Jade Necklaces/Pearls

[MAGreen]

Well, tonight's auction was mostly furniture and jade. I did get one strand of black pearls. They are large pearls, around 12-14mm. I wil post pics when I get the chance. I just got home a little while ago, and it is around 1am here. Bedtime! Hope you all have a great day!

[njsweetp]

Mary Ann -

I just heard about the earthquake that struck somewhere near you - please check in and let us know you
are alright!!!  Sending prayers your way!

[Neversleepsawink;)]

Mary Ann -

I just heard about the earthquake that struck somewhere near you - please check in and let us know you
are alright!!!  Sending prayers your way!

Wow....please let us know you are okay.

[desilu]

I want the black pearls! 

[Sugar]

Mary Ann -

I just heard about the earthquake that struck somewhere near you - please check in and let us know you
are alright!!!  Sending prayers your way!

Where is Mary Ann from?

[Susan in VA]

She's currently in Okinawa. 

As for her checking in....  part of a current CNN report says:

"The quake was felt on Okinawa, with shaking that lasted about 15 seconds, said Lt. Col. Daniel King of the U.S. Pacific Command. He told CNN that commanders in Japan and Hawaii were trying to get damage and casualty reports from U.S. military stations on Okinawa, but had heard nothing in the immediate aftermath."

Sounds like maybe there's some problem with communications?  If even the military isn't getting info out, I'd be surprised if Mary Ann is able to get online.   

[F1Wild]

I just got a PM from Mary Ann just a bit ago regarding a purchase - so she must be fine and communication not limited.   

[MAGreen]

Nothing major here. It really wasn't that bad. May have knocked some pictures off walls but I haven't heard anything about anyone getting hurt. Woke us all up and scared the cr@p out me, but my son slept through it and I went right back to bed after checking on the kids and looking outside. It's been a quiet day here. I slept for most of it and cuddled with the hubby and watched movies for the rest! There was some concern about a tsunami, but nothing happened. I did hear the communications were out for a bit this morning, but by the time I got up everything was up and running again!
I have 4 requests for the pearls already...I will go figure out who got there first...
And the winner is Kindle Gracie! Since I had such a huge reaction, I will add them to my watch list and hopefully pick up some more next time!

[MAGreen]

So, I wanted to add that last nights auction was sooooo amazing! The jade that was sold was really incredible and the prices were amazing. I got a couple of small pieces, but I didn't have the cash to get any of the really nice pieces. That, however, didn't stop me from coming home with one. One of my friends at the auction bought me a pair of large jade Shisa. The Shisa are a lion/dog cross that are protectors. They are often called Temple Dogs. They are given to friends and family to guard the home. They come in pairs, one male with an open mouth to defend against and trap evil spirits and a female with her mouth closed to protect the good spirits within. I will post pictures when I get a chance. I will have to try to get pics of my whole jade collection. The history and culture here are so wonderful. Different fairy tales, myths, legends, and beliefs. A while different way to interact with people. Courtesy, respect, and honor are very important here. Tipping is not accepted. Bowing is normal and everyone is nice, or at least polite. I am loving it! If you ever get the chance to visit, do it! It is well worth it to come here.

[Someone Nameless]

How interesting Mary Ann!  I may have missed if you talked about this - are you not from there?  How long have you lived there?

[MAGreen]

How interesting Mary Ann!  I may have missed if you talked about this - are you not from there?  How long have you lived there?

My husband is Navy. We got stationed here almost 6 months ago. I am from San Diego myself, and my husband is from Washington state. I had never done much traveling before I met my husband. We met at a party and a month later I was 1800 miles from home living in Tennessee, got married 5 months after that and headed to Jacksonville, FL. Now I am in Japan. It's a fun life. We've been married 3 and half years now, and have two great kids (well, I had one before I met him). We are working on a third, but then I am done! I have been blessed in so many ways and I love getting to share my fortune with others!

[Someone Nameless]

That is so cool! What a windswept and interesting life you have.  We thank you for sharing with us!

[drenee]

Mary Ann, do you know how long it takes for a package to get to the States? 
It's silly for me to start looking for a package already, but I know I'll drive myself
crazy next week.
deb

[Someone Nameless]

hehehe...I was wondering the same thing.   

[Neversleepsawink;)]

Glad to hear you are okay.  I wanted to let you know I got my butterfly earrings yesterday.  They are even prettier in person.  LOVE THEM!!!!  I can't wait to buy more.  I am so excited I just opened my own Avon e-site store...hopefully this will allow some extra cash for spending on jewelry.   I hope I'm allowed to advertise here on the boards...just waiting on the approval.

[OwlEyez]

Mary Ann,
Put my name on the wishlist for the lion/dogs - sounds like my Pekingese!  Pictures please!!!!

