I've never really thought much about jade. Perhaps it's because in New York (where I currently reside) there are thousands of jade bracelets for sale on almost every street corner for around $5. That, and I'm not really a bracelet girl.
But I was schooled hard in Mandalay, Myanmar, where I hit the world-famous jade market. Deals for the finest jade have been haggled there for hundreds of years.
More than 5,000 people, at any given time throughout the day, will cram into the tiny space. On the day I went, it was a balmy 101 degrees with 90 percent humidity.
"I think I'm dying," I told Aul.
Aul was not dying and laughed as I drowned in the sea of people.
Stones the size of a fingernail were selling for $5,000, and I mused, "It's worth more than diamonds, hey?"
"Nobody cares about diamonds in Myanmar or China," Aul said. "Here it's all about jade."
For more, including a trip to the most expensive jeweller in Mandaly where bracelets for for $300,000 and up, click HERE. and the video (above) is pretty damn hilarious as well.