Zellige de Fès Quality Label — The Only Certified Source in North America
Zellige de Fès
Quality Label
Morocco’s government-issued mark of authentic craftsmanship — applied to every tile that leaves our factory in Fez. My Moroccan Tile is the only Zellige de Fès certified source in North America. This page explains what that means and why it matters.
We are the only certified source on this continent
The Zellige de Fès Quality Label is issued by the Moroccan government to studios that meet a strict set of criteria: origin of clay, production method, artisan certification, and inspection at source. No other tile supplier in the US or Canada carries this certification. When you see the label on our products, it means a government inspector has verified that what you are buying is the real thing — not an approximation, not an import from a country that has nothing to do with the zellige tradition.
Five things every certified tile
must be
-
◆Made in Fez, MoroccoClay sourced exclusively from the earth around Fez — not from any other region or country
-
◆100% handmade by certified artisansShaped, dried, fired, and cut entirely by human hands. No mechanical cutting, no die-stamping, no industrial moulding
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◆Traditional kiln-firedFired in wood or gas kilns using techniques unchanged for centuries — not industrially fired at controlled temperatures
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◆Natural mineral glazesGlazes hand-mixed from copper, cobalt, iron, and manganese oxides. No synthetic pigments, no factory coatings
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◆Hand-cut geometryEvery geometric shape — square, star, hexagon, diamond — cut individually with a chisel by a master artisan. The cut defines the quality
The legal
framework
The Zellige de Fès Quality Label operates under Moroccan Law 133-12, which establishes a national framework for certifying and protecting traditional handicrafts. The law gives the designation legal force: only tiles produced under the certified conditions can carry the label, and misuse of the label is a violation of Moroccan trade law.
The certification is governed jointly by the Moroccan Ministry of Handicrafts, the Chamber of Handicrafts of Fès-Meknès, and the National Committee for Distinctive Signs of Handicrafts. Certified workshops are inspected at source before the label is granted.
Think of it as the equivalent of AOC certification for wine, or PDO designation for food — a government-backed guarantee of authentic geographic and process origin.
Only tiles made in Fès using traditional methods may carry the designation · Artisans must be certified by the Chamber of Handicrafts · Production is subject to inspection before certification is granted · The label is renewable and can be revoked for non-compliance
What certified production
actually looks like
The certification is your
protection as a buyer
Many tiles marketed as “Moroccan” or “zellige-style” are produced industrially in Spain, Italy, China, or elsewhere. They are machine-cut from extruded ceramic, not hand-cut from fired clay. They look similar in photos. In person, the difference is immediately obvious.
When you specify tile that carries the Zellige de Fès Quality Label, you can confirm to your client, your architect, or your design board that the material is exactly what it claims to be. The certification is a verifiable, legal document — not a marketing claim.
Authentic zellige — mineral glaze on fired clay — does not fade, delaminate, or degrade the way synthetic coatings do. Zellige installed in a Fez medina five hundred years ago is still in use. The certification is your assurance that what goes on your wall today will still be beautiful in thirty years.
Certified tile for
considered spaces
Every tile we ship carries the label. Request samples to experience the quality firsthand before you commit to any project.