A true maestro when it comes to combining silver with faceted, brilliant gems Enrique Ledesma is the creator of this modernist Mexican hinged bangle bracelet. Ledesma set three color-change sapphires against a glistening sterling frame here but I have also had one or two similar pieces in which the silver had been oxidized. Held in place with prongs, the stones are open-backed allowing the light to play its luminous games and coax different colors out of the stones...

One of the most inspired Taxco modernists, Enrique Ledesma is not widely known as an enamelist yet he did create jewelry combining sterling with bright colored enamels. It seems that those pieces are rare and difficult to find but if one is lucky enough to come upon an example, the search is justified and the seeker duly rewarded! The necklace at hand, distinctly "machine age" in its constituting elements, breaks free of its functionalist constraints with the use of brilliant blue enamel...

Offered on consignment, this mid-century Antonio Pineda bracelet is a spectacular showpiece which pulls out all the stops. Diamond shaped onyx stones and silver panels alternate in this geometric modernist design. It's a substantial luxurious piece which looks and feels fabulous on the wrist. A rarely seen design, and collector quality. One of the most exquisite Antonio pieces I've come across...

Valentin Vidaurreta is one of the “giants” in Mexico’s 20th c. Silver Renaissance. And even though to most his name does not resonate in the way Spratling’s or Aguilar’s or Antonio’s does, his incredible talent and sublime craftsmanship is behind many of the designs we know, admire and covet as creations of those “big names”. The hummingbird brooch at hand is just one of those examples...

An iconic design for Salvador Teran, the "moon and star" looks as if it floated out of our childhood dreams, out of that world where there are no sharp edges and everything has a reassuring face. Yet it is also one of the most recognizable creations in Taxco's modernist design index. I love the cartoonish cut-outs, the darkness of the nocturnal sky, the way the moon curves over the little star as if to tuck it in for the night...

I look at this Sigi Pineda brooch and I see pine trees frosted with snow, dancing to the tunes of cold winter winds in a Nordic forest. I am sure that others out there will see something else - and this is the magic of minimalist, abstract design; the magic of Sigi when he is truly inspired. I will not say much more hoping that my photos will help illustrate your dreamscapes but will add that the brooch is 2" tall by 1 1/8" at its widest and weighs 8.5 grams...

Zodiac jewelry is not uncommon in the field of vintage Mexican silver yet it is mostly bracelets (charm or link), pins and combination pin/pendants that one finds...

Eagle 22, one of the assay marks used by Fred Davis, is stamped on the bracelet at hand and its design combined with the fact that Davis was not at all meticulous at signing his pieces makes me believe that we might as well be dealing here with one of this creations. The carved amethyst "masks" are rendered in the most minimalist manner, a classic Abraham Paz / Fred Davis characteristic...

Probably my favorite among the Taxco modernists, Salvador Teran has that magic touch which allows him to draw a perfectly "readable" picture with the least amount of strokes. His work is inspired and his ability to deal with different materials and always create wearable pieces of art is simply unbelievable. In this set of abstract earrings my eyes see the figures of two birds...

The links in this Deco Mexican silver necklace by Victoria , to the world Ana Maria Nunez de Brilanti, are inspired by cactus flowers and hand-wrought in sterling silver sheet with good thickness. One of my favorite designs by her, it was available in at least two different widths and the example at hand is the narrower, easier to wear version no matter what the occasion or the ... weather is...

It's almost the middle of August but this vintage Antonio Pineda brooch makes me think of leaves twirling in the wind filling the world with the fiery golds and reds of Fall. It is characteristic of the design genius inherent in some maestros that they can take a simple, familiar form and put such a twist to it (in our case literally), the form turns into a little work of art. This is a very sculptural brooch, the sense of motion it holds within it strong, its patina to die for...

Sometimes things just fall into your lap unexpectedly and this is what happened with the two Antonio Pineda brooches I am listing today. First up a fun (albeit ... smelly in real life, if you are not careful) figural brooch glorifying our beloved skunk! At least, I think it's a skunk and I wish I had a more noble name for the creature. Such an unusual, tongue-in-cheek design for Antonio who is seriously modernist and quite heavy at times...

Measuring 4 inches high & 3 1/2" across this impressive hand wrought sterling silver & bronze brooch was designed & signed in the 1940's by Taxco, Mexico artist William Spratling (1900-67). The detailed repousse' work is exquisite & the condition excellent. The piece weighs 57 grams and is fully hallmarked. The pin back & safety are in fine working order. Pictured on the cover of the 4th edition of MEXICAN SILVER by Penny Morrill & Carole Berk and on Phyllis Goddard's site spratlingsilver.com. T...

Featured in Spratling's 1942 Christmas catalogue this silver I.D. bracelet was hand crafted at the Spratling Taller in Taxco, Mexico. The design features a slide-in tongue closure. Weighing 57 grams it is 1/2" wide and will fit up to a 7 1/2" wrist. The bracelet was never monogramed. The condition and patina are excellent. Fully hallmarked on the reverse.

As rare-as-can-be not just for its signature but also for the black opal baguettes it showcases, this vintage Mexican silver architectural ring was created by Carmen Beckmann. Beckmann is reported in the literature to have worked primarily in the 1950s and 1960s in San Miguel de Allende and her jewelry can vary from inspired to simply good. When she was at her most creative though, she made pieces that are to die for! This ring is, in my opinion, one of those moments of hers. It's as if its star...

Slick, less-is-more design and a beautifully carved amethyst "mask" make this vintage 1950s Mexican sterling silver ring easy to wear and a real treat for the eye! There is something masculine about the simplicity of the ring itself that is, however, tempered by the delicately soft, slender features of the stone "face". The amethyst is here semi-translucent and the absence of intense inclusions allows the light to penetrate it and make it look like purple Italian ice. The ring is a sz 8.75 US (r...

There are buckle bracelets and then, there are BUCKLE BRACELETS! And a spectacular Mexican Deco specimen of the latter I am proud to be presenting here. Honestly, however, all the aaahs and ooohs aside, this is one of the most glamorous mesh jewelry I have encountered even though its design elements are few and quite simple, if one thinks about it. Extra wide and finely woven, the sterling mesh is flexible and comfortably wraps around the wrist. The buckle itself is smooth and glows with the war...

One of my favorite - and at the same time classic - Enrique Ledesma designs the bracelet at hand combines sterling silver and golden sheen obsidian in the maestro's characteristic, perfectly seamless way. Ledesma experimented with various stones creating the specific bracelet but I think this year is meant to be an "obsidian year" for me and I will say that I love this version. Difficult to carve since it is a volcanic form of glass, obsidian has to be worked by skilled, masterful lapidaries to ...