gems, jade, jadeite, fei cui, Mesoamerica, Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Mayans, Olmecs, Aztecs, archaeology, history, archaeogemology

In Mesoamerica, various raw materials were used for the manufacture of tools and utensils, among which jade stands out, being used primarily for the production of luxury objects. The Motagua Valley in Guatemala is the only place known in Mesoamerica where jade was extracted. This region has been little studied; in this work, the aspects that have been investigated, as well as descriptions and the locations of jade outcrops, will be presented. Likewise, a definition of objectives for the study and protection of this mineral and cultural resource of Guatemala will be proposed.