Why are Jade Bangle Bracelets So Small Size?

I often get emails from women who are looking at the jade bangle bracelets online asking why the jade bangle bracelets are "so small".

As I blogged in the past post about size, I buy and sell only genuine Chinese jade and Burmese jadeite.  All of the jade bangles on the web site except the "Chinatown" collection are jade bangles I personally purchased from jade carvers during shopping trips to China.  And the "good jade" is made for Chinese women, average sizes 52-58mm.  The "commercial quality" jade bangles that are made for export are the larger sizes.   They are often lower quality of jade, and may be color treated because it would be so expensive to purchase a large jade bangle that uses a lot of jade to sell online.  When I was shopping in China for jade, and ask the jade carver if he had larger sizes, he would consider they were for women, and pull out the B and C grade.  But, if I asked the jade carver if he had jade bangle bracelets for men, that was another story.  That's when I would see the larger sizes in natural color, because men in China and Asia sometimes wear jade bangles.

Most of our Burmese jadeite  is at least 10 years old because in 2008 the USA government passed the Lantos Embargo which prohibited import or bringing jadeite from Burma into the country.  The jade sellers in China started selling fake jade that they sold on ebay or their web sites because of the embargo, but USA buyers didn't know that.  The Lantos embargo is still in effect, but now that Burma is moving to a more democratic government, we are hoping that will change.

So that's why most of the jadeite bangle bracelets  we sell is smaller sizes, because it's genuine jadeite.

However, I also have a "jade man" in China who works with our jade carver to make the Chinese jade bangle bracelets, and he can make them in small and larger sizes, up to 70mm.  We buy the jade directly from the jade mine, then the carver makes them for me.
He also buys the "river" jade with the natural colors that come from minerals in the river where the jade is mined.  This kind of jade is China's national jade, the kind of jade Chinese people have used for centuries until Burmese jadeite was introduced in the 19th century.  It's real jade, natural color, and very traditional.  And good quality.

"Colors of Earth" Collection Chinese River Jade Bangle Bracelets

The Chinese jade is also the kind of jade used in jade rollers, jade gua sha tools and other jade health tools used in Chinese medicine for centuries.  So it's not only pretty, but has good energy for health and healing.

And they are carved in larger sizes, just for you!

What Kind of Jade Bangle Bracelet is Right for Me?

A neighbor has been asking to come to my home to buy a jade bangle bracelet for herself.  She has never worn a jade bangle.  But in our gated community, there are quite a few women who wear jade bangle bracelets because they have a neighbor who sells them!  Sometimes when we are at the pool area, a visitor will ask if there is a Chinatown nearby because so many women wear jade bangle bracelets here.

When she told me she wanted to buy a jade bangle, I held her wrist to try to determine what size she would wear.  Then I suggested she go online to the web site and let me know what appeals to her.  She has a large wrist, and I guessed she wore 65-70, which means her choices are limited.  Most of the jade bangles on the web site are 54-58mm, "Chinese size" because I buy only genuine jade, and that means it's mostly Chinese size.  So I started filling a box with the "river jade" Chinese colorful jade bangles, and the classic light green Chinese jade bangles.  I chose some very good green translucent Chinese jade for her.

Classic Chinese Jade Bangle Bracelets

I had 18 jade bangles for her to choose from.  First I gave her a green Chinese river jade bangle to put on to determine size.  It was 69mm and went on easily.  When she saw the light green Chinese jade bangle 65mm, she put it on, was amazed that it fit and amazed that it "felt just right" for her.  She doesn't know anything about jade, or the "drama" that surrounds jade, she just knew what energetically felt good, and looked good, on her wrist.

She purchased jade rollers to use on the face for herself and her sisters, and some jade bead bracelets, and was very happy.

When I went to pick up my mail, her husband was at the mail boxes and told me how happy they were with the jade, and how much he liked what she purchased.

She would have liked the grade A jadeite bangle bracelets, but none are her size.  However, she knew just from looking, without even trying on the jade bangles in the box , the bangle that was best for her and she liked the most.

So when you're looking at jade online, and not sure which one to purchase, which one is right for you, and you keep coming back to look at a certain one (or 2-3), that's what's right for you.  And at our prices, especially during sales, you can get a collection of jade bangles that look right, feel right, and seem like they were made just for you.

Lavender Jade Bangle Bracelets

Lavender jade bangle bracelets are one of the most requested jade bangles.  If you love lavender, and you love jade, you can't resist the combination.

