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EcoWalk. The Truth About Jade Rollers: What Does Science Say? (part II)

What is the truth about Jade Rollers? • Do Jade Rollers Really Rork? •  What does science say? • How to Tell if Jade Roller is Made of Genuine Nephrite Stone? • Alternatives to Jade Rollers


Earlier in Part I published in July 2019 issue, we reviewed main geological and mineral differences of Nephrite and Jadeite stones, shortly introduced with its metaphysical properties, found what does science say about jade minerals and what benefits they have to health and beauty. We would advise to read The Truth of Jade Rollers (Part I) before continuing reading here below.

Nephrite Charged Water & Jadeite Saunas

In ancient China, various kitchen utensils were made of Nephrite. Nephrite cups and bowls were used to drink water, tea, serve food on or simply store oils and liquids. It was a gem of health, revitalization and long life. Emperors used to drink a mixture of herbs and nephrite powder to become immortal. It was believed that ingesting jade powder prior to death would prevent physical body from decomposition. It was also believed, taking jade powder in a size like sesame seed helps to discharge of waste material. Water from jade cup was believed to help kidneys. In traditional Chinese medicine jade mineral is a potent medicine (oral or topical) for thousands of years.

Today, we are still searching for miraculous elixirs of immortality, good health and continuous youthful beauty. In deed, Nephrite and Jadeite hold many positive metaphysical properties and are believed to have healing powers. As more people start turning into alternative medicine, crystal charged water slowly gains its popularity. In 2007, a German company VitaJuwel started producing gem vials and various gem-based water purification products that are very stylist and of high quality. Gem elixir water is reborn.

Purifying water with precious stones has ancient roots and is still practiced in holistic therapies. It is believed that when gemstone or crystal is dipped into pure water and left there for some time, it infuses water with its vibration. When we drink it, crystal elixir works through changing and raising our vibrational frequency to frequency of healthy status.

We could not find scientific evidence on crystal infused water being beneficial to human body. Interestingly, inventor Jun-Han Kim holds European patent on “Matrix containing nephrite jade powder as a main component”. The author states that molding material containing Nephrite can be beneficial to human, animal and plant health. It can improve the quality of water and provide a wide range of health benefits. Having in mind Nephrite’s mineral composition and its ability to conduct far infrared rays, it may be a revolutionary invention. Imagine drinking water from a glass jar that is made with Nephrite powder.

In 2005, Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine, published in vivo studies stating that Nephrite water (or powder) has better anti-inflammatory properties than indomethacin and without any side effects.

Jadeite Jade is used in saunasFurthermore, Nephrite water can be used as main ingredient of cosmetics. According to Korean patent “Pack cosmetics composition comprising nephrite powder and nephrite water as main ingredients” Nephrite powder and Nephrite water in cosmetic products help to maintain moisture in the skin, soothes the skin, helps to fight free radicals and increases blood circulation in the skin. Beauty products containing Nephrite powder or Nephrite water will keep your skin healthy and beautiful. Obviously, trace minerals, far infrared radiation and negative ions emitted from jade gem do a really good job on human skin. In this case, using face sprays of water purified by or infused by Nephrite jade would be a wonderful idea. Luckily, you can make your own Nephrite gem elixir at home. No need to spend your money for expensive “innovative nephrite infused” health and beauty products.

If talking about health benefits of Jadeite jade especially when used along with water, it’s best healing properties reveal when heated up to about 100C in humid conditions. Jadeite jade can withstand much higher temperature than Nephrite. Most of the Jadeite jade comes from Russia where therapeutic health benefits of this mineral are known and practiced for ages. Here Jadeite mineral is used in traditional wet and dry saunas. Throwing water over heated Jadeite rocks, water diffuses and a pleasant smell of pure and clean air quickly spreads. Such air eases breathing and inhibits relaxation. In humid saunas, microelements of jade are absorbed by your skin and through your breath. When heated, Jadeite enriches water with metasilicic acid that is beneficial to the skin. As earlier mentioned warmed Jadeite emits far infrared rays and negative ions that play major role in regeneration of human body. Dry saunas  such as infrared jade saunas improve skin by cleansing the pores, alleviate chronic health conditions, stimulate lymphatic circulation, increase cardiovascular conditioning, relieves pain, detoxifies and does much more.

