The JADE thread!

[Junkenpo]

Showing how tight a fit it is… my entire hand just about fits in when totally squished… it is extremely tight with no space. That is how tight it can be.

What a great pic tutorial! You should post it as a reference thread in the Jewelry Reference subforum.

I miss being able to swap out bangles. I gotta lose weight. That's it, I'm getting back down to a weight where I can get 'Ope'ape'a off. I love the bangle and the carvings on it, but I miss being able to wear my others.

Additionally, comparing the way four of your fingers fit side-by-side with the bangle over them vs. how there's just no room for my pinky to stay next to my ring finger... I'm even more apprehensive, lol. But who knows?? Maybe I'll work up the courage!

This might apply more for those with thinner, or more flexible hands, but another guideline for fit is the three knuckles of the pointer, middle, and ring fingers. These should fit the inner diameter of the bangle. If you have thin wrists and thin, flexible hands, the three knuckles are about the width of your wrist bones. After I gained weight, while my hands are still flexible, the fleshy part of my hand below the thumb and pinky are too fat for easy on/off.

I like to name my bangles, so this is "PL" or Pale Lavender, 51mm. This is the one that got stuck on my right hand, and then only was worn on the left. My right hand is fleshier and also less flexible than my left. I probably have to lose at least 20-25lbs before I can wear her again.

This black, carved below I named 'Ope'ape'a which is the Hawaiian name for the Hawaiian Hoary Bat. This pic is a repost from 7 years ago. It's paired with "DW" or Dishwater. DW is 51.5mm, and while I can get my thumb joint under, my hand is too fat. It would get stuck on like Bat is now. I want to say that Bat is 52mm. I have to lose about 10lbs to get to the weight I was in 2020.

Pics today of DW and 3 vs 4 fingers.

Haha... now that I'm off to play with my bangles. Be ready to indulge me when I post more pics later.

 

[BebopOnBlades]

What a great pic tutorial! You should post it as a reference thread in the Jewelry Reference subforum.

I miss being able to swap out bangles. I gotta lose weight. That's it, I'm getting back down to a weight where I can get 'Ope'ape'a off. I love the bangle and the carvings on it, but I miss being able to wear my others.




This might apply more for those with thinner, or more flexible hands, but another guideline for fit is the three knuckles of the pointer, middle, and ring fingers. These should fit the inner diameter of the bangle. If you have thin wrists and thin, flexible hands, the three knuckles are about the width of your wrist bones. After I gained weight, while my hands are still flexible, the fleshy part of my hand below the thumb and pinky are too fat for easy on/off.

I like to name my bangles, so this is "PL" or Pale Lavender, 51mm. This is the one that got stuck on my right hand, and then only was worn on the left. My right hand is fleshier and also less flexible than my left. I probably have to lose at least 20-25lbs before I can wear her again.

This black, carved below I named 'Ope'ape'a which is the Hawaiian name for the Hawaiian Hoary Bat. This pic is a repost from 7 years ago. It's paired with "DW" or Dishwater. DW is 51.5mm, and while I can get my thumb joint under, my hand is too fat. It would get stuck on like Bat is now. I want to say that Bat is 52mm. I have to lose about 10lbs to get to the weight I was in 2020.

Pics today of DW and 3 vs 4 fingers.

Haha... now that I'm off to play with my bangles. Be ready to indulge me when I post more pics later.

Junkenpo, your pieces are all so gorgeous. And 'Ope'ape'a is so spectacular, I suppose if you had to have ONE stuck on you for a while, that's a pretty good bangle to get stuck with.

Do take a peep at my latest update just before this reply, as I managed to get one of my bangles on! I'm in jade heaven right now and am absolutely obsessed with how well I think this one is going to match a lot of what I wear. I originally wanted to find my "one and only" that I wear forever, but I couldn't choose between the two I wound up getting from matsalice on eBay (that reminds me, I need to update her that I'll be keeping these bangles, after all)... and then I bought one a couple sizes up from Ultimate Jadeite on Etsy, so.... I think I'll rotate them out each month and try to give them all equal attention.

