Jade Use in Mesoamerica

Some view Jade use in Mesoamerica as largely influenced by the conceptualization of the material as a rare and valued commodity among pre-Columbian Mesoamerican cultures, such as the Olmec, the Maya, and the various groups in the Valley of Mexico. Until the 21st century it was thought the only source from which the indigenous cultures could obtain jade was the Motagua River valley in Guatemala. In addition to being an elite good of highly symbolic use in the performance of ideological ritual the high pressure minerals that form the translucent rocks termed jades are much tougher and more damage resistant than slightly harder but far mor brittle materials such as flint.

This extreme durability makes fine grained or fibrous jadeite and nephrite in effect the 'steel' of neolithic technology. It was often worked or carved in a variety of ways, either as ornamental stones, a medium upon which hieroglyphs were inscribed, or shaped into figurines, weapons, and other objects. Many jade artifacts crafted by later Mesoamerican civilizations, appear cut from simple jade axes, implying that the earliest trade had a utilitarian component.

The general term jade refers to two separate rock types. The first is called nephrite, a calcium and magnesium rich amphibole mineral. Nephrite does not exist in Mesoamerica.

The second is jadeitite, a pyroxene rich in sodium and aluminum. Variation in color is largely due to variation in trace element composition. In other words, the types of trace elements and their quantities affect the overall color of the material. The “Olmec Blue” jade owes its unique color to the presence of iron and titanium, while the more typical green jade’s color is due to the varying presence of sodium, aluminum, iron, and chromium. Translucence can vary as well, with specimens ranging form nearly clear to completely opaque.

Among Mesoamerican archaeologists, "jade" is sometimes used in a manner that does not differentiate between jadeite and other similar-looking, relatively hard greenstones such as albitite, omphacite, chrysoprase, and quartzite.