Why Does Jade Make Us Feel Better? Some Benefits of Wearing Jade

If you have been reading the Jade Blogger, you have seen several posts about jade and health.  We know Chinese jade has been used for centuries by Chinese medicine doctors for balancing body qi to treat illness and prevent people from becoming ill.  And the colors of jade just happen to be the colors related to the five meridians, the basis of acupuncture.  The Chinese "river jade" is cherished for the natural color caused by the mineral that were in the water where it is mined, and if used as medicine can correspond with balancing the meridians.  The qi needs to flow smoothly through the meridians.  When it gets stuck, that's when we feel ill or in pain, and acupuncture helps release it.

Natural Color Chinese "River Jade" colors related to liver, spleen and lungs

That's the classic, centuries old traditional thoughts about jade and healing.  And today, with alternative medicine and treatments becoming more popular, jade again stands out as healing.  One of the best healing aspects is that it is natural, and you don't ingest it.  You simply share body qi with it.

If you are attracted to a particular jade piece, perhaps a jade pendant with green and "kiss of hong" you might need the stuck qi in your heart and liver meridians to flow smoothly again.  When you wear that jade pendant, you will probably touch it often to stimulate the healing.  And if it's a jade bangle bracelet that you are attracted to, you will feel it stimulating the acupressure points on your wrist throughout the day.

The other "new age" reason is that studies show that doing something pleasurable raised the serotonin levels in your body, the chemicals that make you feel good, maybe even blissful.  So not only are you getting the healing qi energy of the jade, but when you love your jade, touch it, look at it, the pleasure you feel is raising the serotonin and helping you to feel better.

Now all you need to do is to get your physician to write that you need jade to help your health and then you can use your jade purchase as an income tax deduction for health care!
Aren't some of you jade lovers physicians, health care providers?  Let's get this movement going so we can claim our jade purchases for health care needs.  (When pigs fly!)

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Protecting and Taking Care of Your Jade at Home

Yesterday I went to a jewelry and fashion wholesale trade show.  My biggest purchase was very cute boxes I want to use over the holiday season for customers who order small items like jade pendants, some of the necklaces, and other small things.  There is so much to look at, when I arrive I go up and down each aisle just to see what's being sold and where I might want to make purchases.  This show has some sterling silver jewelry but most is the cheap costume jewelry, although it looks pretty.  But after walking up and down all the rows of vendors, it was kind of disgusting, and I can honestly say I didn't desire any of it.  I spend hours, and days, walking around jade markets, and never get tired of looking at jade.

I was surprised to see a Chinese man selling jade bangle bracelets at one booth.  As I approached, I could see right away that it probably was agate and not jade, and if it was jade, it was very acid washed and color treated.  He started telling me about how fine his jade was, and only $8 each.  I asked what kind, and he kept telling me "jade, real jade, all natural.  Only $8 today.  Sometimes sells for millions of dollars, some days only $8".  It looked similar to these on ebay:

"Fake" jade,  probably agate

I showed him the jade bangle and he jumped up and knocked some of the bangles on the concrete floor and they broke into pieces.

There is another seller I have met with and her workers custom make some of the jade necklaces that are on my web sites.  She also has a few jadeite bangle bracelets, but states they are color treated, sells them wholesale $100.  She places a carpet mat on the floor before she unpacks her items.  If buyers knock something over or drop something, it doesn't break.

And that's a good tip for taking care of your jade at home.

When we planned our new home that replaced the one damaged in the storm this year, all the floors except kitchen, laundry area and bathrooms are carpeted.  We do like hard wood and tile, but it's safer for handling all the jade here.  My office has rugs over the carpet.  Handling hundreds of jade bangles and moving them around, this is crucial.  The place where you take off/put on your jade bangle should be a soft surface.  I can't tell you how many women have sadly told me that they were so excited to get their new jade bangle, they took it out of the packing near/on their way from their mail box, and dropped it, cracking/breaking it.  Or trying to put on a small jade bangle so it stays close to the wrist, using lotion or soap, and it goes flying and landing on a hard surface, damaging it.  The only jade bangle bracelets that I personally own were broken trying to get them on and off, and not doing it over carpet, a rug, the bed or other soft surface.  And the jade that gets broken as it's getting ready to be listed is due to dropping on an uncarpteted floor on the way to the outdoor photo area, or on the concrete when I'm unpacking a jade shipment.  I often carry too many pieces from one place to another, and so grateful the drops were over the carpet.

