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We decided to offer you a custom-made jewel based on the Mayan calendar, a Pre-Columbian civilization of Mexico. You will be able to own a unique piece of jewelry made in sterling silver that will hold a special meaning for you because the date is unique to you. It can be made for a wedding, an anniversary, a birth… There are plenty of options.
On internet, you will find a lot of sites explaining the Maya calendar and how to calculate your birthday.
We will avoid you the hard work of calculating it yourself by sending you the sketch corresponding to your dates (similar to the sketches you will see on this page).
You can check the grid below and choose the model that you like by clicking on the button "request for a preliminary design". You will be redirected to fill in a form. We will answer you back as soon as possible.
Sometimes, you will be able to see different glyphs assigned to these calendar systems. The Maya territory was vast and sometimes divided. They have a long history. Therefore, it is normal to have slight variations in the representation of the Maya calendar glyphs.
We mainly use glyphs presented on this page but if you wish something a bit different, do not hesitate to contact us.
The choice of a theme for a jewel based on the Maya calendar lets us a lot of options on the possibilities or decorations and the types of jewels.
According to the importance given to the different calendar systems by the Mayas, we can offer the following options:
Each of the jewels that we offer in the Maya calendar series is a unique and personal piece because it represents a date that is linked to you. Therefore, we cannot offer you the same conditions as for our other custom order jewels. We will not be able to put the jewel in our shop afterwards if you do not like it because it is too personal. So first, we will send you the sketch corresponding to your date. If you want to go on and have the jewel made, we will only make it once you buy your cart.
We only offer some examples of different types of jewels but do not hesitate to contact us to tell us if you would like something else: rings, brooches, earrings, pendants, cufflinks…
Stud earrings with a date of the Tzolkin calendar (1 x 1.3cm approximately) |
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Stud earrings with two different dates of the Tzolkin calendar (1 x 1.3cm approximately) |
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Stud earrings with the date of the Mayan calendar wheel (1 x 1.3cm approximately) |
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Pendant with the long Count date (7 x 2 cm) |
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Brooch with the long Count date (5 x 2 cm) |
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Earrings with the long Count date (7 x 2 cm) |
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Earrings with the two different long Count dates (7 x 2 cm) |
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Ring with a Tzolkin glyph | ||
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Maya Long Count Calendar ring |
We talk about the Maya calendar but actually, the term "Maya calendars" in plural would be a better expression. Indeed, this Pre-Columbian civilization of Mexico mainly used three calendars in order to assess time. But there are actually a lot of them. We mainly find:
All the calendars were controlled by the "scientists" of that period, that is to say priests. They owned the mathematic and astronomic knowledge. Their rank was called Ah Kin.
Very often, it is said that the Mayan calendar has Olmec origins, their mother civilization. The similarity with other systems such as the ones of the Aztecs of the Mixtecs shows identical workings, which could probably have a common origin.
The word Tolkin means "the counting of the days". This Mayan calendar is made of 260 days named Kines. They are composed of 20 months and 13 days. Months are represented by glyphs, and days by numbers.
You can find two origins for calculating in this civilization: first is the relation with the human gestation, or the link with the planet Venus.
It was used to plan agricultural activities (periods and durations of rains, sowings, harvests…), the periods for hunting and fishing, religious ceremonies, and also to define the destiny of people.
In fact, the number and the glyph allowed a divine interpretation, positive or negative, which would interfere in the life of the Mayas. The Tzolkin birthday of a Maya would actually strongly define his destiny.
Maya name | Characteristic | Glyph |
Imix | "crocodile". This day is associated with an earth deity, mother of fertility and fecundity. | ![]() |
Ik | "wind", "breath that gives life", "spirit". It is associated to the god of water, Chac and to the god of wind, one of the forms of Kukulkan. | ![]() |
Akbal | "darkness inside the earth". This Maya day is associated with the Jaguar god, representing the race of the sun during the night. | ![]() |
Kan | "ripe corn" or "big flower". It is associated with the god Yum Xak. | ![]() |
Chicchan | "snake". This Maya day is associated with the snake god, symbol of the rain and also of fertility. | ![]() |
Cimi | "death". It is associated to the god Yum Cimil, the macabre and cruel god of death. | ![]() |
Manik | "deer". This Maya day is associated to Buluk Chabtan, god of war and of human sacrifice. | ![]() |
Lamat | "Venus" | ![]() |
Muluc | "water". This Maya day is dedicated to the god of water and jade. | ![]() |
Oc | "trace" or "print". This day is dedicated to the mythical dog Xibalba who accompanies the dead to the underworld. | ![]() |
Maya name | Characteristic | Glyph |
Chuen | "monkey". It is dedicated to the god of scribes and mathematicians. This Maya day is associated with Ah Chicum Ek, god of the lodestar. | ![]() |
Eb | "tooth". This Maya day is associated with the negative deity of disasters and floods. | ![]() |
Ben | "reed". It is dedicated to the god of the Green Corn, the one who protects the growth of the plant before the harvest. | ![]() |
Ix | "jaguar". This Maya day is associated with the Jaguar god, as a night being and a priest. | ![]() |
Men | "eagle". This Maya calendar is dedicated to the goddess of the ancient moon, that is to say the waning moon. | ![]() |
Cib | "soul". This day is dedicated to the god of bees and beekeepers | ![]() |
Caban | "earth". This day of the calendar is associated with the goddess of the young moon, that is to say the waxing moon. | ![]() |
Etz-nab | "knife". This day is associated with the god obsidian blade. He runs the cult of sacrifices and self-sacrifices. | ![]() |
Cauac | "stormy". This day of the calendar is dedicated to destructive rains. | ![]() |
Ahau | this day of the Maya calendar is associated to the lord of the sun, Kinik Ahau | ![]() |
The Maya Haab calendar measures the solar year. It is made of 365 days divided in 18 months (Uinales) of 20 days (Kines). The cycle ends by 5 extra days in order to complete the calendar that is called Uayeb. They were considered as harmful and no activity was made during that period.