Jade Roller is a Beauty Tool in Trend

Surely, natural ways to extend youthful beauty and maintain good health have been practiced for thousands of years. Today, new technologies and innovative scientific minds offer us a more detailed picture on how and why do most natural products benefit our health and beauty. For the last couple of years jade rollers became really popular among beauty seekers. You may easily loose your mind when hunting for the right jade roller. So many to choose from and they all are marked being original and genuine. Every seller proudly states selling a roller with “natural jade” and how good it is to your face skin. What is the truth about jade rollers? What is a natural jade? What are the benefits of jade roller to the skin? What does science say?

nephrite jade roller the truth about jade rollers

After reading a number of articles and research papers, it would be more than fair to say that jade roller is in deed beneficial to the skin and can help preventing skin aging. The truth is, jade roller must be made of natural stone. If you want to experience healing powers of jade rolling, your roller should be made of Nephrite jade mined in China. According to history, Jadeite jade was introduced to China in the 18th century only. Before that, Nephrite jade was the only jade mineral used in ancient times of China. Today, genuine ancient Nephrite jade is still mined in China. As earlier said, Nephrite and Jadeite look very similar but are of different mineral composition.

How to Tell if Jade Roller is Made of Genuine Nephrite Stone?

Despite being very similar, Nephrite and Jadeite do have few distinctive features that can be quickly visualized to determine if jade is genuine or not. Most importantly, you should understand that Nephrite and Jadeite come in great variety of colors. Fortunately, they soon become quite distinct when you give yourself a bit of time to explore some images of natural jades presented, for example, by laboratories or respected jade gem sellers online. Another important aspect, all pieces of natural jades usually have natural flaws, inclusions and may show different surface fractures. Visible irregularities reveal that jade is likely authentic.

genuine jadeite and genuine nephrite
Natural Nephrite (left) & Natural Jadeite (right)

Seek Laboratory Certified Nephrite

First of all, your Nephrite jade roller should come with laboratory certificate. All colored natural stones, including Nephrite or Jadeite, should be certified by approved gemstone testing laboratory, for example by GIA (Geological Institute of America). Jades are also classified into A, B or C grades. Class A jade is chemically untreated, meaning natural stone was washed with grape juice and polished with beeswax without enhancing its color with dyes or any chemical treatment. Certificate provides data about specific color, density, Mohs hardness, refractive index, infrared spectrum and other testing detail. This certification means that an independent laboratory has examined, scanned and identified the jade and given it a grade from A to D. Obtaining a gem certificate require some expenses, and it raises a retail price of the final product made of jade, for example, jade roller. Remember Jadeite is more expensive than Nephrite.

Most cheap ($10-$50) jade rollers are made of serpentine also known as “Xiuyu jade” (may also be “helu jade”). Xiuyu jade is neither Nephrite nor Jadeite crystal. It is a variant of marble stone or other softer mineral that has been chemically treated to pass as real jade. Besides, budget jade rollers are usually made of glass infused with dye to make it look like jade gem and are worthless. Remember, there is no such thing as “certified nephrite jade mine”. This term is just a marketing trick to make fake jade rollers sound more reliable and worth buying. Stay away from jade rollers that are made of “Korean jade”,  “Canadian jade”, “Indian jade”, “Australian jade” (Chrysoprase), “Transvaal jade”, “Amazon jade”, “Malaysian jade”, “South African or African jade”, Oregon Jade, “He Tian jade” or “new jade”, it means they are jade substitutes. They are neither natural nor genuine jades. Most affordable jade rollers on the market are usually made of Nephrite or Jadeite substitutes or cheap stones. Jade rollers can also be made of other gemstones, such as rose quartz.

Serpentine is the most common stone used to imitate Nephrite or Jadeite. It is synthetically treated to pass as a jade. Serpentine changes color over time. However, jade mineral stone has a much better polish and smoothness than serpentine and it is noticeable on closer observation. Jade rollers made of opaque dolomite marble look to perfect to be considered as natural jade. Marble rollers do not have natural irregularities and are heavily dyed using synthetic additives.

