Irina's Blog
Romancing the stone - beautiful gemstones I discovered in Central and South America
August 6, 2011
Traveling provides a great inspiration for my designs. Every time I travel to a different place or country, I discover some beautiful piece of art or craft that’s unique to this specific area of the world. I recently returned from a Panama Canal Cruise which started off in the Atlantic in Puerto Rico and then we visited Columbia, Costa Rica and Panama, then we crossed the Panama Canal and ended on the Pacific coast where we made stops in Guatemala, Mexico and completed our cruise in San Diego (USA). I’ve had a chance to see some beautiful places and discover local traditions and crafts. What I want to share with you here are some interesting facts about the beautiful gemstones I discovered on this trip.
Columbia is famous for its emeralds. Remember the movie “Romancing the stone” (I borrowed its name for this article’s title) with Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner? The movie takes place in Columbia and emerald plays one of the key roles in this adventure movie. Emeralds can be found in other areas of the world but Columbian emeralds are highly prized for their quality. In addition to their beauty, emeralds are believed to increase intelligence, protect marriages, ease childbirth and thought to enable its wearer to predict events. Cleopatra, among others, believed in the magical power of emeralds.
Emeralds were mined in Columbia long before the Spaniards arrived. Many of the gold and emerald encrusted items the indigenous tribes created are displayed in the Museo del Oro in Bogotá. Emeralds played an important part in history and were transported to Spain as part of the New World treasures. Prized since ancient times, a fine emerald can be more expensive than a high quality diamond of the same carat weight. It’s not surprising that modern-day treasure hunters in Columbia search the emerald mines illegally at night, risking their lives. The beauty and price of emeralds is that alluring.
Next gemstone of interest I discovered was jade in Guatemala – another beautiful green stone but quite different from the emerald. The rich green jade is the most valued and called Imperial Jade but it also comes in other colours- white, lavender, yellow and orange, black and red. Jade occurs naturally in very few places around the world – mainly Burma and Guatemala.
Jade also has quite a fascinating history and great importance in ancient civilizations. Jade’s history goes back to the Mayan and Incan people of South and Central America. They prized this gemstone because of its green color. It was associated with water and vegetation and related to life and death. Olmec, Maya, Aztec and Costa Rican elite particularly valued jade carvings and artifacts and commissioned elegant pieces from skillful artisans. Jade was traded and exchanged among elite members as a luxury item all over the pre-Hispanic American world.
Jade continues to fascinate and impress people up to this day. Many tourists visit the Jade Museum in Antigua, Guatemala where they can get a jade history presentation and view how jade is refined and made into jewellery. One can also shop there for a variety of beautiful jewellery and art objects made out of jade.
The last gem of interest I discovered on my cruise is fire opal in Mexico. This gemstone has a beautiful vibrant colour ranging from orange brown to orange red. It was believed that a gem that bubbled over with vivacity to such an extent as the fire opal could only have been created in the waters of paradise. The Mayas and Aztecs loved this gemstone and liked to use it in mosaics and for ritualistic purposes. They called it the 'stone of the bird of paradise'.
Today, the fire opal is regarded as the national gemstone of Mexico. These gems, which glow from orange to red, are treasures which appeal especially to active people with a positive approach to life. It’s believed that this gemstone’s fiery colour can give its wearer vigour, fill her with the joys of life and open her senses to the beauty of nature.
I hope you’ve found this information interesting and useful and learned some interesting facts about these gemstones. And when you travel to South and Central America, you'll know which gemstones to look out for. Also, if you happen to find a piece of jewellery with one of these gemstones in a local jewellery store, you’ll appreciate their beauty and cultural value. And if you already own some of these gemstones, you’ll probably appreciate them even more.
Until next time,
Irina K.