Cheri

[GreenThumb]

Mary Ann, do you know how long it takes for a package to get to the States? 
It's silly for me to start looking for a package already, but I know I'll drive myself
crazy next week.
deb

Mary Ann sent me a PM on 2/11 to tell me the pearls were on the way (Japan to Washington State), and I posted on 2/18 that I had them.  So it took a week for me to get mine.  Way faster than I thought it would be!  Hope that helps, Deb!

[F1Wild]

I just got the pendant & earring set and they are beautiful.  I can't remember when they were sent, but sure made my day when thy arrived. Cheers Mary Ann!!!

[drenee]

Mary Ann sent me a PM on 2/11 to tell me the pearls were on the way (Japan to Washington State), and I posted on 2/18 that I had them.  So it took a week for me to get mine.  Way faster than I thought it would be!  Hope that helps, Deb!

Thank you very much...that does help.  Hopefully I can have mine by the end of this week.
I got a set of pink pearls.  I want to celebrate the end of my treatment by going to a very nice
restaurant a few miles from here, and I want to wear my new pearls.
deb

[OwlEyez]

Mary Ann,
My necklace (jade koi) came in today's mail - it's georgeous!!!  I love it.

Cheri aka OwlEyez


This package made it to Ohio in 5 days!

[MAGreen]

Between 3 days and two weeks! How's that for an answer? Being overseas means we have to wait on airmail, and they won't fly until they have a full load. They will delay up to three days before leaving the island. It doesn't happen very often, usually they have more than they can take in one load...which can also cause delays in delivery since that means it will have to wait for the next mail plane to take off. Lately, it has been closer to a week. I have a couple things going out on Monday, tomorrow, and with the way the mail has been I would expect to start hearing rave reviews by Friday!  Since they land in California, it doesn't take long for west coast to get mail, but the farther east the longer it takes!

Hearing how much you all love what I sent, makes me feel good! I am so happy that you are enjoying this and I will continue doing it as long as I can! It has been a fun way to put money in my Amazon account without buying myself gift cards, and a great way to get to go shopping way more than I could afford to!

And my pics are uploaded! Here they come....

[Someone Nameless]

Well darn it, I'm waaaay East....but I'll survive.  I can wait...I think.   

[MAGreen]

In the back is a Gwan Yin, goddess of mercy and something else. The one in front is a griffin that I got for my husband for our 3 year anniversary, the colors don't show too well, but he is a really beautiful mottled spinach green with a few lavender spots. There's also my vase, with cranes and lotus blossoms on the back, it has a strand of jade beads on it. It is actually hollowed out so it can be used to hold flowers. In front of that is a small white jade Buddha. And then a couple flowers, and an agate Buddha necklace.


This is a few of my Shisa and Fu dogs. The back corner ones are made of Hunan, or common jade. I just thought they would make nice bookends! They are classic Fu dogs. In front of them is a pair of small jade Shisa. The jade versions always have the mouth open, but the male's tounge will be out. The one in the middle is very special. It is an imperial stamp. Way back when, it would have been carved on the bottom with the signature of an important person and used to stamp documents. The back of the Shisa has a section of Imperial green jade. The coloring alone makes it so rare that only royalty would have ever been able to afford it. Of course with new ways of mining it's not as rare, but it still isn't common.


And these are my horses! The one in back is hunan jade again, I am still looking for a second one to make a pair. The front is 6 horses, galloping in lucky clouds. Again, the picture does no justice to the colors. The back two horses have an incredible ammount of lavender and touches of apple green. the middle ones are mottled with spinach green and black, and the front are mostly white with more bits of apple green.
In the very front are some of my little jade bits. A couple bangles, a strand of old jade (meaning it came from the back of the mine and it has darker color) beads, a couple small Shisa, and a "dragon pig". Hanging on my horses is a jade bamboo carving.


These are my new puppies! Aren't they wonderful! I should have set something beside them so you could see how large they are! A wonderful gift!


The lavender really doesn't show well in the pictures, but he has a lavender nostril! The bi-color jade is highly prized and with such a clear dilineation makes it very special, with the black and white with green touches. Ignore the tag on it, they always jack up the "retail" price to get higher bids. I would think it's actual value is more like a 10th of that.

The Griffin and the Shisa stamp are the best examples of the carving, they are by far more detailed and have a more "finished" look. The horses have the best color range, which is often more highly prized. All of them are very special to me. I got each one for a reason and with purpose...well, except the smaller pair of jade Shisa, I just got a good deal on them! And now they have a big brother and sister! I was often amazed that I was able to get them. Some items go for such high prices that I can't justify the cost, even if it is a good deal. They aren't functional and have no real purpose, other than to make me smile when I see them! These ranged from $50 to $380. My first one was a money toad. I got it for $50 and sent it to my neice back in the states for Christmas. She loves it and is still thanking me for it.  I wonder how much I will have spent by the time I get back to the states...

[corkyb]

Mary Ann,
I would love a jade buddha statue.  I just heard Japan is in danger of a Tsunami.  Are you in a safe area?

[Reyn]

Next time you go I would love a jade bangle if they aren't too expensive.