 

[Junkenpo]

Okay, I did it!! Lathered up, and you were sooo right! My thumb is not speaking to me right now, but I did manage to get one of the bangles on! I might just leave it there for a while (at least until my hand stops screaming at me).

Do take a peep at my latest update just before this reply, as I managed to get one of my bangles on! I'm in jade heaven right now and am absolutely obsessed with how well I think this one is going to match a lot of what I wear. I originally wanted to find my "one and only" that I wear forever, but I couldn't choose between the two I wound up getting from matsalice on eBay (that reminds me, I need to update her that I'll be keeping these bangles, after all)... and then I bought one a couple sizes up from Ultimate Jadeite on Etsy, so.... I think I'll rotate them out each month and try to give them all equal attention.

Yay! Congrats! Your bangle looks gorgeous! It looks terrific stacked with your metal bangle. Also congrats on starting your collection of bangles. Jade is a little bit of a slippery slope that way when you're trying to find sizes and colors. It's good to have a bit of variety, that way you can match your mood or your outfits or (for me) consider any water retention for the day. You can wear one per wrist or multiple if you want to stack.

I usually only wear the one bangle on my left, since I usually wear my watch on my right, but maybe I'll stack the watch with Bat on the left and see what bangles still fit on the right. You and Icyjade have inspired me.

 

[Icyjade]

Okay, I did it!! Lathered up, and you were sooo right! My thumb is not speaking to me right now, but I did manage to get one of the bangles on! I might just leave it there for a while (at least until my hand stops screaming at me). I'm a little unsure of showering with the vintage metal bangle on (I've never showered with it on before, but it's a daily driver of mine, so I'm fine with it being stuck there for a while otherwise), but it's just going to have to happen, lol.

Thank you to everyone for the tips and words of encouragement! I did purchase another bangle almost 2 mm larger than the two I bought from this seller, and I'm very excited for it, because it's in a kiwi skin color that surprised me with how much it called to me... but of course, now I'm worried it's going to be larger than I prefer... oh, well. I'll tell you what, my jade journey has been fast and furious, and I've learned a lot the hard way, but it's been worth it thus far!View attachment 5538861View attachment 5538862

Yay! So glad it helps! I find that online there is no good illustration of how tight you can/should squeeze so I created these pics a few years ago.

Two things…
1. It does look like you can go even smaller based on how big the gap is in this pic. Maybe another 1-2 mm more at least…


2. What is this horrifying looking crack? Can you feel it with your nail? If yes pls return as it’s a big no-no. The bangle is not durable and will easily break. Plus long cracks are just a big nope.


@Junkenpo am still so envious of your relatively small hands. Hope you manage to get the bangle out soon!

 

[BebopOnBlades]

Yay! So glad it helps! I find that online there is no good illustration of how tight you can/should squeeze so I created these pics a few years ago.

Two things…
1. It does look like you can go even smaller based on how big the gap is in this pic. Maybe another 1-2 mm more at least…
View attachment 5539132

2. What is this horrifying looking crack? Can you feel it with your nail? If yes pls return as it’s a big no-no. The bangle is not durable and will easily break. Plus long cracks are just a big nope.
View attachment 5539133

@Junkenpo am still so envious of your relatively small hands. Hope you manage to get the bangle out soon!

Oh, that's a stone line. Can't be felt with your fingernail at all, and the seller was very upfront about the flaws. This particular bangle was very inexpensive because of the imperfections. I don't mind them, though. This inexpensive bangle educated me about size and color preferences, so it was a useful purchase! I do have a more premium piece on the way from another source, but I've learned I don't mind more opaque pieces with imperfections. I also didn't think I was particularly drawn to this color until I saw it in person, and now I think it's among my favorite shades!

 

[Icyjade]

Oh, that's a stone line. Can't be felt with your fingernail at all, and the seller was very upfront about the flaws. This particular bangle was very inexpensive because of the imperfections. I don't mind them, though. This inexpensive bangle educated me about size and color preferences, so it was a useful purchase! I do have a more premium piece on the way from another source, but I've learned I don't mind more opaque pieces with imperfections. I also didn't think I was particularly drawn to this color until I saw it in person, and now I think it's among my favorite shades!

