What is Guatemalan jade?

Guatemalan jade is jadeite from the Motagua valley region of Guatemala, the source worked by Maya artisans for more than three thousand years. It covers a wide colour range — river green, deep imperial green, lavender, and darker mineral tones — and it is the material every piece we sell is cut from.

Is jadeite the same as jade?

Jade is a trade name covering two minerals: jadeite and nephrite. Jadeite is denser and reaches the vivid greens and lavenders associated with Guatemalan and imperial jade. We declare Guatemalan jade for every piece and we do not attach a laboratory term such as “natural jadeite” or “Type A” to a piece that has no laboratory report.

What does “Type A” jade mean?

“Type A” is trade shorthand for jadeite that has been polished and waxed only, with no bleaching, polymer impregnation or dye. It is a laboratory verdict, not a sales adjective: we state it for a piece only when a gemmological report accompanies that piece, and otherwise we tell you plainly that treatment is unconfirmed.

What colours does jade come in?

Green is the reference and the most sought after, from river green to deep imperial. Beyond it, jade occurs in white and pale tones, lavender and pink, dark green and black, and more rarely blue and yellow. Colour drives value alongside translucency, evenness and grain.

Which jade suits a men's bracelet?

Dark green and black jade in plain rounded beads or a smooth bangle form is the usual choice for men — sober tone, no setting, weight in the hand. Those pieces sit in the bracelet selection on the Queens page.

How do I know jade jewellery is authentic?

Ask what is declared and what is proven. Real jade is dense, cold to the touch, warms slowly, shows a fibrous grain rather than bubbles, and has uneven colour at close range. Beyond that, only a gemmological report proves a grade — so we tell you the declared material, the declared origin, the dimensions and whether treatment is confirmed, piece by piece.

Why is jade associated with Maya heritage?

In Maya culture jade was worth more than gold: it accompanied rulers, marked ceremonies and stood for breath, water and life. Guatemalan workshops still work the same deposits, and the project is directed locally by Guatemalans, from the choice of rough stone to the finished piece.

Where can I see jade bracelets and bangles?

Bracelets and bangles have their own page, with the curated selection available for delivery in Flushing, Queens (11354, 11355, 11358), sizing guidance and welcome codes for each served ZIP code.

Guatemala · Maya heritage · Delivered in Queens, New York

Guatemalan Jade Jewelry: Necklaces, Rings, Pendants and Earrings

Guatemalan jade jewelry is jadeite cut in Guatemala, where jade has been worked since Maya times. Every piece here is a single stone, described with what we can actually declare — material, origin, dimensions, and whether treatment is confirmed — and delivered with tracking, including to Flushing, Queens.

Jade bracelets & bangles How to tell authentic jade

Honey Jade Necklace, a real Guatemalan jade necklace, piece N-019 — delivered in Flushing, Queens

Jade necklaces

A jade necklace is judged on how the stone is matched: bead after bead, or a single plaque hung on silk. Ours are cut from Guatemalan jade in tones that run from soft river green to deep imperial green and lavender, each one a single piece rather than a repeated reference.

Pieces in this cluster are not put on display. One single Guatemalan jade necklace is unveiled each month — jade necklace enquiries are answered from that month's piece or from our reserve, by request only, with delivery in Flushing, Queens.

See the necklace of the month

Jade pendants

Pendants are where Guatemalan jade shows its translucency best: held against the light, the stone reveals its grain and the small internal variations that tell you it was cut from rough rather than moulded. Several of ours carry motifs drawn from Maya carving traditions.

Pieces in this cluster are not put on display. One single Guatemalan jade necklace is unveiled each month — jade pendant enquiries are answered from that month's piece or from our reserve, by request only, with delivery in Flushing, Queens.

See the necklace of the month

Jade rings

A jade ring asks for a hard, tight-grained stone, because the surface takes daily contact. We cut ring stones from the densest blocks and mount them soberly, so the jade — not the setting — carries the piece.

Pieces in this cluster are not put on display. One single Guatemalan jade necklace is unveiled each month — jade ring enquiries are answered from that month's piece or from our reserve, by request only, with delivery in Flushing, Queens.

See the necklace of the month

Jade earrings

Earrings are worked in pairs, which is the hardest exercise in jade: two stones must agree on colour, translucency and grain. Lavender and river green are the families that pair most readily in Guatemalan jade.

Pieces in this cluster are not put on display. One single Guatemalan jade necklace is unveiled each month — jade earrings enquiries are answered from that month's piece or from our reserve, by request only, with delivery in Flushing, Queens.

See the necklace of the month

The difference — Guatemala, land of eternal spring

Why our jade is not the jade you find in Flushing

Across Queens, nearly all the jade on offer arrives from Asia through the same import channels, with no verifiable origin and no stated treatment status. Les Jardins de Jade is rooted in Guatemala — the land of eternal spring and the only jadeite source in the Americas, in the Motagua valley. We select at the source, we show the exact piece, and we state what we know as plainly as what we do not.