Natural Jades are Heavy and Cold

All natural jades are heavy, cold and give a ‘soapy’ feeling when held in hand. Natural stones need a minute or so to warm up in your hands, also they stay warm longer than any glass or fake jade. When holding a natural jade in the hand, it feels somewhat heavier than it looks. Nephrite and Jadeite are of a very high density, even a small piece of jade feels quite heavy and solid comparing to its size. Jades are heavier than glass. Another important indicator is a feeling of cold. When you hold a real jade in your hand, it gives a cold, smooth and weighty sensation. Real jades do not heat up quickly and tend to keep warmness shorter than fake ones.

Color Variety of Jadeite and Nephrite

Nephrite color ranges from translucent to opaque, from light to dark green, cream (mutton fat), grey, yellow, brown, black or even white. Commonly Nephrite comes in all shades of green. Nephrite colors are more muted than Jadeite’s and can be spotty, stripped or cloudy. Nephrite is rarely semi-transparent, most valuable clear and white Nephrite is called “water jade”. Commonly Nephrite jades come in variety of green color, ranging from mid-green to dark or grey green. Often, green shades of real Nephrite tend to be dark and dull. It can also be in creamy beige, yellow-green, dark brown or even reddish color. Generally, Nephrites are less vivid and intense than green Jadeites.

fake jade rollers made of glass
Most cheap Jade Rollers have no health or beauty benefits as are made of glass or Xiuyu jade

Jadeite jades have a wider color range. According to Geological Institute of America, Jadeite can be in many different shades of green, lavender, red, orange, yellow, brown, gray, white and rarely black or blue color. It often comes in a light purple or light grayish violet color. Jade color variety is triggered by its mineral impurities. The most valuable Jadeite is “Imperial Jade”, that is almost transparent in vibrant emerald-green color. Green transparent “Imperial Jade” found in Myanmar is very rare and most valued. “Imperial Jade” is high in chromium. A chunk of translucent green ”Imperial Jade” may be valued in millions of dollars. Higher value Jadeite has no blotchy patches, is more saturated and more even in color itself. Dyed green quartzite can be also mistaken for Jadeite. Dyed jade can fade over time due to exposure to heat, light and chemicals. Also, if you immerse the fake jade to water often, you may see color fading over time. A color added to the surface of stone tends to fade because dyes are difficult to stick to the stone.

Scratch Test on Jade Roller

Both, Nephrite and Jadeite are hard rocks and naturally resistant to scratchiness. Both jades are harder than steel, but Jadeite is harder than Nephrite. Natural jades can easily scratch a glass surface. Doing a quick scratch test on your jade roller can give you a hint if it is made of genuine stone. You may use sharp metal like object such as needle and on less visible area scratch the surface of a jade. After scratching metal residues make a white line on jade. Wipe it off and if permanent scratch marks appear on stone surface, your jade roller is probably made of glass or fake jade. Real natural Nephrite or Jadeite cannot be scratched by steel. Please remember, performing a scratch test should not leave roller tool damaged, if you were brave enough to do it in the middle of the shop. However, natural jades are delicate to impact.

A Stone in Jade Roller Should Have Irregularities

Closely observe structure and imperfections of rollers head. Stone structure, natural irregularities and various imperfections are very important when inspecting jades. Genuine jades should have naturally occurring blotchy areas, veins, specks, spots or clouds formed by different mineral clusters trapped inside the rock. Nephrite tends to have impurities similar to thin vein-like fibers. Nephrite usually has splintery fractures similar to broken wood. Serpentine may also have splintery fractures and can easily pass as Nephrite jade. Nephrites often contain randomly oriented, interlocking fibers and black chromite inclusions. In deed, black dots in Nephrite are chromite and the whitish strips are parallel tremolite crystals. Nephrite and Jadeite both have slightly greaser luster than their substitutes. When polished, genuine Nephrite has dusty fractures on its glassy but greasy-feeling surface. Because of its structure polished dark-green Nephrite will have a greaser appearance than Jadeite jade.

Natural Nephrite should have natural irregularities the truth about jade rollers

Jadeite stones go through sanding process, which results in grainy or dimple surface appearance. Usually natural Jadeite has discolorations and granular fractures that resemble lumps of sugar. Jadeite structure is grainy and crystalline. If you see air bubbles inside, surfaces are smooth without any cracks and color is perfectly solid, a jade is artificial and likely to be made of dyed glass. The truth is, the more uneven the color, the lower in value a Jadeite is. The other truth is, Jadeite without any irregularities or inclusions is the most valued and most expensive in global jade market.

