The Classic Jade Beads: A Timeless Form, Reimagined

A single jade bead does not, at first glance, appear to tell us very much. There is no elaborate motif to decipher, no intricate setting to study. Only colour, translucency and the weight of stone against skin.

The Jade Bud Necklaces in 10KT.

And yet women have chosen to wear jade this way for centuries — framing the face, resting close to the heart.

When Choo Yilin first launched its first Classics collection in 2019, we began with a simple belief: the jade was the story.

Over time, we came to understand that the story was larger than the stone itself.

Among the references held in the Choo Yilin Estate Library is a pair of Ming Dynasty shepherd’s hook earrings, set with white nephrite beads and gold-inlaid fittings.

Estate Library XXXI: Ming Dynasty Jade Bead Earrings illustration

Centuries later, the instinct to wear these simple jade beads still feels remarkably relevant.

For For The Ordinary Days, we return to this timeless form, reimagined in natural Type A jadeite in colours only nature could have made: Ocean Mist, Meadow Mint, Lilac Ash, and Apple Green.

Each bead is held either in 10KT or 18KT gold, with the metal pared back so that the jade remains the centre of attention.

Perhaps that is why the jade bead has endured for so long. Its simplicity leaves room for every generation to make it its own.

The colours and the settings may change. The women wearing them definitely change. But the form endures.

Beloved by the women before us. Reimagined for the women after.

From 11 to 13 December 2026, a limited selection of The Classic Jade Beads will be available during the For the Ordinary Days digital trunk show.