Ok ok if you knew about and don’t mind then that’s fine. Didn’t want you to be cheated. You may also want to try different bangle shapes to see which ones you prefer. Like I much prefer Princess bangles over Ds but others are the reverse. You sort of need to try to know. Just fyi that with Princess you can go 1-2mm smaller than Ds. So like if for D you can go down to 58, with Princess you can try 56-57mm.

 

[Junkenpo]

Yay! So glad it helps! I find that online there is no good illustration of how tight you can/should squeeze so I created these pics a few years ago.

Two things…
1. It does look like you can go even smaller based on how big the gap is in this pic. Maybe another 1-2 mm more at least…


2. What is this horrifying looking crack? Can you feel it with your nail? If yes pls return as it’s a big no-no. The bangle is not durable and will easily break. Plus long cracks are just a big nope.


@Junkenpo am still so envious of your relatively small hands. Hope you manage to get the bangle out soon!

Tiny hands and tiny feet because I'm short. It makes the weight gain very unflattering, but my husband is too good a cook! Haha. Fingers crossed, if I buckle down, I'll probably be able to get it off by October.

Oh, that's a stone line. Can't be felt with your fingernail at all, and the seller was very upfront about the flaws. This particular bangle was very inexpensive because of the imperfections. I don't mind them, though. This inexpensive bangle educated me about size and color preferences, so it was a useful purchase! I do have a more premium piece on the way from another source, but I've learned I don't mind more opaque pieces with imperfections. I also didn't think I was particularly drawn to this color until I saw it in person, and now I think it's among my favorite shades!

Most of my pieces are opaque and quite a number have stone lines. I find that as long as they still have a chime, I'm comfortable in their sturdiness, whether or not the stone line is surface reaching. If it runs parallel like yours, I worry less. If it is perpendicular, that might be a problem, especially with no chime. I had one cheap bangle that had no chime and broke the first time I tried it on. The seller refunded me. I have another lovely-looking bangle that was very discounted because of 3 stone lines that are likely cracks. The seller was upfront about the flaws. I'm going to have it banded at some point in the future.

Jade finds its owner!

 

[Junkenpo]

On to some photos!

Yesterday, I pulled out some of my larger bangles. I'm not sure what the inner diameters are for most of them. For carved bangles, I fuss less about fit. When I was skinnier, I didn't really keep track of size, if they were over 52mm I knew they would fit. I went looking for my calipers yesterday, but I can't find them. I'm guessing larger than 54.7mm, since the first bangle I ordered from UJ was that size. I named First Princess. She was too big, but now that I'm fat, at least I can get her on/off without soap or lotion for either hand.

Here is the bangle that started my collection.

 

[Junkenpo]

And here is my faceted black bangle. The diameter is wider than FP, but FP is easier to get on.

 

[Junkenpo]

I was outside in the garage to take advantage of the natural light, but it was so hot and humid I had to give up after 2 bangles. I'll see if I can do some more later today.

 

[BebopOnBlades]

Tiny hands and tiny feet because I'm short. It makes the weight gain very unflattering, but my husband is too good a cook! Haha. Fingers crossed, if I buckle down, I'll probably be able to get it off by October.



Most of my pieces are opaque and quite a number have stone lines. I find that as long as they still have a chime, I'm comfortable in their sturdiness, whether or not the stone line is surface reaching. If it runs parallel like yours, I worry less. If it is perpendicular, that might be a problem, especially with no chime. I had one cheap bangle that had no chime and broke the first time I tried it on. The seller refunded me. I have another lovely-looking bangle that was very discounted because of 3 stone lines that are likely cracks. The seller was upfront about the flaws. I'm going to have it banded at some point in the future.

Jade finds its owner!

Loving the pictures! Always excited to see others' collections.

I love the sentiment that the jade finds the wearer. When I first started looking into jade bangles, I got all starry eyed over the amazing translucent pieces and thought I'd never be satisfied with anything less, lol. I (and my wallet) am super pleased to learn I like all kinds of jade. Of course, I still have my dream "maybe some day" pieces, but I'm also satisfied with less than perfect stones in the meantime!