Lavender jade is very precious and rare.  Genuine natural color lavender is so rare and expensive you can expect to pay at least $10,000 for grade A lavender jadeite that has a "good lavender" color.  You can purchase natural genuine jadeite lavender that is pale color,  or a few lavender veins mixed with other color, or soft lavender hues (usually with charcoal color) for less.  There are some available on the JBB web site.  Do a search for "lavender" and the ones in the "China's Favorite" or "Jade Market" collections are natural color. 

Lavender hues grade A jadeite bangle #633

If you research jade online, you probably learned there's a lot of "drama" about jade, and what's "real" and lots of opinions.  Unfortunately, most of the information online is incorrect. And confusing.  For example,  jadeite that is color treated is still "real" jade.  Gemology testing will indicate it's genuine jadeite.  While most Chinese jade is natural color, the Chinese often used dyes for centuries to add auspicious color to some of the jade.  Color is related to the qi meridians of the body, and when your eye sees the color, it connects with that meridian.  Even if it's not a "natural" color.  Most gems are color treated by heat or dyes, and customers don't mind that, but have a drama meltdown about colored jade and jadeite.

Depending how it's color treated can make a difference.  For example, the "chicken blood red" jade used to be Chinese jade with red veins, natural color.  You can still find this combination in the "river jade", but if you want true red color, it's often dyed with vegetable dyes.  And sometimes color is added to jadeite to make it more "yang" and pretty.  But if the jade is acid washed to remove color, then color added, that can be a problem because the color will eventually eat through the stone with the acid.  And the acid makes the jade more fragile. 

I test each piece of jade before it gets photographed to make sure it's "real".  All the photos are taken outdoors in natural daylight.  If a photo looks different from the "real thing", I suspect it's not natural color, and put it in the "Chinatown" Collection.  Although I have customs papers stating it's genuine grade A natural color, I have my doubts, so it goes in the Chinatown Clearance collection.  It's "real" jade, but can't promise it's natural color.  All of the jade is sold to me as grade A, and I have papers for bulk testing that it is A.  But I don't have a means to test for color. 

The photo on this page is definitely grade A.  Each of the jade bangle bracelets in the "China's Favorite" collection is individually tested, and I paid extra for individual certificates.

I have breakfast every couple weeks with a girlfriend who is also an energy worker, we both do Reiki.  She is also a very Daoist (harmony with nature), natural person.  She loves natural gemstones.  We both love natural opals, crystals and other gemstones.  I was showing her the old front page photo for JBB, and one of the bangles was lavender jade.  It was a bright lavender and I told her it was probably not natural color.  She kept thinking about it, it really appealed to her, and I brought it to her house for her to try on.  It went on her wrist perfectly, and looked "just right" on her.  She glowed with the good energy from it. She told me it doesn't interfere with her Reiki, and gives her a feeling of calmness, deep awareness, peaceful spirit, and wisdom.  She thinks color being natural doesn't matter, because the cotton clothes she wears are dyed to the colors that suit her best, and make her feel good, happy and well.

And I also wear C grade jade bangle bracelets on occasion.  They are "just right" sometimes. And they are real. 

New Chinese "River Jade" Bangle Bracelet Shipment

My jade carver sent me a shipment of jade bangle bracelets he made for me.  Most of them are the Chinese "river jade" bangle bracelets.  These are genuine and natural color, and get there unique color from the minerals in the water near the jade mine. This is China's National Jade, used for centuries before jadeite was introduced in the 19th century.

Chinese "River Jade" Bangle Bracelets

Chinese people who wear jade as "medicine" often wear the river jade because the colors of the jade are associated with the body qi meridians.  The color of the jade helps to balance the body, and balance medical conditions.  

More of these Chinese river jade bangle bracelets will be added to JadeBangleBracelets after they get unpacked and photographed, later this month. 

How does free shipping sound to you?

We'll be closing our store next week while we take some time off.  So we want to offer you a deal today.  Free shipping for USA addresses on all jade bangle bracelets!

Limited time, take advantage of extra savings of free shipping.

My First Jade Bangle Experience

My first trip to China was 1999, to Beijing to learn Chinese medicine with my qigong group.  My qigong master is originally from Beijing, and had contacts there.  During the flight to Beijing, I saw a jade bangle bracelet for the first time, on the wrist of a Chinese flight attendant.  I kept looking at it throughout the flight, and fell in love with jade bangle bracelets. Every time our tour guide took us shopping, I looked at the jade bangle bracelets. I wanted one like the flight attendants: green and translucent.  Little did I know at the time that is the biggest jade tourist trap!

I kept nagging the tour guide to take us to a jade bangle store, and he promised to after our Chinese medicine classes.  But, I just had to have one, now!    So on my way to a restroom after lunch, I saw a woman selling jade bangle bracelets, and bought one that looked just perfect, and priced very low.

