Hu Zunmei has been buying jade jewelry for years, both for herself and as gifts for friends. To her, the rock in varying shades of green symbolizes something unusual.

The founder of a machinery company in Changzhou, in East China's Jiangsu province, Hu prefers jewelry that make a statement at business meetings, other than her work, of course.

A common sight in the country's cities and villages, jade bangles - mostly associated with married women - as a traditional symbol of good fortune has survived the many changes that Chinese society has undergone in the past few decades, and in this case, the Westernization of clothing and to some extent lifestyle.