The jade stone was used previously by many cultures, but with more force by the prehispanic people, who regarded it as the most sacred stone that might exist. In addition to use for making large quantities of artifacts and utensils, this was mostly used to fight disease. Many of these cultures knew it as the eternal stone or symbol of life because it retains the same appearance with the passing of the years, and was more valued than gold itself.
Among these lovers of jade cultures highlights the Aztec civilization; for them the jade was able to connect with a higher divine power; Aztec elaborated jade masks and placed them on the face and create figures to represent their most valuable men. Once in the fight, when the Aztecs struggle to protect their territory, they conquered a place called Chianpaneco, where they arrived with the intention of stocking up on all those lands with quetzal feathers, cocoa and calchihuete tabs, this was the way they call the jade stones in the Nahuatl language.
In 1510, with the arrival of the Spanish, who with pride and greed were desperately seeking deposits of gold and silver to seize them, Moctezuma, the fifth Aztec emperor, addressed the court and thanked that the conquerors were unaware of the deposits of Chalchihuite. Following this, and after a period of truce in which the Aztec rulers and the Spanish established the first diplomatic contact, Moctezuma gave Hernan Cortez, the Spanish military who led the expedition, some gems as a present for his kings, accompanied by these words: “These stones are called chalchihuite just only must give these to your kings and not to someone else, each of which is twice a load of gold”.
Cortez did not quite understand the message of the Aztec emperor, but accepted the Jade jewelry from Moctezuma. But then he disregard it as if they were single grains and discarded it. What the Aztec emperor wanted to tell Cortez was that gold was valuable, yes, but jade was invaluable.
It is said that in Guatemala jade stones distributed throughout the Mesoamerican territory. The Aztecs considered jade as a symbol of nature for its characteristic green color, like that of plants, which is why they always carried with them.
Currently, the value of jade is only surpassed by diamonds, but no other mineral has the countless mystical properties of this beautiful gem.