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We are delighted to present our collection of personalized jewelry, inspired by the Mayan calendar, an iconic pre-Columbian civilization of Mexico. This exclusive collection offers you the opportunity to create a unique piece in 925 sterling silver, which will immortalize in an original way a significant date in your life, whether it is your birth, your wedding, or any other memorable moment. Each piece of jewelry is carefully and precisely designed to reflect the cultural and historical richness of the Mayans, while capturing the essence of your own story. Treat yourself or a loved one to a piece of jewelry that transcends time and borders.

The observatory or Caracol of Chichen Itza, a Mayan site in Mexico. It was from this kind of structure that the Mayan priests observed the sky to develop a series of calendars among the most precise in the world.
The observatory, also known as the Caracol, is one of the most fascinating structures in Chichen Itza, an iconic Mayan site located in Mexico. This remarkable structure served as an observation point for Mayan priests, who studied the sky with remarkable precision to develop highly accurate calendars.

Your date in the Mayan calendar

Maya Long Count preparatory drawing
Example of a sketch for a Maya long Count date for a brooch.

The observation of glyphs, these complex symbols that make up the Mayan calendar systems, sometimes reveals notable differences. These variations can be attributed to the vast expanse of the Mayan territory, which was sometimes divided, as well as the long history of this civilization. It is therefore quite normal to observe differences in the representation of Mayan calendar glyphs, as they can reflect regional peculiarities, linguistic developments, and cultural influences that have marked different periods of Mayan history.

We have carefully selected the glyphs presented on this page for their authenticity and representativeness of the Mayan calendar systems. However, if you have a specific request or a slightly different desire, we are here to listen. Please do not hesitate to let us know, and we will do our best to meet your expectations and create a personalized piece of jewelry that reflects your unique style.

The different types of jewels Maya calendar glyphs

The choice of a silver jewelry theme based on the Mayan calendar leaves us with many options for ornamentation and supports.

Given the importance the Mayans placed on different calendar systems, we offer:

Lintel 48 from Yachilan, Mexico, showing the date February 11, 526
Lintel 48 from Yachilan, Mexico, showing the date February 11, 526
  • If you were to choose just one glyph, we recommend selecting the one corresponding to the day given by the Tzolk’in calendar. This calendar, composed of 260 days, was the closest to the daily life of the Mayan population. It was used to plan religious ceremonies, agricultural activities, and even to determine an individual’s personality and destiny. Each day of the Tzolk’in was associated with a specific glyph, representing a deity or cosmic force, and these glyphs were considered signs of predestination for people born on that day. By choosing the glyph corresponding to your birth day in the Tzolk’in calendar, you will wear a piece of jewelry that not only honors Mayan culture, but also connects you to your own destiny according to this ancient tradition.
  • For a more comprehensive and precise approach, we recommend using the Mayan calendar wheel, which combines two glyphs: that of the Tzolk’in and that of the Haab. The Tzolk’in, a sacred calendar of 260 days, was used to plan religious ceremonies and agricultural activities, while the Haab, a solar calendar of 365 days, was used to plan daily activities and agricultural seasons. By combining these two calendars, you get a more complete representation of time and Mayan culture. You can choose a piece of jewelry that integrates the glyphs corresponding to your birth day in the Tzolk’in and in the Haab, which will allow you to wear a symbol that reflects both your personality and your connection to nature and the cosmos, according to the Mayan tradition.
  • For an even more meticulous and exhaustive approach, we suggest choosing the complete date of the Mayan long count. This calendar system, also known as the Long Count calendar, was used to track cycles of 13 baktuns, or approximately 5,125 years. Each baktun consisted of 20 katuns, each katun of 20 tuns, each tun of 18 uinals, and each uinal of 20 days. By choosing a complete date of the Mayan long count, you get a precise and detailed representation of time according to the Mayan tradition. However, it is important to note that the support for such a piece of jewelry will necessarily be larger, due to the number of glyphs required to represent each unit of time.

