ABOUT US
Jade House
Casa del Jade is a Christian family business, a pioneer in the modern jade industry, which for more than 40 years has worked to share and publicize the precious treasure and cultural legacy of Mesoamerica, Jade.
VISION
To be recognized worldwide for creating unique, high-quality Guatemalan jade products with passion and excellence.
MISSION
To create innovative pieces that allow you to experience the beauty and originality of jade through committed collaborators passionate about excellence and community well-being.
VALUES
We LEAD with PASSION
We strive for EXCELLENCE
We works as a TEAM
We walk in INTEGRITY
We act RESPONSIBLY
We SERVE people
We treat everyone with RESPECT
OUR HISTORY
The 1970s - Our Beginnings
Our founder, Gerald Leech, along with a group of North American visionaries, began the dream of bringing this invaluable Mayan legacy back to life, choosing the beautiful city of Antigua Guatemala, now a World Heritage Site, as their headquarters for their business. Over time, this entrepreneurial group dissolved, but Gerald continued with the desire to revive this wonderful legacy. After arduous planning and many hours of work, the dream finally became a reality, and Casa del Jade opened its doors on July 9, 1977, with a small exhibition of jade crafts and jewelry. The first three years of Casa del Jade were very significant, and it grew to include 30 employees and two points of sale.
The 1980s - A Time of Perseverance
The early 1980s marked a series of events that tested the strength of the Casa del Jade family. The intensification of the armed conflict in the country led to an economic recession that impacted our development; and unfortunately, in 1984, Casa del Jade was robbed of most of its merchandise. But thankfully, despite these difficult times, we were able to recover, and through ingenuity and sacrifice, accompanied by a positive change in the country’s situation, we restarted and exceeded the business’s expectations. We managed to expand our facilities to provide sufficient space to provide guided tours and to handle large groups in our sales rooms.
The 90s - A New Home
The 1990s represented a new era for Casa del Jade. The international recognition of Guatemalan jade, along with the desire to always provide the best experience to our clients, prompted us to look for a new home. Thus, we set our sights on rebuilding “Casa Antigua El Jaulón,” a 16th-century colonial residence that had been destroyed by various natural disasters. Construction began in January 1993 with a group of investors and was completed five and a half years later. Today, it is the only privately restored monument in the city. And so, on June 15, 1998, we inaugurated our new facilities.
The 2000s – A New Era
The beginning of the new era was marked by our commitment to disseminating the historical and cultural legacy of jade; thus, the idea of developing a museum was born. The first one opened in San Cristóbal de las Casas, Mexico, in 2001. We then began the dream of a museum in Antigua Guatemala to provide the public with the opportunity to appreciate beautiful reproductions of archaeological artifacts, most of which are in private collections. This became a reality when we opened the doors of our new “Mesoamerican Jade Museum” in 2003.
With this same spirit, in 2008 we organized the first International Jade Convention, with attendees from the United States, Mexico, and Central America. For three days, participants enjoyed various cultural activities and magnificent presentations by renowned archaeologists such as Héctor Escobedo, Miguel Orrego, Francisco Estrada-Belli, Juan Antonio Valdés, Federico Fahsen, Alfonso Morales, Robert Sharer, Edgar Suyuc, Arthur Demarest, Richard Hansen, and Tomas Barrientos. All lectures were free and open to the public; a unique event.
Time to Remodel
In 2011, we embarked on a renovation of our sales rooms and museum, with two goals in mind: to provide an even more enriching display for the public and to reduce our impact on the environment by using new lighting technologies in our galleries.
Foray into fashion catwalks
Since 2014, our designer Silvia Leech has been appearing on the country’s fashion runways, working alongside talented Guatemalan designers to complement their outfits with unusual jewelry, showcasing and highlighting the beauty of our national gem.
Surviving a Global Pandemic
One of the biggest challenges for any business serving both domestic and international tourists was facing a pandemic where borders closed, tourists stopped traveling, and we were completely closed to the world for seven months.
Thanks to God and the support of our employees, we’ve now emerged stronger to continue showing the world the beauty of Guatemalan jade.
Today, Casa del Jade is an important source of employment in the city of Antigua Guatemala, benefiting more than 80 families directly and indirectly.
At Casa del Jade, you can find the most beautiful jewelry and pre-Columbian recreations, made with the excellence and quality that has characterized us since our beginnings. We look forward to seeing you!