Another tip for protecting your jade is to put it in the box or wrapper that came with it, or a soft jewelry box.  Make sure other jewelry doesn't hit it, like when you're rummaging around your jewelry box looking for something.

If you have worn jade for a long time, you may have learned protection methods the hard way, so if you give the gift of jade to someone who is new to jade, be sure to share the protection tips with them.  It's heartbreaking to hear stories from customers who gave a jade bangle bracelet to a friend or family member who was so excited to get it, she dropped it putting it on...and it broke.

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Buying (and Selling) Jade Online - Getting Ready for "Black "Friday"

Everyone is targeted this time of year to buy online and get special savings, especially on Black Friday and Cyber Monday.  How does buying jade fit into this?

Ying Yu Jade and Jade Heaven will have special sales.  In fact, we are following Amazon's lead and start "early" BF deals now.  One of the new features is the Layaway payment option for orders $500+.  When you choose the Layaway payment, you write in the comments box how you would like to structure your layaway.  Then we send you an invoice for your first payment, and we work out how and when you will make your next payments over 60 days, but could be longer for pricier items.  When you check out using Layaway, the item is marked as "sold" so no one else can purchase it, and we both have a record of the purchase.  If it's confusing, you can always contact us at the email address given in the information.

And we have free gifts starting now, that you add to your cart when you meet the minimum purchase price.  They are listed in the Specials, or Featured Sale sections.

And yes, we have sale prices on many items.

Here's a true story that I encountered in the past week.  A new customer has been looking for a special jadeite bangle bracelet for a special occasion.  She considered having some custom work done on it by a goldsmith.  She showed the goldsmith some of the listings.  The goldsmith told her that she probably doesn't want the kind of jade we sell, because "real jade sells for millions of dollars.  True, some of the imperial translucent green jadeite does sell for millions of dollars".  I have been told that our grade A jadeite bangle bracelets are "too cheap" to be "real" quite a few times.  This is more of the 1) misinformation and lack of knowledge, and 2) the "drama of jade" that legitimate jade sellers have to deal with.  And that makes having a jade business, especially online, very frustrating.

I am probably the only jade seller in US who has older jadeite, prior to the Lantos embargo. And yes, the prices are low, considering if you went to China and tried to buy the same thing, which they probably don't have much of.  In fact, I frequently get offers for the jadeite bangle bracelets from China and Hong Kong.  They sold these lovely jadeites years ago at very cheap prices, and now they are rare and difficult to find. But we have them!

I took a big risk when I started selling jadeite bangle bracelets.  I was still working a "regular job" 1999-2004.  During my annual vacation, I took every dollar I had been saving and went to China, made the agonizing inland trip to near the Burma border, and bartered with the jade carvers and bought as many jade bangles as I had money for and could haul home.  I brought home hundreds each trip.  Then in 2004 I stopped my regular job and did online selling because it was more fun, and I was selling a lot.  I still went to China and bought the jadeite bangles until the embargo in 2008 (which was finally ended October, 2016).  During  that time, I brought my husband with me, so we could buy more, bring more home.  We still have a home filled with jade.  I'm getting older, the "drama" around jade is getting worse, and I'm selling these jadeite bangle bracelets much lower than they should cost, but still profitable for me.  And a good price for a high quality older jadeite bangle bracelet, pendant for you.

So, you will really get a good price on our already low priced jadeite bangle bracelets and pendants during this holiday shopping time.  We have a guarantee of authenticity that we honor, Layaway options, and sale prices.  With all this positive jade qi energy I work with every day, I want to see other people benefit from owning and wearing this awesome jade.

Jade Gifts and Chinese Culture

I finished Jade Gift Guides on the Ying Yu Jade web site, for men, children, health care workers and people who do energy work, professionally or personally, and of course, women.  I will add to them as I get new ideas.  It was so enjoyable rummaging through all the jade for specific ideas without putting in too much that would make gift choices more difficult. 

I added some gifts that are not jade.  They are from my personal collection.  When I was going to China at least once each year, I read a lot about China, in novels and non-fiction.  One of the books sets I read included a book "Red Mansions".  A friend gave me a vintage plate with one of the "beauties" on it.  Then when I was shopping in Beijing in an older part of the city I found two of the classic inside painted glass bottles with a "beauty" on each one. 

