Although lost for literally hundreds of years after the Spanish conquest of the Aztecs, many deposits of jadeite have been found in Guatemala during the last two decades. Following the discovery of the first significant outcrop in 1974, literally tons of jadeite in a wide variety of colors have been removed from the area and sent to cutting shops for use in tourist carvings, in fine reproductions of Indian artifacts, and in jewelry.
Although lost for literally hundreds of years after the Spanish conquest of the Aztecs, many deposits of jadeite have been found in Guatemala during the last two decades. Following the discovery of the first significant outcrop in 1974, literally tons of jadeite in a wide variety of colors have been removed from the area and sent to cutting shops for use in tourist carvings, in fine reproductions of Indian artifacts, and in jewelry.
