Many of us revel in the story of Indiana Jones, arguably the most famous archaeologist of all time, real or imagined. The story of his numerous escapes from evil Nazis, overzealous Indians, and ferocious Natives, risking life and limb to save antiquities from foreign, exotic lands made him a hero for some. In Antigua, Guatemala, a hotspot for tourists game for cheap food, drinks, and sightseeing, a real life hero exists in the Archaeology world: Mary Lou Ridinger.
Perhaps without the blood pressure-raising , death defying acts of ‘Indy’, but with much more staying power, Mary Lou and her husband Jay single-handedly preserved an art form, brought home-grown industry to Guatemala, and created national pride, all in a sustainable fashion. All this from over 37 years of hard work to prove that jade, one of the most expensive gems in the world, was not only sought after in China, but Guatemala as well.
Jade does not often cross the minds of North Americans, except for maybe those of Chinese decent. It has not captured the imaginations the way diamonds, sapphires, emeralds, and rubies have, nor have the media or businesses caught on. To the ancient race of the Maya, piles of gold and silver would have easily been traded for one piece of fine jade. Although the gem has been found in a rainbow of colors from white, pink, yellow and black, green was the most prized, as it resembled the vibrant Caribbean waters that brought sustenance to their lands, and fertility in healthy crops. Harder and heavier than most other materials, jade symbolized eternity; a piece carved by the Maya was meant to not only last a lifetime, but through thousands of generations. Bringing luck to the person simply by possession, natural oils from their hands would bring out the 
gem’s brilliance over time. With the disappearance of the Great Mayan Civilization came hundreds of years of ignorance, and a shadow cast over Mesoamerica’s ‘lost’ jade. When Jay and Mary Lou Ridinger, two archaeologists from the U.S., set out to discover it again, they seemed to be the only ones who truly believed it existed.
A study in 1952 found evidence of jadeite jade near the Montagua River in Guatemala, but it did little to spurn anyone’s imagination, except for two people: The Ridingers. Their dream in 1973 was to find the source of the Mayan jade, and solve the mystery of how it was spread throughout Mexico, and Central America. Surprisingly, the more difficult task arose not in actually finding the jade, but in convincing the world of its value. The Guatemalan government’s official stance at the time was that there was absolutely no jade source in Guatemala. They steadfastly refused to believe the Ridinger’s case, and provided business licenses out of pity and scorn. Five centuries of outside influence from a host of other nations, dealing in everything from covert operations, to governmental manipulation, to outright pillaging, had eventually convinced the Guatemalan people that nothing of real value came from within their own borders.
After four years operating their fledgling business, Jades, S.A., Mary Lou pleaded with Jay to stop. Tired of being the object of ridicule and laughter, it was seemingly pointless to continue. Jay replied stoically “Never”. Another 9 years of countless meetings, public appearances and talking to anyone who would listen, Jay and Mary Lou’s efforts were to no avail. When the National Geographic article on jade broke out in 1987, their fortunes took an immediate and irreversible leap. Redemption came in the form of a well-respected magazine with readership around the globe, and brought much needed attention to Guatemala, and the history of the Mayan people. With renewed efforts, the Ridinger team set out to find the ‘Kings Quarry’, the storied birthplace of Mesoamerica’s jade. Pounding on countless rocks along the Montagua River for 10 months, Mary Lou and her team not only found irrefutable evidence of historical jade production, but a quarry of their own.
It is one of the most difficult and rarest gems to find. Several others resemble it closely, but it is only the friction of tectonic plates combining high pressure, and low temperatures that create this gem. Matching the quarry’s unique jade to another northern site, they proved the Maya distributed their bounty throughout the region by river. It was a huge celebration for Jades, S.A., and Guatemala had a stronger foothold in the World’s small group of jade-producing countries.
In 1999, Christie’s Auction House sold an antique Imperial Jade bangle for $2.65 million. Although Guatemalan jade might not fetch such a price today, it may not be far off in the future. An uncut stone containing Jade is a gamble; one rock may have $100,000 worth of jade, and another $1,000. Painstaking work is involved to extract it, using diamond-studded drill bits, hammers and wedges to separate rocks into manageable pieces. Additionally, Guatemalan jade has only received media attention in the last 20 years, whereas in China it has been revered continually for centuries. It was certainly valued above all else by the Maya, and several civilizations before them who, using only rudimentary tools, may have taken weeks or months to create a single beaded necklace.
What makes Jades S.A.’s operation today even more special is how they mine it. As the process involves only surface mining, no trees are cut, no holes are dug, and roads are unnecessary. The farmer’s fields, virtually untouched, continue to operate as usual, and the farmers themselves assist in the process, keeping poachers at bay. Their children are fed well, and receive an education due mostly to the profits of Jades S.A. Only 2 companies in Guatemala have valid licenses from the Government, so most jade that is bought off the street is either illegal, or fake. For many years, newly elected Guatemalan Presidents have come to Jades S.A. to buy death masks as gifts for visiting dignitaries. Bill Clinton also passed through in 1999 and bought a necklace for his daughter Chelsea.
One would think that someone who was able to bring back an ancient industry after hundreds of years, instill national pride, and give back to the people, would be content to rest on their laurels. Add to the mix that this person comes from a completely different country. Not Mary Lou Ridinger. Her husband’s vision continues, after his death a year and a half ago, with her creation of the Maya Conservancy (www.themayaconservancy.org). It is a non-profit organization with a mission to save the rich Mayan Cultural History, and continue educating people on these industrious and intelligent people. The cradle of Mayan civilization and the birthplace of the Mayan Calendar were set to be dissected by a new highway funded by a foreign company, potentially destroying thousands of years of history. Mary Lou went to work, speaking out to everyone from universities to rotary clubs, and the tide was eventually turned in her favour, and the highway was re-routed.
There is no sign of this exciting, and illustrious industry dying again soon, as three generations are now fully employed and involved in Jades S.A.’s operations. Through Mary Lou’s tenacity, her children and grandchildren are set to continue well into the future. One may have heard the Mayans say during the Conquest that “the Spanish can take all the gold and silver they want, but at least they don’t know about the jade”. With a sustainable, healthy and responsible business preserving the past, and continuing into the future, Mary Lou isn’t afraid to tell the whole world.