We present here some examples of possible supports for your jewelry inspired by the Mayan calendar. However, our creativity and expertise allow us to create a wide variety of unique pieces. Do not hesitate to contact us to discuss your preferences and ideas. Whether you want a ring, a brooch, earrings, a pendant, or any other type of jewelry, we are here to help you create the perfect piece that matches your style and personality.

Our sterling silver jewels made with the date of the Maya calendar

Stud earrings with a date of the Tzolkin calendar Stud earrings with a date of the Tzolkin calendar
(1 x 1.3cm approximately)
Maya calendar stub Tzolkin Stud earrings with two different dates of the Tzolkin calendar
(1 x 1.3cm approximately)
Stud earrings with the date of the Mayan calendar wheel Stud earrings with the date of the Mayan calendar wheel
(1 x 1.3cm approximately)
Pendant with the long Count date Pendant with the long Count date
(7 x 2 cm)
Brooch with the long Count date Brooch with the long Count date
(5 x 2 cm)
Long count earring maya Earrings with the long Count date
(7 x 2 cm)
Long Count maya earring with two dates Earrings with the two different long Count dates
(7 x 2 cm)
Tzolkin maya calendar date ring Ring with a Tzolkin glyph
Maya Long Count Calendar 9mm ring Maya Long Count Calendar ring
The Mayan pyramid of Kukulkan from the site of Chichen Itza, Mexico, under the starry night. The same stars observed by the Mayan priests to develop their calendar.
The Pyramid of Kukulkan, an architectural masterpiece of the Mayan civilization, stands majestically at the heart of the Chichen Itza site in Mexico. Under the starry night, it offers a breathtaking spectacle, evoking the same stars that the Mayan priests observed with remarkable precision to develop their calendar. These stars, which guided the Mayans in their quest to understand the cosmos, continue to shine above the pyramid, bearing witness to the wisdom and ingenuity of this ancient civilization.

The Mayan calendar, explanations

The term "Mayan calendar" is often used, but in reality, it would be more accurate to speak of "Mayan calendars". This pre-Columbian civilization of Mexico primarily used three calendars to manage time, but in reality, there are many more. Among the most well-known, we find:

  • The sacred calendar called Tzolkin, made of 260 days.
  • The civil calendar called Haab, of 365 days.
  • The long Count calendar.

All calendars were governed by the "scientists" of the time, that is, the priests, who were the holders of mathematical and astronomical knowledge. These priests, called Ah Kin, were highly respected and considered intermediaries between the gods and humans. They were responsible for observing the stars, calculating lunar and solar cycles, and organizing religious ceremonies based on celestial movements. Their in-depth knowledge of the Mayan calendars allowed them to predict eclipses, agricultural seasons, and important astronomical events, giving them considerable power within Mayan society.

The Mayan calendar is often attributed to the Olmecs, considered the mother civilization. This hypothesis is supported by the similarity of calendar systems with those of the Aztecs and Mixtecs, which show identical workings and suggest a common origin. The Olmecs, who preceded the Mayans, were known for their advancements in astronomy and mathematics, and it is likely that they influenced the Mayans in the development of their calendar. However, the Mayans also brought their own innovations and adaptations to the calendar, making it a unique and sophisticated system.

The Maya Tzolkin calendar

Tzolkin Mayan calendar earrings
Example of a piece of jewelry with the 10th of july 1975, that is to say 1 Imix with the glyph of the Mayan Tzolkin calendar. The type of jewel used here is sterling silver stud earrings.

The term "Tzolk’in" means "count of days" in the Mayan language. This Mayan calendar, considered sacred, consists of 260 days, called "Kines". It is organized into 20 months of 13 days each. Each month is represented by a glyph, a graphic symbol, and each day is identified by a number. The Tzolk’in is a cyclical calendar, which means it repeats every 260 days.