I really love those inside painted bottles and have quite a collection of them. But the Beauties bottles are extremely nice, I don't think made for "tourists", rather for local Chinese people who enjoy their culture.  I put the bottles and the plate in the gift section for sale.

I went outside this evening to look at the Super Moon.  It's been very cloudy here all day,  and I didn't see it, so I went out an hour later.  It still wasn't completely visible, mostly the glow from it was all I could see.  Then for a few seconds the clouds broke and I saw it.  My jade bangle also picked up the glow from the moon.  Too bad I couldn't get a photo because it was so beautiful.   Jade is always beautiful, but some lighting situations make it look awesome.

Light shining through  Ying Yu Jade "luminous" bangle bracelets

Jade Gift Guide for You

The holidays really are coming on fast.  Not only Thanksgiving here in the US, but also Christmas, New Year's and Chinese Lunar New Year. The "Year of the Fire Rooster (Chicken and/or Cock)" begins January 28, 2017. Hmmm....somehow that seems to relate to the outcome of the US's presidential election with inauguration in January.

I will be blogging on the Ying Yu Jade news blog about gift guides for men, women, children, and special interests during the next week, to give you some ideas about what kind of jade makes good gifts for people that you want to give something special to.

The first blog is the gift guide for men.  There are certainly a lot more jade items that are good for men than what are suggested.  Dragon is the symbol of man, and man is "yang", but also needs some yin to keep him balanced. 

Vintage carved jade belt buckle for men

Vintage nephrite jade carved cuff links

Two of my favorite jade items for men are the vintage carved jade belt buckle and the nephrite jade carved cuff links.  There are only one of each, and each is one of a kind.  
I like the cuff links and actually wore them myself a few times on a very tailored long sleeve shirt, and they were in my "Ying Yu's Jewelry Box".  Since I don't work where I have to dress up any more, I don't wear them, and they deserve to be worn.  Although the color of the nephrite jade is yang dark green, the carving is "flowery" to add yin, so good for women as well as men.

If you need ideas for gifts for special people, or something special for yourself, check out the News Blog on Ying Yu Jade frequently to see the guide that's been added.

Gifts of Jade for the Holidays, or Any Time

I can't believe Thanksgiving day is only two weeks from today!  I make the entire dinner for 8-10 people each year and better get a shopping list made and do some planning.

That means "Black Friday" is right around the corner, too. 

With the holidays coming soon, I'm going to list gift items on Ying Yu Jade and Jade Heaven web sites.  Women who purchase jade bangle bracelets from our sites love them, and come back for more.  I'm told they would like to give jade bangles as gifts, but determining the recipient's jade bangle size is very challenging.  So to make it easier to give a gift of jade, I will list some of the jade pendants, necklaces, jade rollers and other "smaller" jade items at sale prices on the "Today's Special" on Ying Yu Jade, and the Jade Sale page on Jade Heaven.

And I started today, gifts of special jade for your special friends and relatives.

This is a new listing today of a jade and sterling silver hinged bracelet that's in the Ying Yu's Jewelry Box collection.  It has a hinge so the bracelet opens, and doesn't need to be slipped over knuckles and a hand like bangles do.

I've had it awhile, used it for talks and presentations about jade, but never worn it.

Jade, sterling silver and cubic zirconium hinged bracelet

 Check back often to see what's on sale for great gifts for the holidays (maybe a little something for yourself, too!)  When you make a purchase and your order is filled, you receive a coupon for 10% off your next order, so that will help you buy those special gifts.

I Am Surrounded By Jade

I have been talking about "retiring" for at least three years.  My friends keep asking me when I'm really going to do it, because  there's so much we all want to do together.  They can't understand why I work almost all afternoon.  What do I do that takes so much time when I've been selling jade online for 16 years?  Surely, I should have all the "work" done by now!

Ah, jade!  Every piece is different.  Even when I have jade made from the same jade carver, using the same rough, the pieces are different.  That's because it's natural stone, and nature had endless variations and differences.  If I sold t-shirts, I could take one photo and list perhaps 100 items using the same photo in all the different sizes.  But jade is different.  And each piece needs at least 20 minutes of photographing to get 2-4 photos.  The photos are taken in natural daylight in an outdoor area, and the day needs to be fairly clear, and the best time for the photos is between 11 am and 1 pm.  That's when the light shows off the beauty of the jade from my photo spot.  Then editing the photos is very minimal, mostly just sizing, and adding our store name to the photo, and tags, so they can be found online.  Listing each one takes 20-30 minutes to get all the measurements, details, perhaps retesting by refraction if I'm doubting it's genuine while I'm holding it to list it.  Then checking the photo on different browsers to make sure it looks like the "real thing".  After listing on the desktop computer, I check on a Windows and a Mac computer, then on an iPhone and another phone.  And on an iPad.  Then another 20-30 minutes to add to Pinterest and Facebook.  Then putting it away in the proper storage area so I can find it later.

