Olmec - Proto Maya Jade Bead Necklace Pre-Columbian, Southern Mexico to Guatemala, Olmec to Proto-Maya culture, ca. 500 BCE to 300 CE. A stunning ensemble of 15 sizeable, hand-carved jade beads, 8 round and, 7 oblong all strung on a modern cord strand to be wearable. The beautiful beads boast rich hues of mint, seafoam, midnight, and forest greens, as well as celadon, shamrock, teal, and viridian. Size (necklace): 15.25 inches Length (largest round bead): 7/8 inch W × 3/4 inch H, (Largest oblong bead): 1 5/8" W × 5/8" H. Research in the late 1990s and early 2000s pinpointed the source of "Olmec blue" jadeite at being in the lowland Motagua River near the modern-day border of Guatemala and Honduras; stone from this source was carved and traded widely throughout early Mesoamerica. The value of jade for ancient people lay in its symbolic power: perhaps its color was associated with water and vegetation; later, the Maya would place jade beads in the mouths of the dead. Many scholars have argued that the demand for jadeite contributed to the rise of long-distance trading networks and to the rise of urban centers in ancient Mesoamerica. This would have been an exceedingly valuable and rare ceremonial item.Provenance: Private collection of Enrique Cardenas Olaya

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