Reviving Guatemala’s Jade Legacy: The Trailblazer Behind Its Renaissance

Jade held immense value for the Maya and other pre-Columbian civilizations, yet the original sources of the stone remained lost for centuries. Several decades ago, deposits of jade were rediscovered along a fault line in Guatemala’s Motagua Valley, paving the way for the stone’s resurgence in the ancestral land of the Maya.

Today, jade jewelry is available in a variety of styles and price ranges across boutiques, markets, and small workshops throughout Guatemala, especially in Antigua—a city recognized by UNESCO for its rich colonial history and architecture.

Much of the credit for revitalizing the local jade industry goes to Mary Lou Ridinger, an American anthropologist who moved to Antigua in 1974. Shortly after arriving, she discovered her first jade deposit, igniting renewed interest in the precious stone.

Initially, Ridinger’s pursuit of jade was not her own ambition but that of her future husband, Jay Ridinger, whom she accompanied to Guatemala. However, she quickly recognized the opportunity to reintroduce jade to a region where it had been cherished for approximately 3,000 years prior to the Spanish Conquest.