gems, jade, pyroxene jade, fei cui, mesoamerica, Guatemala, Mexico, Aztec, Olmec, Maya

The word “jade” must be understood within its particular context. To jewellers, it refers specifically to jadeite or nephrite, two minerals of different composition but similar properties that are unique among ornamental stones. Mineralogists broaden the definition to include chloromelanite and certain mixtures of jadeite with minerals such as diopside or albite. Archaeologists, however, often use the term “jades” more generally to describe carved hard stones. In Middle America, the stones selected by ancient peoples were predominantly green and were not always especially hard. In addition to being rare and often beautiful, jade in the mineralogical sense is considerably harder than obsidian, only slightly less hard than quartz and, because of its fibrous structure, among the toughest and most durable of stones. It cannot be worked through the flaking and chipping techniques effective on flint and other quartz minerals; instead, it must be shaped through abrasion, a technological achievement associated with Neolithic cultures. This development occurred in prehistoric times in many regions where jade was available, including the Americas, Europe, Asia and parts of the Pacific. Axe and blade forms appear to have been nearly universal. In many cultures, blades of various shapes and materials assumed symbolic as well as practical roles. In Olmec Mexico, for example, ceremonial celts retained their utilitarian form while clearly serving ritual functions. They occur in nearly every offering at La Venta, Tabasco, sometimes in large numbers arranged in deliberate patterns. Although many show signs of use, some are decorated or fashioned from stones too soft to hold an edge, while others remain unsharpened models or blanks (Drucker et al., 1959: 132–187). Because weapons and cutting tools made of jade surpassed those of other stones in durability and effectiveness, they came to symbolize authority and ceremonial power. In elaborate Olmec burials and offerings, a remarkably high proportion of surviving objects are made of jade, suggesting that the material itself had acquired profound mystical significance.