I can get about three items listed in an afternoon of work.  And that's my goal for five days of the week.  There are three different stores: JadeBangleBracelets, Jade Heaven and Ying Yu Jade.

I have a lot of odds and ends of jade bangles, pendants, carvings scattered around my desk because I'm still organizing the office since we moved in in July.  I pick up three pieces on photo days to get them dealt with, and "the mess" is almost cleaned up.  Now there's a closet full of unlisted items.  So it never ends!   I will never retire!  I'll take offers if a reader wants to buy this exquisite and time consuming business.

Today one of the items I listed has been around the house for at least 10 years.  It's one of the vintage bangles That's so pretty I keep it near my desk just to look at it often.

Red cloisonne and Jade bangle bracelet Item #TI-1308

As I was listing it, I saw that the box was quite old and perhaps I should pitch it and put it in a new box.  Then I saw the company name inside the lid:  Julius Garfinckel & Co, Washington, D.C.   I looked online to see what that company is, and learned it is quite famous and the items from that company are listed on eBay, Pinterest, Etsy.  I knew one of my girlfriends was at the pool, and she lived and worked in Washington, D.C. for awhile, so I went to the pool to ask her about this company.  She didn't know, but the pool security guard did, and he wanted to come over and see it.  It's beautiful.  It's red cloisonne and jade, classic round bangle bracelet.  The cloisonne is the best quality I've ever seen, and the jade is excellent.  I decided I would continue to hoard it for myself, but everyone at the pool said they would like to see comments about the bangle and the company.  So your comments are welcome.  If you make a comment, it won't be published until I see that it's not SPAM. The comment gets approved and shows in the post within 24 hours.  It's only been a few hours since I listed it, and already a jade dealer in Hong Kong wants to buy it.  But I don't ship jade to China or Hong Kong because it "disappears" during customs check there, and the customer never gets it.

So yes, I spend a lot of time "working".  But what a job!  Being surrounded by jade.

Blue Cloisonne and Jade Classic Round Vintage Bangle Bracelet Item TI-1307
It's very pretty, and I like it as much as the Julius Garfinckle bangle

What Kind of Jade Should I Wear: November

If you wear jade for health, wellness and "medicine", November is the month related to the lung qi energy.  You can read the entire post of what kind of jade to wear for November on the Jade Blogger previous year November post.

Most of us have lived in areas that experienced a more hot and stormy summer than in previous years.  Many of us who experienced damage to body, or property from this warmer and stormier weather may still be processing the sadness and loss.  As readers may know from previous blogs, our home was so severely damaged it had to be replaced and that grief and loss is still present.  We also over react when storms occur now.  Healing the lung meridian helps with managing the grief and loss of life's events.  And the color of jade associated with the lung meridian is white.  But white with other colors may be more helpful this November.

The Chinese "river jade" bangle bracelets have the qi energy often used by Chinese medicine for healing.  And the "river jade" bangle bracelets often have white along with other colors.

Ying Yu Jade "river jade" natural color jade bangle bracelets for health

River jade is mined near a river in China, and the minerals in the river are what cause the natural color in the jade.  Our jade carver is aware and practices Chinese medicine and purchases the jade rough then carves the jade bangles so I have a selection of jade colors that work with the meridians for health and healing.

Not sure which jade bangle is best for you?  When you look at the jade bangle selection, and you keep coming back to one or two, and you are happy with the appearance, may even drool a little, then that's your intuitive body telling you it has the qi energy that will be beneficial to you.  Trust that feeling.  And that's why if you wear jade for health, you may benefit from a collection of different kind and colors of jade.

There are also more Chinese river jade bangle bracelets listed on our sister site, JadeBangleBracelets

JBB3201 "Overcoming Obstacles" Jade Bangle Bracelet on JadeBangleBracelets

 
More information about jade for health is in other Jade Blogger blogs.  The topic of the post is generally related to a question people have about jade.  But you can always contact us at jadeheaven@yahoo.com if you have questions.

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