Holding natural jade against bright light unfolds its internal fibrous structure with vein-like lines, natural inclusions and cracks connecting to matted texture. Real jades have various flaws and dark spots. You need to examine the stone carefully, advisably using a magnifying glass, but not necessarily as many important details can be seen with naked eye. If you see bubbles within the stone of your jade roller, the stone is likely not genuine… Always run your fingertip across the surfaces of Nephrite or Jadeite to examine their surface and structure. Today, a lot of jades on the market are made of other soft stones that are treated with chemicals and infused with colorants to resemble natural Nephrite or Jadeite.

Recap on Health and Beauty Benefits of Jade Roller

For thousands of years, crystals and precious stones were used for healing purposes in various nations. Regardless the fact that many people do experience and report healing powers of natural crystals, this field is still shrouded in mystery and is not acknowledged by traditional medicine society. Nonetheless, some devoted scientists continue exploring crystals and their healing properties. Interestingly, most ancient myths regarding natural gemstones and their supposed powers to health and beauty are being confirmed by scientific data in the 21st century.

If you want to experience health and beauty benefits of jade roller in full capacity, first of all, your jade roller must be made of genuine Nephrite (or Jadeite) jade. Nephrite jade should be preferred because historical and geographical facts tell us that women in ancient China were likely to use Nephrite jade crystal in their beauty regime, not Jadeite jade. Pay attention what does science say about natural jade stones. As you can see earlier in the article, some scientific data and experiments confirm Nephrite being beneficial to human skin and wellbeing in general. Actually, Jadeite jade has also shown anti-inflammatory and skin soothing properties. Moreover, it was noticed that Nephrite powder protects skin from invisible blue light that is the main cause of skin aging. In beauty industry, Nephrite power and Nephrite water are used in composition of anti-aging beauty products. Negative ions emitted by heated Nephrite or Jadeite encourage cell metabolism and help fighting free radicals.

 

 

Jade roller is a massaging tool initially intended for facial massage application. Likewise traditional medicine highly acknowledges the effectiveness of soft tissue massaging in physical recovery and mental health enhancement. Keeping it short, massage increases microcirculation, stimulates lymphatic drainage system, encourages soft tissue healing, relieves pain, stimulates skin elasticity, reduces stress, boosts immune system, and does much more. All massage benefits can be enjoyed if a jade roller that has roller-head made of natural Nephrite is used. Think of the emission of far infrared ray and negative ions as well.

Jade roller is easy to use and does not require much time or effort. The essential and most basic thing, know what direction to roll to. Always upwards and only outwards! With a comfortable pressure applied, using upwards-sweeping motion roll a jade roller towards hairline, ears or temples. Think of a nose as the central point of the face and push a roller away from nose on each side of the face towards ear. Use jade roller on your cheeks, forehead, jaw, neck, eyebrow area, under eye. Choose smaller roller head to access tiny areas of your face, i.e. inner eye corners, upper lip area. For sure, you will find a lot of information on jade rolling online, nearly every article is filled with written and visual instructions on how to use jade roller properly.

As natural Nephrite (or Jadeite) is the key-secret of jade roller, spare some time on understanding metaphysical properties of both jades. Natural crystals have physical and metaphysical effect on all living organisms, including human being. A term “jade” is used for two different stones, Nephrite jade and Jadeite jade. That’s where confusion begins. Both jades are two separate mineral species and have different mineral composition. This fact was not recognized until 1863 and both crystals were simply referred as “jade” for many years. Nobody knew what exact jade-rock they have. Besides, Ancient China did not have access to Jadeite jade sources up until the 18th century. At first glance, Nephrite and Jadeite look very similar, but they actually carry different physical and metaphysical characteristics that are really captivating. Indeed, jade artifacts are found across most ancient civilizations, where it was appreciated as a healing and protective stone.