The Tzolk’in is often associated with two fascinating calculation origins. The first theory suggests that the Tzolk’in is based on the average duration of human gestation, which is about 260 days. This hypothesis underscores the close connection the Mayans had with nature and life, using the gestation cycle as the basis for their sacred calendar. The second theory, equally intriguing, is that the Tzolk’in is linked to the planet Venus. The Mayans were astute sky observers, and they closely followed the movements of planets and stars. Venus, in particular, was associated with the deity Kukulkan, also known as Quetzalcoatl among the Aztecs. The Mayans believed that Venus was a divine messenger, and they used its cycles to predict important events and plan religious ceremonies.

It was used to plan agricultural activities (periods and durations of rains, sowings, harvests…), the periods for hunting and fishing, religious.
The Tzolk’in, the sacred calendar of the Maya, was the most used to plan a multitude of vital activities, ranging from agricultural activities to religious ceremonies, through hunting or fishing times. Its precision and reliability made it an indispensable tool for the Maya, who used it to determine the periods and durations of rains, the times conducive to sowing and harvesting, as well as to predict important astronomical events. But the Tzolk’in was not limited to material life: it was also used to define the destiny of people. Each day of the Tzolk’in was associated with a specific glyph, representing a deity or a cosmic force, and these glyphs were considered signs of predestination for people born on that day.

Maya name Characteristic Glyph
Imix "crocodile". This day is associated with an earth deity, mother of fertility and fecundity. Imix Day of maya calendar Tzolkin
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. Ik Day of maya calendar Tzolkin
Akbal "darkness inside the earth". This Maya day is associated with the Jaguar god, representing the race of the sun during the night. Akbal Day of maya calendar Tzolkin
Kan "ripe corn" or "big flower". It is associated with the god Yum Xak. Kan Day of maya calendar Tzolkin
Chicchan "snake". This Maya day is associated with the snake god, symbol of the rain and also of fertility. Chicchan Day of maya calendar Tzolkin
Cimi "death". It is associated to the god Yum Cimil, the macabre and cruel god of death. Cimi Day of maya calendar Tzolkin
Manik "deer". This Maya day is associated to Buluk Chabtan, god of war and of human sacrifice. Manik Day of maya calendar Tzolkin
Lamat "Venus" Lamat Day of maya calendar Tzolkin
Muluc "water". This Maya day is dedicated to the god of water and jade. Muluc Day of maya calendar Tzolkin
Oc "trace" or "print". This day is dedicated to the mythical dog Xibalba who accompanies the dead to the underworld. Oc Day of maya calendar Tzolkin
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. Chuen Day of maya calendar Tzolkin
Eb "tooth". This Maya day is associated with the negative deity of disasters and floods. Eb Day of maya calendar Tzolkin
Ben "reed". It is dedicated to the god of the Green Corn, the one who protects the growth of the plant before the harvest. Ben Day of maya calendar Tzolkin
Ix "jaguar". This Maya day is associated with the Jaguar god, as a night being and a priest. Ix Day of maya calendar Tzolkin
Men "eagle". This Maya calendar is dedicated to the goddess of the ancient moon, that is to say the waning moon. Men Day of maya calendar Tzolkin
Cib "soul". This day is dedicated to the god of bees and beekeepers Cib Day of maya calendar Tzolkin
Caban "earth". This day of the calendar is associated with the goddess of the young moon, that is to say the waxing moon. Caban Day of maya calendar Tzolkin
Etz-nab "knife". This day is associated with the god obsidian blade. He runs the cult of sacrifices and self-sacrifices. Etz-nab Day of maya calendar Tzolkin
Cauac "stormy". This day of the calendar is dedicated to destructive rains. Cauac Day of maya calendar Tzolkin
Ahau this day of the Maya calendar is associated to the lord of the sun, Kinik Ahau Ahau Day of maya calendar Tzolkin
The Mayan Haab calendar with the bearer and the different glyphs
The Mayan Haab calendar with the bearer and the different glyphs

The Mayan Haab calendar

The Haab, also known as the solar calendar, is a time measurement system based on the solar year. It consists of 365 days, which are divided into 18 months (Uinales) of 20 days each (Kines). The cycle ends with 5 additional days, called "Uayeb", which were considered ominous and during which no activity was carried out. These days were seen as a transition period between the old and new seasons, and were associated with purification and renewal rituals.

