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HTML <html> <head> <title>Gemstones: their value in America now and in antiquity</title> </head> <body> <h1>Gemstones: their value in America now and in antiquity</h1> <div class="info">Author: <a href="author_1_3794.html">Patrick Slavenburg</a></div><div class="body">Over thousands of years, civilizations in North and South America have used jewelry and gemstones as a sign of wealth, beauty and status. However with the influence of western civilization the perception of what is a valuable gemstone has changed dramatically. <br /> The most valued gems nowadays are gemstones like Diamonds, Rubies, Emeralds, and Sapphires. They are so desirable because of their aesthetic features (transparency, luster, and color), their durability and rarity. Most of these attributes are in fact physical properties of gems.<br /> Those characteristics determine the financial value of the gem, and of course, the more valuable the gemstone, generally the more desirable it is. In fact for the longest time we have classified gemstones as "precious stones" and "semi-precious stones". <br /> In many of the pre-Columbian and North American cultures (from Hopi to Inca) gemstones were admired for their physical properties as well. Although some of these properties were the same as we value now (such as color and luster) they were appreciated for different reasons. In general gemstones were used within a religious and symbolic context from which they derived their value. <br /> Obsidian for example was used as a mirror everywhere on the continent since it needed little polishing to reflect light well. In fact the Maya's used mirrors assembled from fragments of Obsidian to represent the dry and broken soil out of which maize (corn) plants grew. Corn was a symbol of rejuvenation because it represented the cycle of life (sowing, growing, harvesting, sowing etc.). By looking into the mirror they in fact expressed their own relationship with the forces of nature. <br /> Another often used precious stone was jade, which because of its color often represented the corn plant in the Mayan culture. In a recent excavation in Guatemala supported by National Geographic, jade vases, axes and stones were found which appear to have been parts of a solar ritual associated with the Maya agricultural cycle according to the excavating archeologists. Such public rituals were often associated with accession to power amongst the early Maya. <br /> A third example is pre-Columbian Peru where the garments of priests and nobility were adorned with hundreds of small discs of gold or silver. At the slightest movement of the wearer, all these plates would move and reflect the sunlight in different ways, thus giving a lively and dynamic play of light. Such reflections were a symbol of the presence of the life force itself (for lack of a better word). <br /> The value of these metals is thus deduced from their physical property put in a spiritual or religious context and did not posses a monetary value as such (whereas gold in our culture does of course). In fact very delicately woven textiles were considered more valuable in financial terms than most of these metals. <br /> <br /> More in depth studies in the future will answer many questions we still have regarding the role of gemstones in these ancient cultures in the Americas. We hope this article at least has given you a small insight into their specific role in the cultural and spiritual world vision of the people that lived in the Americas. <br /> </div> <div class="source">Article Source: <a href="http://www.articlealley.com/article_11120_34.html">http://www.articlealley.com/article_11120_34.html</a></div> <div class="author"> <div class="authorBio">Patrick Slavenburg has an MS in physics, traveled and worked extensively in Latin America and is co-founder of "the Gem and Diamond Foundation", a non-profit organization where you can find more information on [<a href="http://www.farlang.com">diamonds and gemstone jewelry</a>] as well as award winning gem cutters, gem sculptors and jewelry designers.</div> <div class="authorUrl"><a href="http://www.farlang.com" target="_blank">http://www.farlang.com</a></div></author> </body> </html>
Text Gemstones: their value in America now and in antiquity Author: Patrick Slavenburg Over thousands of years, civilizations in North and South America have used jewelry and gemstones as a sign of wealth, beauty and status. However with the influence of western civilization the perception of what is a valuable gemstone has changed dramatically. The most valued gems nowadays are gemstones like Diamonds, Rubies, Emeralds, and Sapphires. They are so desirable because of their aesthetic features (transparency, luster, and color), their durability and rarity. Most of these attributes are in fact physical properties of gems. Those characteristics determine the financial value of the gem, and of course, the more valuable the gemstone, generally the more desirable it is. In fact for the longest time we have classified gemstones as "precious stones" and "semi-precious stones". In many of the pre-Columbian and North American cultures (from Hopi to Inca) gemstones were admired for their physical properties as well. Although some of these properties were the same as we value now (such as color and luster) they were appreciated for different reasons. In general gemstones were used within a religious and symbolic context from which they derived their value. Obsidian for example was used as a mirror everywhere on the continent since it needed little polishing to reflect light well. In fact the Maya's used mirrors assembled from fragments of Obsidian to represent the dry and broken soil out of which maize (corn) plants grew. Corn was a symbol of rejuvenation because it represented the cycle of life (sowing, growing, harvesting, sowing etc.). By looking into the mirror they in fact expressed their own relationship with the forces of nature. Another often used precious stone was jade, which because of its color often represented the corn plant in the Mayan culture. In a recent excavation in Guatemala supported by National Geographic, jade vases, axes and stones were found which appear to have been parts of a solar ritual associated with the Maya agricultural cycle according to the excavating archeologists. Such public rituals were often associated with accession to power amongst the early Maya. A third example is pre-Columbian Peru where the garments of priests and nobility were adorned with hundreds of small discs of gold or silver. At the slightest movement of the wearer, all these plates would move and reflect the sunlight in different ways, thus giving a lively and dynamic play of light. Such reflections were a symbol of the presence of the life force itself (for lack of a better word). The value of these metals is thus deduced from their physical property put in a spiritual or religious context and did not posses a monetary value as such (whereas gold in our culture does of course). In fact very delicately woven textiles were considered more valuable in financial terms than most of these metals. More in depth studies in the future will answer many questions we still have regarding the role of gemstones in these ancient cultures in the Americas. We hope this article at least has given you a small insight into their specific role in the cultural and spiritual world vision of the people that lived in the Americas. Article Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_11120_34.html About the Author: Patrick Slavenburg has an MS in physics, traveled and worked extensively in Latin America and is co-founder of "the Gem and Diamond Foundation", a non-profit organization where you can find more information on [<a href="http://www.farlang.com">diamonds and gemstone jewelry</a>] as well as award winning gem cutters, gem sculptors and jewelry designers. http://www.farlang.com
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