Guanacaste-Nicoya Jade Bead Necklace

This necklace of irregular jade beads (1–500), likely from the Guanacaste-Nicoya region, reflects the spiritual and social value of jade in pre-Columbian Costa Rica. Worn by elites, such adornments signified status, identity, and ritual connection to the earth and ancestors. Each bead’s form emphasizes the material’s sacred essence.