3mm Guatemalan Fei Cui Jadeite Jade Station Necklace

These beads traveled a long road to reach you. Sourced from the Motagua River Valley in Guatemala — the ancient jade source of the Maya, lost for centuries after the Spanish conquest and only rediscovered in 1974 — they are graded A Jade: natural, untreated, and among the rarest material this deposit has ever yielded. The color sits close to Imperial green. The chain is 14K yellow gold. The necklace is 19 inches of quiet, considered beauty. ◯ About This Gem Type: A Jade, Jadeite Jade Origin: Guatemala Size: 3.0–3.5mm Color: Natural transparent vibrant spinach green — Natural, no treatment Shape: Smooth round A Jade: The beads featured in this piece are graded A Jade — the highest classification given to natural, untreated (Type A) jadeite, reserved for stones with the most saturated color, the finest translucency, and the most even texture a piece of jade can possess. Only a small fraction of jadeite mined anywhere in the world ever qualifies for this grade. What's in a name? "Chalchihuitl" is the ancient Nahuatl/Mesoamerican word for jade — and green Guatemalan jadeite is specifically the material behind one of the most historically significant jade traditions in the world, separate entirely from Chinese/Burmese jade. Chalchihuitl (also referred to as "yax" in Maya) was the term used by Mesoamerican civilizations — the Olmec, Maya, and later the Aztec — for jade. It wasn't just a gemstone name; it carried deep symbolic weight tied to water, fertility, life, and breath. Jade was considered more valuable than gold in these cultures — a striking contrast to how Western/European trade later valued precious materials. Guatemala's Jade Legacy: Long before jade was prized in Asia, it held sacred status among the Maya and Olmec civilizations, who sourced it from the Motagua River Valley — the very deposits these beads come from. That ancient source was lost for centuries after the Spanish conquest and only rediscovered in 1974, following an earthquake that exposed hidden veins of jade beneath the region's fault line. Guatemalan jadeite has since re-emerged as one of the world's most storied and increasingly sought-after sources, prized both for its history and for the exceptional stones it occasionally yields. ⌁ About This Piece Chain: 14K yellow gold beveled oval cable chain Length: 19.25 inches (48 cm) Clasp: 14K yellow gold toggle clasp Style: Station (tin cup) ⟡ How to Wear It Over a linen shirt or silk blouse or your favorite tee Layered over a longer gold chain for added depth Anywhere, really!