The Haab was the basis of the collective religious calendar of the Maya, and it marked ceremonies and religious rituals. Each month of the Haab was associated with a god or deity, and each day was identified by a glyph, a graphic symbol.

Maya name Characteristic Glyph
Pop "mat". The patron of this month was the Jaguar. Pop months of the Maya calendar Haab
Uo "black conjunction" Uo months of the Maya calendar Haab
Zip "red conjunction". Zip months of the Maya calendar Haab
Zotz "bat". The patron of this month is the bat. Zotz months of the Maya calendar Haab
Tzec "death". This month of the calendar is dedicated to the bees. Tzec months of the Maya calendar Haab
Xul "dog". The patron of this month is the sun. Xul months of the Maya calendar Haab
Yaxkin "new sun". The patron of this month is the god Kukulkan. Yaxkin months of the Maya calendar Haab
Mol "water". The patron of this Maya month is the god Chac. It is especially marked by the water purification day. Mol months of the Maya calendar Haab
Chen "black storm". The patron of this month is the goddess of the moon. Chen months of the Maya calendar Haab
Yax "green storm". The patron of this month is the god Chac. Yax months of the Maya calendar Haab
Maya name Characteristic Glyph
Zac "white storm". The patron of this Maya month is the god of hunting and fishing. Zac months of the Maya calendar Haab
Ceh "red storm" or "the new fire" Ceh months of the Maya calendar Haab
Mac "closed". Mac months of the Maya calendar Haab
Kankin "yellow sun" Kankin months of the Maya calendar Haab
Muan "owl". This month corresponds to the cocoa day. Muan months of the Maya calendar Haab
Pax "planting time". The patron of this month is the god "Red Puma Father". Pax months of the Maya calendar Haab
Kayab "turtle". Kayab months of the Maya calendar Haab
Cumkú "attic". Cumku months of the Maya calendar Haab
Uayeb "the sleeper" or "remaining part of the year". Uayeb months of the Maya calendar Haab

The wheel of the Maya calendar

Wheel illustrating the operation of the Mayan calendar Haab and Tzolkin
The wheel representing the system of the Mayan calendar

Neither the Tzolkin nor the Haab counted the years. Therefore, the combination of the two systems had to be used sufficiently to regulate the daily and practical life of the Maya. This is the minimum dating found on many Maya monuments.

The Tzolkin and the Haab combine to form a longer cycle of 52 years, where the same date is reached again. At the end of this cycle, both calendars would restart at zero. This operation is generally represented by 3 gear wheels: the smallest (B) marking the numbers of the Tzolkin wheel days (A), nested with the large Haab wheel (C).

date of the Mayan calendar wheel given by the Maya Tzolkin and Haab
Earrings with the Mayan dating of the calendar wheel with the date of two Caban and 10 Ceh.

This cycle is defined in 52 Tunes or Haabs, which is 18,980 Kines (days). The new cycle was celebrated by the ceremony of the new fire, which would correspond to a century in our conception of time. This ceremony, called "Wayeb", marked the end of a 52-year cycle and the beginning of a new cycle. It was celebrated with rituals of purification and renewal, and it was considered a sacred moment in the lives of the Maya. The ceremony of the new fire was also an opportunity to renew alliances between the different Mayan city-states, and it was accompanied by festivities, dances, and songs.

