gems, jade, jadeite, fei cui, Mesoamerica, Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Mayans, Olmecs, Aztecs, archaeology, history, archaeogemology, Pre-Columbian jade; Costa Rica; Maya; exchange; iconography

Since the beginning of the Christian era, and probably even earlier, the inhabitants of what is now northern and central Costa Rica have artistically worked jade and related minerals for more than half a millennium. Most of the jade objects discovered to date—generally recovered through looting and only rarely under controlled archaeological conditions—display a remarkable diversity of forms and motifs. The following article provides an overview of the most common forms, describing them according to their general characteristics. Through a comparative examination of jade objects from the Maya and Olmec spheres found in Costa Rica, possible interrelationships are analysed.