What is the meaning of a jade bangle?

One of the most frequent questions I receive is "what is the meaning of my jade bangle bracelet". Jade is an important part of Chinese culture, and Chinese people are known to have ancient stories and meanings.

Jade is believed to be closely related to the human body, and the jade qi energy and the body qi energy flow between each other. Asian people often give a gift of a jade piece they wear all the time, because they believe that the jade has become part of them and by giving it to a family member or close friend, they are giving a part of themselves.

Jade qi helps to balance the body, and the body qi flows into the jade. If you are healthy and happy, your jade that you wear every day will become more beautiful as you wear it. If you see your jade looking dull or flat, you might want to take extra care of your health, because perhaps you are getting ill.

Jade is believed to protect the person who wears it. I have received many emails from women who are looking for a new jade bangle to replace the jade bangle they wore all the time because it broke during an accident, and their stories often tell that they were so surprised that they were not injured. Only damage was the jade bangle breaking. A women told me a story about being in the hospital with serious cardiac illness she was not expected to survive. She was wearing her always-present red jade bangle bracelet. As the doctor thought she was going to die, suddenly her jade bangle spontaneously broke in several pieces, and she immediately started getting well, and recovered. There are many stories about jade protecting a person who wears it.

It is considered very lucky to receive a gift of jade. And it's also very lucky to give a gift of jade. Jade is a popular gift to give and receive around the New Year, with both the giver and receiver having good luck for the year, and longer.

Natural jade colors are green, which is the most common color, and then more rare are the colors of white, lavender, red, often described as "hong", and yellow, which are caused by other minerals in the jade stone. Black jade is often very dark green jade, but black jade color is rare, often seen as charcoal. Jade is a natural stone, has lots of lines, fissures that look like small cracks but are not damage, and as moisture and other minerals seep through it, the different colors are made. The minerals that make the colors are part of the qi energy and represent different energies:

• Green jade has energy for healing mind and body, calmness and balance and love. Light green is more yin qi, and darker green is more yang energy
• White jade has the pure energy of the universe, and helps us develop deep wisdom from within, and calms our spirit
• Lavender jade is often reserved for older women in Chinese culture, and has energy for inner peace, spiritual awareness and is often used for meditation and balance, and is a teacher of all things
• "Hong" jade, red/orange color, has energy for protection and safety, success, confidence, courage and happiness
• Yellow jade qi augments happiness, prosperity, spiritual growth and satisfaction in life
• Black jade is very yang, and the carvers try to make each piece with only a small amount of black. Black jade is used by martial artists, those who play tai chi and qigong, to build up the body qi.

Some jade bangle bracelets are carved, and the carvings have symbolic meanings:

• Dragon is yang and male, the protector
• Phoenix is yin and female, nurturer and compassion
• Dragon and phoenix together symbolize yin and yang, the Dao, balance
• Bat is the symbol of happiness
• Lingzhi is immortal plant, for longevity and long life
• Bamboo is symbolic of flexibility and hidden strength
• Coins and yuan bao are symbolic of good fortune
• Pixiu is fun loving, and a protector, used often by gamblers
• Monkey is a trickster, but also protector of humans
• Flowers are yin, feminine
• The swastika is symbol of Buddhism
• Peaches are symbols of longevity and female sexuality
• Mandarin ducks symbolize mating for life
• A pearl is often seen with a dragon, and dragon phoenix combination. Chinese people believe they are descendants from the dragon and phoenix, and the pearl represents humankind

Wearing a jade bangle that fits close to your wrist and bumps the bones on your wrist stimulates acupuncture points that are located around the wrist bone, and keep the qi flowing smoothly for health and youthfulness.

So wear you jade, and know you are wearing a stone that is very personal to your body. Jade is not only beautiful, but has deep meanings that can enrich your life and balance your body, mind and spirit.