Alternatives to Jade Rollers

Beauty market is overloaded with fake jade rollers and most women don’t even know that their jade roller is worthless, made of colored glass or fake jade. In other words, a new beauty niche to make easy money of unaware and uninformed consumer was created. It is unlikely, that you fill find a jade roller with genuine natural Nephrite stone in any beauty shop on street or online today. Almost all jade rollers are cheap replicas of ancient Chinese tool costing in the range of $10 to $70. Genuine natural Nephrite is hard to find and costs a lot more. Roller-head sized piece of natural Nephrite should cost more than most ready to use jade rollers are priced for on the market today. Finding a high quality jade rock, certifying it, manufacturing it into smooth and perfectly finished roller parts, assembling, adding packaging, transporting and ending at retail shop should total in high price for purchasers. We vaguely guess, a good quality jade roller with natural Nephrite or Jadeite crystal should cost somewhat $200 at least. It can be less and can be much more, price depends on the quality of genuine jade. Every girl likes a good bargain on beauty tools. Logically thinking, if you want to have a genuine Nephrite in your kit, look for genuine and smoothly finished natural stone alone. Also, instead of using a fake jade roller consider trying holistic stone therapy or facial massage using natural crystals.

natural nephrite
Get natural Nephrite stone instead of fake Jade Roller made of glass or synthetic mineral

Natural Nephrite Stones Instead of Jade Rollers

The key of jade roller is a stone of which a rolling part is made of. Rolling part should be made of real (natural) Nephrite gemstone if you want to experience natural jade roller properties as women did in Ancient China. Jadeite is also helpful in nurturing health and beauty. In addition, steam from Jadeite has a firming and rejuvenating effect. As rollers with genuine jade stones are hard to find, purchasing a piece of smoothly finished natural Nephrite from certified sellers can be a perfect alternative to jade roller. The thing is, you will get a genuine stone with all its healing properties. A piece of stone should be smooth, without any sharp edges or cuts so that you could use it as massage tool on your face and body. Instead of rubbing your face with fake roller, you can softy glide and stroke a genuine natural stone. Now you know, most affordable jade rollers are chemically treated and made of unnatural synthetic stones. You don’t want or need such toxins attacking your delicate face skin.

Gua Sha Stones Instead of Jade Rollers

Another alternative to avoid fake jade roller, would be including Gua Sha stone in your beauty routine. What is Gua Sha? In Chinese “Gua Sha” means “scraping”, an East Asian practice when gemstone is used as a tool to apply pressure by brushing it onto the skin. Gua Sha technique is said to relieve pain, tension and increase microcirculation in various body parts. This technique is also called “coining”, “spooning”, or “scraping”.

gua sha stone is alternative to jade roller

In 2007 German researchers  investigated whether Gua Sha treatment has any influence on microcirculation. According to the study, Gua Sha has increased microcirculation in areas treated with stone. It was concluded that ”there is an unidentified pain-relieving biomechanism associated with Gua Sha.” They have found, that Gua Sha increased microcirculation four times in the scraped body areas for over 7 minutes after finishing the therapy. Furthermore, a significant increase in microcirculation in same areas was still observed 25 minutes later. Actually, an increased microcirculation is what you need to maintain youthful skin. Now, you can find Gua Sha tools made of variety of gem stones, the most popular being rose quartz and jades. Some jade roller sets come with Gua Sha tools already. The question stays the same, are stones natural in such sets? Do sets carry gem certificates? In this point, again obtaining a certified gemstone of your preference as a separate natural stone instead, would be the wisest decision. You just need to get a flat and smooth piece of mineral mimicking a shape of Gua Sha tool.

Try Stone Massage Therapy

You may also like to try holistic stone massage session at any holistic clinic if you are not sure yet about searching and investing into expensive piece of natural Nephrite or Jadeite. See how do you like stone therapy first and if you see any improvements after all. There are plenty of therapies involving crystals to choose today. Please note that stone massage may leave some bruises due to high pressure applied to deeper skin surfaces and fragile capillary. Look for experienced and customer recommended stone massage specialist to avoid violet-blue markings on the skin. It should feel as a beauty therapy, not as an exorcism session.

infrared ray sauna

Consider Far Infrared Personal Device or Professional Therapy

Instead of uncertified jade roller you may try any far infrared ray therapy or obtain far infrared device for personal use at home. Most holistic clinics and beauty centers offer far infrared therapies for recovery, beauty and health in general. You can choose far infrared sauna, Nephrite massage bed, infrared masks, lights and lamps, photo rejuvenation treatments and many more. Infrared devices for personal use are expensive but they usually last a lifetime. Look for a device that is equipped with Nephrite or Jadeite to optimize the advantages of far infrared light. Please consult with your health adviser if you have concerns or questions about far infrared therapies and devices.

