gems, jade, pyroxene jade, fei cui, Guatemala, Mesoamerica, Nicaragua, Mexico, Honduras, Costa Rica, archaeogemology, Olmecs

Tibón examines jade and other greenstones in ancient Mexico primarily through their religious, symbolic, linguistic, and cultural significance rather than as a mineralogical study. Central to the book is the Nahuatl concept of chalchihuitl, encompassing precious green stones whose value extended far beyond ornament. Drawing on early colonial chronicles, indigenous traditions, mythology, place names, and archaeological material, Tibón explores associations of greenstone with water, vegetation, fertility, life, wealth, divinity, and supernatural power. He discusses its use in ritual objects, offerings and personal ornaments, as well as traditions concerning the discovery and recognition of chalchihuites. The work is especially useful for understanding the cultural concept of “jade” in Mesoamerica, where indigenous terminology did not necessarily correspond to modern mineralogical definitions. Later Mesoamerican scholarship continues to cite the book in discussions of the symbolism and cultural valuation of jade and greenstone.