@suchi , in my collecting, bangles came first and other pieces later. I think because bangles have such iconic purity and beauty, and maybe they set the stage for what accessories should come next.
Now, since I have bangles, I really love the cabochons in rings and pendants. The Gem quality cabs come from small seams in the boulder of very high quality material, which usually only come in small seams. This stuff is usually made into cabs for this reason. One gets less jade, but often they are more saturated, finer grain, very translucent etc. a good cab can pack a powerful punch of color and beauty.
Re nephrite, it is more than fine for 24/7 wear. In fact, it is tougher than jadeite. Allan once dropped a chunk of Edwards black on the concrete floor of his studio and it just bounced a few times. Jadeite would likely shatter or crack. Though jadeite is slightly harder, it is more brittle .the toughness of nephrite is truly amazing. This has to do with long, hair like crystals that weave together. They give flexibility, much like a suspension bridge is able to move and sway with wind and water. Cutting is important, because if one cuts against the grain, as in the crystals only run the short length, across the width of the bangle, the strength is greatly reduced. Whereas with the grain, the crystals run along the circular Shape of the bangle. Experienced cutters such as Allan know the difference. Crystals in jadeite are like little compressed tiles and are less resistant to sudden bangs and knocks.
I will say that surface luster can wear more easily in nephrite than with jadeite, but Allan can always do a buff up after years if this shows. Some love a more matt look with fine nephrite anyway, as evidenced by matt polish nephrite pieces. It’s not the shine, but the glow which is so beautiful in nephrite.
Did you collect these jade pieces there? Are you going to have them made into something?