The Haab is the basis of the religious community calendar and would indicate the ceremonies of the year.
Maya name | Characteristic | Glyph |
Pop | "mat". The patron of this month was the Jaguar. | ![]() |
Uo | "black conjunction" | ![]() |
Zip | "red conjunction". | ![]() |
Zotz | "bat". The patron of this month is the bat. | ![]() |
Tzec | "death". This month of the calendar is dedicated to the bees. | ![]() |
Xul | "dog". The patron of this month is the sun. | ![]() |
Yaxkin | "new sun". The patron of this month is the god Kukulkan. | ![]() |
Mol | "water". The patron of this Maya month is the god Chac. It is especially marked by the water purification day. | ![]() |
Chen | "black storm". The patron of this month is the goddess of the moon. | ![]() |
Yax | "green storm". The patron of this month is the god Chac. | ![]() |
Maya name | Characteristic | Glyph |
Zac | "white storm". The patron of this Maya month is the god of hunting and fishing. | ![]() |
Ceh | "red storm" or "the new fire" | ![]() |
Mac | "closed". | ![]() |
Kankin | "yellow sun" | ![]() |
Muan | "owl". This month corresponds to the cocoa day. | ![]() |
Pax | "planting time". The patron of this month is the god "Red Puma Father". | ![]() |
Kayab | "turtle". | ![]() |
Cumkú | "attic". | ![]() |
Uayeb | "the sleeper" or "remaining part of the year". | ![]() |
Nor the Tzolkin neither the Haab would count the years. Therefore, it is the combination of both systems that must have been used to settle the daily life and rituals of the Mayas. It is the minimum date that you will find on most of the Mayan monuments.
The Tzolking and the Haab are combined to create a longer cycle of 52 years at the end of which you will start all over again. At the end of this cycle, both calendars would start from zero. This system is generally represented by 3 gear wheels: the smallest one (B) marking the numbers of the days of the the Tzolkin wheel (A), embedded in the big Haab wheel (C).
This cycle is made of 52 Tunes or Haabs, or 18 980 Kines (days). The new cycle was celebrated by the ceremony of the new fire that would correspond to a century in our time conception.
The Maya long Count was used to encode an important event in a more precise way and as a complement to the dates given by the Haab and the Tzolkin.
The long Count, corresponding to a Maya era, started on the 0.0.0.0.0 4 Ahau and 8 Cumkú that would correspond to the 11th of august 3114 before Christ in the Gregorian calendar (according to what Is generally accepted).
As everybody now knows, the cycle of the Mayan long Count ended on the 20th of december 2012 or on the 12.19.19.17.19 3 Cuauc 2 Kankin. No end of the world… But a new Maya era which started on the 21 of december 2012, or on the 13.0.0.0.0 4 Ahau 3 Kankin.
The system of calculating time is based on the number 20. Each unit represents then a multiple of 20. Each of these levels had a specific name. The Maya basic unit was the Kin or a solar day. Here is the grid for these units:
Maya name | Days | Equivalent | Meaning | Glyph |
Kin | 1 | "time" or "sun" | ![]() |
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Uinal | 20 | 20 Kin | "human being" | ![]() |
Tun | 360 | 18 Uinal | "stone" | ![]() |
Katún | 7 200 | 20 Tun ou 360 Uinales | "20 years" | ![]() |
Baktún | 144 000 | 7 200 Uinales, 400 Tunes ou 20 Katunes | ![]() |
You can find other units, multiple of twenty, but hardly used by Mayas: piktún, kalabtún, kinchinltún, and alautún.
In order to complete and to be exact on the Maya long Count dating, we have to add one of the lords of the night.
It is another calendar cycle of 9 days. Each represents one of the lords of the night and it is placed first in the order of the calendar.
We know nothing about them, not even their names. So they were named after a reference that goes from G-1 to G-9. But even if we don't know a lot about them, they had to be present on one of our jewels made with the Maya calendar.
G-1 | ![]() |
G-2 | ![]() |
G-3 | ![]() |
G-4 | ![]() |
G-5 | ![]() |
G-6 | ![]() |
G-7 | ![]() |
G-8 | ![]() |
G-9 | ![]() |
Eventually, in order to complete it, a date was marked by an introduction glyph that is specific to each month. It was generally larger to cover the whole thing.
Ceh | ![]() |
Zec | ![]() |
Zip | ![]() |
There are other Mayan calendar systems that are less used, such as the moon series that give information on the moon phases. We can also find the solar cycle based on the equinoxes and solstices, or on Venus. All were used by Maya priests in their divination system.