The Mayan long Count

The Maya Long Count was used to date an important event more precisely, in addition to the dates given by the Haab and Tzolkin. The Long Count, corresponding to a Maya era, began on 0.0.0.0.0 4 Ahau and 8 Cumkú, which would correspond according to the generally accepted correlation to August 11, 3114 BC in the Gregorian calendar. This dating system was used to mark important historical events, such as the founding of a city-state, the construction of a temple, or the accession to the throne of a sovereign. It allowed the Maya to track time over a much longer period than other calendars, and it was considered an essential tool for organizing the political and religious life of Maya civilization.

As everyone knows, this cycle of the Maya Long Count ended on December 20, 2012, which is 12.19.19.17.19 3 Cuauc 2 Kankin in the Maya calendar. No end of the world... but the new Maya era began on December 21, 2012, on the Maya date of 13.0.0.0.0 4 Ahau 3 Kankin. This event sparked many speculations and interpretations, but for the Maya, it simply marked the end of a cycle and the beginning of a new one.

The Maya time calculation system is based on the number 20, and each unit of time therefore represents a multiple of 20. Each of these levels had a specific name. The basic Maya unit was the Kin or solar day. Here is the table of these units:

Maya name Days Equivalent Meaning Glyph
Kin 1   "time" or "sun" Kin of maya calendar
Uinal 20 20 Kin "human being" Uinal of maya calendar
Tun 360 18 Uinal "stone" Tun of maya calendar
Katún 7 200 20 Tun ou 360 Uinales "20 years" Katun of maya calendar
Baktún 144 000 7 200 Uinales, 400 Tunes ou 20 Katunes   Baktun of maya calendar

Other units, multiples of twenty, are found, but very rarely used by the Maya: the piktún, the kalabtún, the kinchinltún, and the alautún. These units of time were used to measure very long periods, such as thousands or millions of years, and were mainly used in a mythological or cosmological context. For example, the piktún was equivalent to 20 baktuns, or 7,200,000 days. The kalabtún was equivalent to 20 piktúns, or 144,000,000 days. The kinchinltún was equivalent to 20 kalabtúns, or 2,880,000,000 days. Finally, the alautún was equivalent to 20 kinchinltúns, or 57,600,000,000 days, and it was used to measure even longer periods, such as cosmic ages or cycles of creation and destruction of the world.

Maya Long Count glyphs
Example of a sterling silver pendant with the date of the long Count, corresponding to the 10th of July 1975.

The 9 lords of the night from the Maya calendar

To complete and be precise about a Maya dating with the long count, we need to add one of the lords of the night.

This is another 9-day calendar cycle, each representing one of the lords of the night and patronizing the date.

We know nothing about them, not even their names. So we called them by a reference that goes from G-1 to G-9. But even if we don’t know much, they had to be present on one of our Maya calendar jewelry.

G-1 Lords of the Night maya G1 G-2 Lords of the Night maya G2 G-3 Lords of the Night maya G3
G-4 Lords of the Night maya G4 G-5 Lords of the Night maya G5 G-6 Lords of the Night maya G6
G-7 Lords of the Night maya G7 G-8 Lords of the Night maya G8 G-9 Lords of the Night maya G9

The introduction glyphs for the Maya dates

Finally, to be complete, a date was marked by an introductory glyph, specific to each month. It was usually wider to cover the whole. This introductory glyph, called the "month head," was a graphical representation of the month in question, and it was often larger than the other glyphs to mark the beginning of the month. It was usually placed at the top of the glyph column, and it was used to identify the month and day in the Maya calendar. The introductory glyph was often decorated with patterns and symbols associated with the month in question, and it was considered an important element of Maya dating.

Ceh Maya introducer ceh Zec Maya introducer zec Zip Maya introducer zip

There are other calendar systems among the Maya, but they are less used, such as the lunar series which provides information on lunar phases. We also find the solar cycle based on equinoxes and solstices, or that of Venus. All were used by Maya priests in their divination system. These lesser-known calendar systems were used for specific purposes, such as planning agricultural activities based on lunar phases, or predicting important astronomical events using the solar cycle or the Venus cycle.

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