The JADE thread!
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Mason Kay has rip-off pricing.
Better with Kathy Jade and Ultimate Jadeite if you want quality pieces that you pay for.
Yokdee is also not bad.
This is one example of ugliness at 5500 usd.
Better with Kathy Jade and Ultimate Jadeite if you want quality pieces that you pay for.
Yokdee is also not bad.
This is one example of ugliness at 5500 usd.
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Aw shucks, sorry to hear this happened to you. I know there was a poster a while back that had this experience and got a partial refund from their seller. The seller claimed ignorance of the color polish as they didnʻt cut/polish the jade themselves. Iʻd be bummed because color is part of what I figure into the price I'm willing to pay. If the color is brighter, deeper, more saturated, then the price goes up, right? That's one of the lessons I learned here to ask about. Because the color polish doesn't change the jade, the claim of "A Jade" still applies, similar to the heating to brighten reds.
Here's a link to the thread: https://forum.purseblog.com/threads/the-reputable-jade-sellers-list.884042/page-27
Are you in the US? What is your budget? What quality are you looking for? Do you want a "brand new" bangle, or are you okay with vintage and "new-to-you" pre-owned?
Mason Kay and Gumps are reliable, but can be little pricey for what it is. If you can afford it, they're great to have peace of mind that your jade is untreated. Katy Briscoe's site mixes it with metals, Neiman Marcus carries David Lin jade - very premium.
Can buyers find equal quality jade at less cost elsewhere? Yes, but it is good have experience and an eye before stepping outside of familiar US retailer names. Otto8 mentions UJ and Kathy Jade; I've had good experiences with both, although I've only purchased lower-end, inexpensive bangles from each.
I also watched Kathy Jade's stocks. They said they provide certs issued by themselves. Well of course self-issued certs can't be trusted all the time. They agree to test it in a 3rd party lab. However they are in Taiwan and I am not aware if there is any reputable lab there. I heard they mentioned Lai Tai An lab. So I hope their jadeites are always grade A?
Also, is there any good way to detect if a grade A bangle is waxed/color powdered without having to buy it, wait 2 weeks for a shipment and test in hot water by ourselves?
While I wouldn't pay the price that Mason Kay is asking for that bangle, I don't think it's ugly. I really like carved bangles and mixed colors. There was an etsy seller awhile back that had carved bangles like that from between $300-800 and I was so in love with all the bangles I got from her. Now I wish I had forked out for a couple more, but I was newer to jade then and still figuring out my tastes. If the MK prices were more like that etsy seller, I would consider this one, haha. The jade will always find its owner.
I also watched Kathy Jade's stocks. They said they provide certs issued by themselves. Well of course self-issued certs can't be trusted all the time. They agree to test it in a 3rd party lab. However they are in Taiwan and I am not aware if there is any reputable lab there. I heard they mentioned Lai Tai An lab. So I hope their jadeites are always grade A?
Also, is there any good way to detect if a grade A bangle is waxed/color powdered without having to buy it, wait 2 weeks for a shipment and test in hot water by ourselves?
You could ask for close, zoomed in pictures? Here's a past thread where we talked about it years ago. There are example pictures, too. https://forum.purseblog.com/threads/qn-on-jade-bangle.754664/page-716
Honestly, I just straight up ask sellers about color polish and heating since the jade still counts as Grade A even with color polish and heating. And I ask about their return/refund policy if it turns out it does have color polish.
Here's a repost pic of the bangles I got from Kathy Jade - both black/gray, the ones closest to my finger tips. A similar facet cut one is on sale on KJ now for about half of what I paid for it. Can't say I'm not tempted to get another to make it a pair.
If you look at the Mason Kay pic, it is a bangle full of dry lines with an unappealing colour. Add the price tag of 5500 usd, even if I love carved jadeite, that 5500 usd bangle really becomes ugly in my eyes.
@Junkenpo , if you look at your pieces, they are not full of brown and dirt lines. Collecting carved jadeite is a wonderful hobby and some of these pieces are lovely, but paying 5500usd for that Mason Kay piece is not a great idea.
Kathy Jade does have good sales, up to 30% off at times and Ultimate Jadeite is not bad too. None of these two vendors will charge you 5500 usd for the Mason Kay bangle. That's why Mason Kay has rip-off pricing for poor quality pieces.
@Junkenpo , if you look at your pieces, they are not full of brown and dirt lines. Collecting carved jadeite is a wonderful hobby and some of these pieces are lovely, but paying 5500usd for that Mason Kay piece is not a great idea.
Kathy Jade does have good sales, up to 30% off at times and Ultimate Jadeite is not bad too. None of these two vendors will charge you 5500 usd for the Mason Kay bangle. That's why Mason Kay has rip-off pricing for poor quality pieces.
Yes in US. Looking for darker blue / green jadeite Grade A size 62mm-63mm if half round and 61mm-62mm if traditional round. $1-$4k range thanks for all the replies and looking at all the suggested sites mentioned. Something like the pic below.
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Looking at the second pic, this is definitely from allaboutjade_sg, you could try contacting their instagram to see if they have any bangles similar to this, although finding a bangle that translucent, with some nice blue colors at 61-62mm aren't easy to find + incredibly expensive unfortunately so I can't help you there, sorry!