Looks nice!

That seller was a classic tourist seller, and when the tour guide saw what I bought, he changed the plans for the afternoon and took us to a jade store.  Where I bought my second jade bangle bracelet. 

I loved the color of the green translucent "jade" bangle in the photo, but at the time I had never touched jade, and didn't know what it should feel like.  And the Chinese medicine education was really teaching me about qi energy.  Touching genuine jade was a life changing experience for me.  And I combined my learning Chinese medicine with learning about jade.  Daoism is the basis of Chinese medicine, yin and yang, feng shui, so jade and Chinese medicine are partners.

The "jade" bangle I first purchased, in the  photo, wasn't jade.  It was quartz.  And color treated.  But I have kept it, and enjoy it.  And it makes me happy when I touch it because of the experience of getting to know about jade bangle bracelets. 

Looking for a large "real" jade bangle bracelet

Jade bangle bracelets for women were made for the small wrist of Chinese and Asian women.  The jade was genuine, natural and high quality.  Chinese women wore Chinese jade bangle bracelets until the 19th century when Burmese jadeite was introduced, and then women who lived in southern China often preferred the jadeite to the Chinese jade because the Chinese jade mines were in the north of China.  "Chinese size" is 50-56mm.

Jade bangle bracelets started gaining popularity when western women visiting or living in China wanted to wear the jade bangle.  But western women often needed a larger jade bangle bracelet.  The men's size jade bangles might be large enough, but were made more "yang" for men, more masculine design, color and overall appearance.

Clever jade carvers in Shanghai, southern China and Hong Kong started making the larger sizes for western women, but knowing "foreigners" didn't understand the qi gemology of jadeite, used lower quality or even fake jade to make these kinds of jade bangles.  They weren't as "pretty" as the expensive high quality jadeite for Chinese women sizes, which would be very expensive if that same high quality of jadeite were used to make these larger sizes.  What many people don't know is that the true imperial old mine jadeite is very precious and expensive.  Jade carvers "gamble" on a rough jade stone, seeing only a small window cut into the jade boulder to know what's actually inside: imperial jade, or colorless cloudy no-color jadeite stone.  So jade carvers used their "gambling losses" of poor quality jadeite boulder to make these larger size jade bangles for "foreigners".  They bleach the jade stone with acid to remove all the spots, odd colors and then impregnate with artificial coloring to make it look "like the real thing", maybe even more pretty.  Keep in mind that gemologists have color enhanced gemstones for years, including diamonds, rubies, emeralds and many other gemstones to enhance their color, so color treating process is acceptable practice with any gemstones.

What's not acceptable practice is not being honest about describing the color enhancements.  And making fake certificates of authenticity to give to the customer.

Soon the color enhanced jade bangles were the kind of jade bangle bracelets that were being sold to foreigners, regardless of size.  If you are a China visitor, and go shopping where the locals shop, you had a better chance of getting a natural color jade bangle, but not in the larger sizes, especially larger than 60mm.

68.5mm carved jadeite bangle bracelet JBB3121

The carved jade bangle in the photo is a large size 68.5mm.  It's carved with the "yang" design of man protecting woman, a larger fish next to a smaller peach (symbol of woman).
The yang deeper green vein with the yin lighter green also indicates it was made for male.
It was sold to us with certification of being natural color, genuine jadeite.  I took it to my jeweler who is a GIA gemologist who thought it was natural color, but offered to send it to the Carlsbad, California GIA gemology testing office for $200 to cover the cost of testing and shipping.  His opinion was it doesn't matter if it's natural or color treated because it's so pretty, rare to find this nice quality in larger sizes. And the prices we sell the larger sizes he thinks are extremely reasonable.  He is surprised to see that larger sizes we sell because he knows that large is rare.  And we did test it to make sure it's genuine jadeite, so it's not "fake jade".   He also showed me that most of the colored gemstones in jewelry he had at the counter are also heat treated to improve the color, but there are no "certificates" to show they are not natural color, just the disclaimer jewelry sellers use to state that it's common practice to enhance color.

So why all the drama around jade?  People who claim B and C grade is not real jade?
Part of the reason is the Chinese seller culture of fakes, knockoffs, and fraud.  As a jade seller, it's difficult to believe the jade I purchased as genuine, natural color, really is.  I've seen jade sellers in China shuffling a large stack of fake certificates they give to customers when they purchase jade in the jade markets.  When we take the photos, we also test each jade bangle with refraction to make sure it's jadeite.  Then it's a gamble, like in China.

Unless we purchase them directly from the jade carver while shopping in China, having tea with them and their family, and spending hours talking with them and making the best deal on jade bangle bracelets that benefits all of us.