Jade Rollers Should be Warm

All skin care professionals and media influencers advice using jade roller when it is cold. In opposite, earlier mentioned researches show that Nephrite can emit biologically active far infrared rays and negatively charged ions when stone is heated. Using cold jade roller may help to reduce puffiness, but ice cube made of green tea or coffee can do the same thing. Jade rollers made of natural stones reveal their best healing properties when are used warm. In such case, you do not need to keep your jade roller in a fridge. The truth is, all essential healing and nourishing properties of natural jades are lost if jade roller is cooled down. Only warmed jade stone releases far infrared rays that increase skin temperature and stimulate skin microcirculation, and emit negative ions that are known to fight free radicals. In addition, why far infrared rays and negative ions are important and what they do to our health and wellbeing you may find in earlier paragraphs of the article.

 

 

How to Care of Jade Roller

Genuine jade stones are sensitive to impact but are harder than steel. Jade does not scratch but can crack into pieces if dropped on a hard surface. Water is the only way you can clean roller head made of natural Nephrite or Jadeite. Alternatively, you may use cleaning solution made of warm water and mild soap only. Do not use jewelry cleaners, alcohol, ultrasonic cleaners, steam clears or household detergents that may contain harsh chemicals. Such applications can be harmful to natural mineral. Gently wipe jade stone with soft fabric or cotton cloth using water or soapy solution. Use damp cloth to wipe out soapy remains off the surface. Dry your jade roller with a clean dry towel. Natural gemstones can be sensitive to hairspray, perfume and many other chemicals used in beauty products. Do not boil your jade roller in water.

The Truth About Jade Rollers

Today, you can find tens different types of Jade Rollers on beauty market. They come in different sizes, shapes with rollers made of various stones and in multiple of colors. The truth is, most Jade Rollers are made of artificial or chemically treated mineral stones. Because of this, if you purchase a roller for affordable price without understanding the basics of mineral “jade”, you are likely to have a fake Jade Roller that has no essential benefits and can even harm your skin and wellbeing. Don’t be surprised, if you will not find a genuine Jade Roller to buy. Most certificates they come with are fake as well, or certify other minerals, not genuine Nephrite or Burma Jadeite. Best Jade Roller should have a roller-head made of natural Nephrite, be laboratory tested and certified as natural nephrite jade. Certified mineral jade should also have a list of minerals traces, geological features and location of origins. Indeed, every Nephrite (and Jadeite) is slightly different, because every mine provides different jade. Natural genuine Nephrite (Jadeite is more valued) keeps high price in gemstone market. Using artificial rocks or dying other stones to mimic natural Nephrite helps to maintain consumer-affordable price on the market and makes easy money for sellers. If Jade Roller costs less than $200, it is probably not a genuine Jade Roller. Laboratory certificate is the answer to all questions when buying a Jade Roller. Earlier in the article we mentioned what “names” of jades to avoid and how to easily find if Jade Roller is genuine, in other words if it is made of natural Nephrite.

When you come face to face with natural minerals and their potential healing powers, only you can make your personal choice to believe it or not, use it or not. A good idea is to see what today’s science has to say about Nephrite and Jadeite, if and how these minerals can affect our physical or mental health. Talking in metaphysical language, both Nephrite and Jadeite are long believed to show healing properties, especially being beneficial in healing mind and soul. Therefore, several recent research teams confirm that jades can have physical healing properties to our body as well. From scientific point of view, when Nephrite (or Jadeite) warms up it starts emitting negative ions. Jades are also capable to emit energy in the far infra-red wavelengths that increase microcirculation in skin. The truth about Jade Rollers is that this beauty tool can indeed be beneficial in skincare routine and general well-being of every human.

Author: Sheeba Magazine|Article published in print: July 2019|Cannot be copied or republished without written permission by Sheeba Magazine

Read More:

EcoWalk. The truth about jade rollers: what does science say? Part I

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The key benefits of vegan skincare

The most popular beauty trends from around the globe

 

 

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