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

With the exception of the first three, the provenience of the specimens here presented is not a matter of absolute certainty. This distinction is stressed because specimens that are in private collections or that find their way into museums from private hands are sometimes unequivocally assigned, by the authors of archaeological publications, to definite sites or areas. In most cases the information upon which such allocations are based, is no doubt accurate, but as non-professional collectors often acquire pieces by purchase, gift, or exchange, and as few of them make catalogues of their cabinets, there is always possibility of errors...