Casa del Jade

During a morning Spanish lesson, we deviate from conjugating verbs to discussing Guatemalan jade (pronounced ha-de in español, a two-syllable term that glimmers green in the mind). My teacher tells us that in this country jade emerges from the earth as the platelets under Central America shift and collide, and there are no mines for the semi-precious stone. During the time of the Mayan reign, the native people of Guatemala fashioned jade into necklaces, earrings, and figurines. Imperial jade in particular, pale green in color and difficult to find, was used to adorn the Mayan kings. 

After class, I set off with a fellow student for the museums at the magnificent Hotel Santo Domingo. Once a monastery in the heart of Antigua, Santo Domingo has been transformed into a world-class hotel. The church ruins are still preserved, as are crypts below the cobbled walkways, and there is a museum at the center of the hotel's sprawling complex. Visitors don't have to be guests at the hotel to tour these sites (although, as we walk through the candle-lit lobby and into a courtyard where bougainvillea spill over stone walls and red macaws spread colorful wings, I wish we were). We make our way to the museum, where we have a chance to see up-close the jade relics our teacher described. There are unbelievable treasures: necklaces strung with stones as big as a man's fist, an alligator that glows pale green and translucent. Most of the pieces date from 300-900 A.D. 

On our way out of the museum and back onto Antigua's stone-paved streets, my friend and I marvel at the beauty of the pieces, their incredible craftsmanship, and the quality of the stonework. We pause at an intersection, debating on ice cream or a fresh fruit licuado, then notice a small display case set back from a narrow storefront. The sign above the door reads “Casa del Jade” and we decide that the ice cream can wait. We venture through the stone archway and find a store filled with jade necklaces, bracelets and earrings. There's lavender and orange jade and even the pale Imperial jade. I scan the cases, waiting for a piece to catch my eye. I'm not disappointed. I stop near a necklace set in silver, where pendants of moss-colored jade hang between silver droplets. The proprietor sees me eyeing the elegant piece and offers to let me try on the necklace. I hesitate, then slip the thin silver chain around my neck. My heart beats at the sight of the fine workmanship and beautiful stones. I finger the jade, pretending to be undecided, but the man smiles and offers to wrap it up for me. I smile back and tell him to go ahead, thinking this will be the perfect souvenir of my experiences in Guatemala.