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I'm in Singapore and from what I learned from NGI, powdered jade will not be graded as Type A in their certificate. You may want to check with the laboratory that issued the certificate.I also watched Kathy Jade's stocks. They said they provide certs issued by themselves. Well of course self-issued certs can't be trusted all the time. They agree to test it in a 3rd party lab. However they are in Taiwan and I am not aware if there is any reputable lab there. I heard they mentioned Lai Tai An lab. So I hope their jadeites are always grade A?
Also, is there any good way to detect if a grade A bangle is waxed/color powdered without having to buy it, wait 2 weeks for a shipment and test in hot water by ourselves?
I think our difference of opinion goes to show how there is jade for everyone. I like the bangle. I don't think the bangle itself is poor quality. I like the colors, I like the carving. I like the earthniness of colors and the lavender spots together. I think MK's static pictures often make their jade look dry, but I also follow them on insta & in the video shots, the bangles usually look more watery.
That being said, I acknowledge MK overprices most of their jade. I don't think it's a malicious rip-off though; it is more like how a Tiffany & Co engagement ring and sterling jewelry or housewares is overpriced (or any brand name). Some people love Hermes, Tiffany, Cartier, VCA, Bvlgari, Mikimoto, etc... others think all those brands are high-priced rip-offs. With brands, a person pays for the name, design, & assurance that it is what it says it is. A high price doesn't make the jade ugly to me, it just makes me think "I am not the customer for that asking price".
I'm glad we have options.
Oooh! That is a pretty bangle! I would email and ask the sellers if they have any stock not pictured on their sites, and potentially ask to be contacted if they get anything close to your stats/price range in. Good luck on your hunt.
That's good to know, that there are labs out there that test for color polish & include it in the certificate. I hope that other labs also will catch up to that.
Looking at the MK bangle, I feel like it would be unremarkable to find something like this for $300 - $800 asking price. I could see a seller trying to upsell it for $1k - 3k and haggle down. To me, $5.5k is a huge ask without a special provenance.
MK bangle
REPOST of my carved bangles - most expensive was the yellow, from JadeLosAngeles.
MK bangle
REPOST of my carved bangles - most expensive was the yellow, from JadeLosAngeles.
Hello everyone. I hope you all had a Merry Christmas.
It’s been ages since I visited the forum, but I’ve fallen back down the jade rabbit hole and I’m enjoying it immensely
I sadly don’t have a good daylight photo of the bangle I’ve been wearing in my current stack for almost two years now, so it’s just an indoor shot of my pride and joy. Bought for me by my partner in Shenzhen whilst on a business trip.
I’m wearing it with a stainless steel bangle engraved with my boys’ names, a simple black rubber buffer, and a skinny one I use to tie my hair up in a pinch.
Sometimes I feel like I should make a switch up, but I love the simplicity of this.
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I wanted to ask you all if there is anywhere to share an appreciation of other stones.
I’ve been investigating stones that have decent wearability, and the combined strength and tenacity of chalcedony seemed to fit the bill.
Looked into this stone and it’s variations a little, and came across some amazing examples. I especially love ocean jasper, blossom/Sakura agate, and the gem silica chalcedony.
Does anyone else here enjoy these stones or own examples of them?
hihi ! Lol I saw your last paragraph about Chalcedony and my ears perked Up !
I recently purchased a lavender chalcedony . Chalcedony and agate are the same category , but chalcedony called 玉髓 yu(4) sui(2) while Agate is ma (2) nao(3) in mandarin . Chalcedony is the clear variety , while agate tend to have banded striations and patterns
Chalcedony is widely in abundance in various part of the world , and not expensive due to its abundance .
However , the garden variety is quite cheap ( read : grayish variety ) . Many in the market are dyed or heated with dyes added to create exotics colors etc .
The more unique varieties are lavender chalcedony / bluish chalcedony from Turkey etc . These , the natural ones without any form of dyes or chemical treatments tend to fetch much more premium prices than the garden variety ( not as expensive as jade still ). Or those which are artificially dyed .
I recently bought one . It has the hardness of jade around 6.5/7 . However , I was told that it is not as resistant to heat so careful when it comes to wearing it while cookingor taking a very hot bath etc .
I figure I probably never be able to afford a natural lavender jadeite bangle in this shade or translucence . So why not just get a chalcedony for the fun of it haha .
my lavender chalcedony bangle . Wearing it with pink sapphire
You have the prettiest bangles Bernie! The lavender is sublime, very glowy! Is it a chubby princess or a D shape?
I like chalcedony, too. I have 2 lightly tan/gray ones, from suzanne_corner, and one carved white one I think I got from etsy. I'm pretty sure that one is treated in some way as I see them all over aliexpress. All were very inexpensive. I would love to find a chubby one in a light blue or a lace agate pattern. Any sellers you can suggest?
Repost of my agate (and one jadeite, the largest one)
And repost modeling pic
I like chalcedony, too. I have 2 lightly tan/gray ones, from suzanne_corner, and one carved white one I think I got from etsy. I'm pretty sure that one is treated in some way as I see them all over aliexpress. All were very inexpensive. I would love to find a chubby one in a light blue or a lace agate pattern. Any sellers you can suggest?
Repost of my agate (and one jadeite, the largest one)
And repost modeling pic