Comparison: Asia-imported jade sold in Queens versus Guatemalan jade from Les Jardins de Jade
Criterion	Imported jade, sold in Queens	Les Jardins de Jade
Origin	Imported jade, sold in QueensAsian origin usually unspecified, often resold through several intermediaries.	Les Jardins de JadeGuatemalan jade (declared), Motagua valley — the only jadeite source in the Americas.
Traceability	Imported jade, sold in QueensNo piece code, no named workshop, generic catalogue photography.	Les Jardins de JadeOne code per bracelet (B-104, B-110…), Guatemalan workshop, photo of the exact piece delivered.
Treatment disclosure	Imported jade, sold in Queens“Type A” or “certified” claims displayed with no document to inspect.	Les Jardins de JadeTreatment status stated as it stands: known, or unconfirmed. Never a claim without evidence.
Uniqueness	Imported jade, sold in QueensRepeated series, calibrated beads identical from batch to batch.	Les Jardins de JadeThirteen bracelets only. Natural shades — imperial green, ice, lavender — never reproduced.
Buying in Flushing	Imported jade, sold in QueensCounter sale, haggling, no follow-up afterwards.	Les Jardins de JadeTracked delivery by appointment in 11354, 11355 and 11358, 14-day exchange, a single contact.

What we will never claim: “Type A”, “certified” or “untreated” without written evidence. No laboratory has certified our pieces to date, and we write that down rather than leave it out. The supplier dossier — origin, workshop, treatment status, metal, dimensions — is shared on request before any purchase.

Request the supplier dossier

Jadeite, nephrite and what we declare

Jade is a trade name for two different minerals. Nephrite is the historic, abundant one. Jadeite is denser, takes a brighter polish and reaches the vivid greens and lavenders collectors look for — and it is the mineral of Guatemalan jade. We declare Guatemalan jade for every piece, with its dimensions and photographed state, and we keep laboratory vocabulary such as “Type A” for pieces that arrive with a gemmological report.

The colour spectrum of jade

Colour is the first thing to choose, and it changes both the character of a piece and its rarity. Five families cover almost everything we cut.

Green: The reference colour and the widest demand: from soft river green to deep imperial tones. Even, saturated green with a fine grain is the rarest end of the family.
White & pale: Pale and near-white jade reads contemporary and minimal. It sits well with plain metal settings and daily wear.
Lavender & pink: A narrower, collector-led taste. Lavender is characteristic of Guatemalan jadeite and pairs easily across a matched set.
Dark green & black: Dense mineral tones, usually cut in plain rounded forms. This is the family most asked for in men's bracelets.
Blue & yellow: The rarest tones we see, close to the blue-green mineral character of the raw stone. Pieces appear occasionally rather than as a standing collection.

For a men's jade bracelet, dark green and black in plain rounded forms is the family that works: sober, unset, with real weight. See the bracelets and bangles available in Flushing, Queens.

Authentic jade: what we declare

Authentic jade jewelry is recognised by density, coldness to the touch, a fibrous or granular grain under light, and colour that is uneven at close range. Beyond those signals, only a gemmological report proves a grade — so for each piece we state the declared material, the declared origin, the dimensions, the exact photographed piece and whether treatment is confirmed. We never write “Type A”, “natural jadeite”, “untreated” or “certified” without a report to back it.

Maya heritage, worked in Guatemala

Maya jade jewelry set the reference: for more than three millennia jade was valued above gold, standing for breath, water and life. The same deposits are worked today by Guatemalan workshops, and this project is directed locally by Guatemalans — the people who choose the rough stone follow the cutting, the polishing and the finished piece.

Available for delivery in Queens

We hold no store or counter in Queens. We deliver there: Downtown / North Flushing (11354), South Flushing / Kissena / Queensborough Hill (11355), East Flushing / Murray Hill / Auburndale (11358). Downtown Flushing (11354) is our active sector, around Main Street & Roosevelt Avenue, 37th Avenue, 39th Avenue.

See bracelets available in Flushing

Frequently asked questions

What is Guatemalan jade?: Guatemalan jade is jadeite from the Motagua valley region of Guatemala, the source worked by Maya artisans for more than three thousand years. It covers a wide colour range — river green, deep imperial green, lavender, and darker mineral tones — and it is the material every piece we sell is cut from.
Is jadeite the same as jade?: Jade is a trade name covering two minerals: jadeite and nephrite. Jadeite is denser and reaches the vivid greens and lavenders associated with Guatemalan and imperial jade. We declare Guatemalan jade for every piece and we do not attach a laboratory term such as “natural jadeite” or “Type A” to a piece that has no laboratory report.
What does “Type A” jade mean?: “Type A” is trade shorthand for jadeite that has been polished and waxed only, with no bleaching, polymer impregnation or dye. It is a laboratory verdict, not a sales adjective: we state it for a piece only when a gemmological report accompanies that piece, and otherwise we tell you plainly that treatment is unconfirmed.
What colours does jade come in?: Green is the reference and the most sought after, from river green to deep imperial. Beyond it, jade occurs in white and pale tones, lavender and pink, dark green and black, and more rarely blue and yellow. Colour drives value alongside translucency, evenness and grain.
Which jade suits a men's bracelet?: Dark green and black jade in plain rounded beads or a smooth bangle form is the usual choice for men — sober tone, no setting, weight in the hand. Those pieces sit in the bracelet selection on the Queens page.
How do I know jade jewellery is authentic?: Ask what is declared and what is proven. Real jade is dense, cold to the touch, warms slowly, shows a fibrous grain rather than bubbles, and has uneven colour at close range. Beyond that, only a gemmological report proves a grade — so we tell you the declared material, the declared origin, the dimensions and whether treatment is confirmed, piece by piece.
Why is jade associated with Maya heritage?: In Maya culture jade was worth more than gold: it accompanied rulers, marked ceremonies and stood for breath, water and life. Guatemalan workshops still work the same deposits, and the project is directed locally by Guatemalans, from the choice of rough stone to the finished piece.
Where can I see jade bracelets and bangles?: Bracelets and bangles have their own page, with the curated selection available for delivery in Flushing, Queens (11354, 11355, 11358), sizing guidance and welcome codes for each served ZIP code.