one more".  My size is a small size, 53mm is the best size for me, but I can wear as small as 50mm, and 55mm if the jade bangle is wide.  I have only a few regular customers who are "my size".  The jade bangles in the "Jewelry Box" were also expensive.  I waited until I had purchased sufficient quantity for the web site, then spent every dollar I had on the very best for myself. 

Carved vintage jadeite bangle bracelet

When we get back into our home after it gets replaced, probably July, I plan to make a "Jewelry Box" category to include the small jade bangles I hoarded for myself, and other jadeite bangles that aren't my size, but I also hoarded because I love them so much.  When I was sorting through and packing up my personal collection, I was feeling sad that so many of them are in the drawer, not on a wrist.  I am ready to share now.

Imperial green vein jadeite bangle bracelet with Dynasty carved
Chinese Jade bangle and "spacer" jadeite bead bracelet