I look forward to seeing more of your collection when the weather allows! And I'm excited to be able share my little splurge piece that's racing its way here from Ultimate Jadeite (I'm positively SHOCKED at how quickly it's moving through the mail system)!

 

[Junkenpo]

....The closest I've seen to the orange and white bangle I fell in love with and picked up are some beautiful estate pieces that are hinged... but also come at a beautiful price I'm not quite ready to kick forth.

Is your orange and white dream bangle translucent or opaque? Agate bangles are sometimes orangy and can have great translucence. The really bright ones are usually heat-enhanced. This one jogged my memory about this comment as I was looking through etsy (I know it is too small, sorry).

 

[SmokieDragon]

Oh, no, friends. I was sooo excited for my bangles from matsalice (eBay) to arrive. I stalked the mailbox all day, and they're here! I read so many articles on measuring and watched several videos for figuring out the right bangle size, and these 58 mm bangles are NOT wanting to go on. I started to attempt to put one on using a plastic bag, and I think I can make it work, but I'm super nervous about being able to get off again.

What would you do? I love them both so much, and I think it's like how they fit once they get past my hand, but again... I'm a little concerned I wouldn't be able to escape them.

UPDATE: Each time I try to put one of the bangles on, it makes less and less progress towards making it to my wrist (pretty sure this means my hand is swelling in protest). Sigh... I guess I have to come to terms with the fact that I'll have to ask the buyer if they'll take exchanges due to size (I'm pretty sure they do), but I'm super sad, because I obviously liked these the most.

View attachment 5525198

View attachment 5525199

Please see this chart. It helped me with my sizing. I wanted a looser fit so I added 1-2mm more to the chart’s readings.

 

[SmokieDragon]

I r

Oh with plastic bag/gloves it’s much harder imo than just plain soap and water. It think the plastic adds like 0.5 to 1mm…

It does take a bit of practice but over time I’ve managed to wear smaller bangles and that’s without bruising my hand.

See how small this bangle is vs my hand? impossible to wear without soaping up.
View attachment 5530914

Showing how tight a fit it is… my entire hand just about fits in when totally squished… it is extremely tight with no space. That is how tight it can be.
View attachment 5530915

The crux as I’ve learnt from jadeite vendors is the joint at the base of the thumb. Once the bangle can get over that joint (which can be a bit of a struggle), then the bangle can be worn… you may need to press on the joint a bit to push it through. Absolutely normal to press. They do it in the stores too when I try on bangles.
View attachment 5530916

Some things I’ve found that helps…
1. Cold hands (smaller, less swollen, etc)
2. Relaxing the hands/muscles. Ok it can be hard and I still have a tendency to tense up when it’s a tight fit but once I consciously relax my hand muscles, usually the bangle can slide right in. Cannot emphasise relaxing the hand muscles enough. This is really the key.
3. Doing over a bed or soft surface (like carpet) so there is no fear factor of dropping the bangle. This is more of when I was quite inexperienced and was quite afraid. Now I just do it over the sink/anywhere but when I first started doing over a soft surface really gave me a peace of mind to push the bangle hard.

The white bangle is a bit too big and I can take it on/off very easily. Traditionally jadeite bangles should be worn as tight fitting as possible or so I’ve been told.
View attachment 5530917

I really salute you for taking these photos while putting on your bangle!!

 

[BebopOnBlades]

Is your orange and white dream bangle translucent or opaque? Agate bangles are sometimes orangy and can have great translucence. The really bright ones are usually heat-enhanced. This one jogged my memory about this comment as I was looking through etsy (I know it is too small, sorry).

Hmm... I suppose it would be a little translucent, ideally. But I think I've actually discovered that I like the somewhat muddy greens best, which I never would've guessed!

Here's my newest, which I got from Ultimate Jadeite! One picture of it on my wrist, the other from the listing (since that's a much better quality photo, haha). Color described as "kiwi skin." It's 59.9mm, and although I actually prefer the fit of the 58mm, it is nice to have a piece that's a bit easier to put on and take off. That said, I think if I got more in the future, I'd go closer to 58mm again, which is hilarious considering how heartbroken I was when I initially thought I'd never be able to wear them, lol