Be extra careful trying Jade bangles.....

[Seaglow]

This happened! A tourist broke a bangle worth thousands of dollars trying it at a shop.

http://app.scmp.com/scmp/mobile/index.html#/article/2100326/desktop

 

[theredspinel]

Oh nooooooooo!!!!!!

 

[mochiko42]

Oww, that's painful. Although Chinese people say that the jade bangle is supposed to protect the wearer and it is supposed to break by absorbing the damage instead of you, how awful when she was just trying it on in the store!!

 

[Burmesedaze]

It's really plain bad luck

 

[Tourmaline]

She didn't do something malicious. The store owner should have insurance for that.

 

[mochiko42]

I read in Chinese media reports that it was in an open air market stall in Ruili, Yunnan, near the border with Burma, so not a proper jewelry store. Also, some opinions is that it is a scam by the stall owner.. Looking at the bangle, I would guess that its value was nowhere near 300,000 rmb. I've seen 300,000 rmb jade jewelry and that does not look like it!

 

[Seaglow]

According to the article, a third party was called to assess the value of the bangle under government supervision and it was valued at 180,000 yuan, that is still around $26k....still a lot for a broken bangle!

 

[Burmesedaze]

Do the open air stalls in Ruili sell really high end stuff? Certainly not the ones this side of the Ruili/Shweli River.

 

[Bluegemz]

Do the open air stalls in Ruili sell really high end stuff? Certainly not the ones this side of the Ruili/Shweli River.

That's what I was wondering too!

 

[stracci2000]

Too bad the bracelet is broken, but it seems way overpriced. I guess I would faint, too!

 

[pregcurious]

What a nightmare!

 

[normanintheskywithsapphires]

sounds like a tourist scam. Perhaps they now sit in a hell-whole prison until they come up with 26k.. And people say internet shopppiing is risky!!!

 

[Bluegemz]

I went to a jade store yesterday, and even though I was buying a bangle, they would not let me try it on until I had paid for it. A new store policy. Perhaps this scenario of breaking a bangle is all too common? Still, don't they have insurance?

 

[Arkteia]

I read that jade easily scratches, but is very tough. How easy is it to break such a tough item? Maybe it was still impregnated with something, thus being less tough than expected?

 

[Bluegemz]

I read that jade easily scratches, but is very tough. How easy is it to break such a tough item? Maybe it was still impregnated with something, thus being less tough than expected?

I believe that untreated jadeite bangles are sometimes susceptible to breaking if dropped on a concrete or stone floors. There are many types of jadeite crystals, from large and sugary, like salt crystals, to microscopic. It depends on how they are intergrown and the silica between them, since there is s huge range being an agglomerate stone. It also may have to do with having unsealed, inner fissures which are hard to see the surface. Cut and thickness all play a part too.
Nephrite jade bangles are much tougher in this way due to the elongated, hair like crystal structure, which makes it flexible and tough like a suspension bridge. My jade artist friend dropped an Edwards black bangle on the concrete floor, and it just bounced around a few times like a rubber ball! Still, if nephrite jade is cut in the wrong way, not with the grain of the crystals, or there are unhealed fissures inside, this strength and toughness will be diminished.

 

[Arkteia]

but if it has unsealed inner fissures, such jade is probably should cost less that 30K euro?

What defines the price? The color? Because the broken one is not that coveted apple-green

 

[Bluegemz]

but if it has unsealed inner fissures, such jade is probably should cost less that 30K euro?

What defines the price? The color? Because the broken one is not that coveted apple-green

Arkteia, in terms of hardness and toughness, even a sapphire, which has much less mass, can be damaged getting dropped onto a hard floor. Re fissures, my best explanation, from what I have experienced and learned is that these unhealed fissures can be very hard to see from the outside. Most jadeite is full of stone lines, which are like folds in the crystal matrix, (these are not cracks), fissures, both healed, unhealed and semi healed, and cracks. This is because jadeite is formed in tectonic subduction of one plate under another. The crystals grow and are compressed together under enormous pressure for millions of years. Then, the jade is pushed back up through the crust of the earth in mountains , in 'jade dikes'. With such a rough birth, there are many fissures. Bangles are typically expensive because it's rare to have this area of jade, relatively crack and fissure free.

Even high end bangles usually have a few, but they are very fine, internal and not easily seen. The bangle's price comes from the fact that it had a very fine grain, even translucency, smooth color fade, colors free of grey and brown, and a very desirable apple green color. Each of these qualities adds exponential value to the price. Having one or two of these qualities in a bangle may be not so hard to find, but having all of these good qualities makes it much more rare.( personally, without seeing the bangle, I could not begin to guess if this price was an inflated or truly a fair price.)

In terms of price, the bangle was expensive, but not so extreme in relation to the price of jadeite bangles. Jadeite is now considered one of the most valuable gemstones in the world. Many can be much more expensive than this. It is not uncommon to find bangles for 50k, 100k, and up. Just to give perspective, some bangles sell for millions if they are imperial green, vivid lavender, or very ice like. I hope this answers your question!