Biomorphic sterling silver appliques on a highly oxidized "puffy" background take center-stage in this modernist Mexican set of Salvador Teran earrings. I grew up close to the sea so to my eyes, it's little crabs catching a bit of sun on mossy beach pebbles that are pictured here but your mind's eye might see something entirely different. Precious like all Salvador jewelry, beautifully made, not entirely identical as is the case with hand-wrought pieces of wearable art...

Dated for 1972 and signed by Kultaseppa Salovaara Ky of Finland, this sterling silver and rose quartz hinged bangle bracelet epitomizes the less-is-more attitude of Scandinavian design. There is nothing superfluous here - everything serves a purpose and at the same time contributes to the bracelet's serene, confident beauty. Yet I think that the strongest element is the crystalline, soft pink of the rose quartz spheres...

Carved in translucent amethyst the “mask” adorning the Piedra y Plata silver ring presented here bespeaks Felipe Martinez’s talent as a sculptor. His jewelry, always combining sterling with the most amazing stones, showcases some of the best lapidary work in the world of vintage Mexican jewelry and his “masks”, I consider some of the most evocative, spiritual examples in the field...

A beautiful, unique, sterling silver overlay bracelet by Burle Marx. Roberto Burle Marx was a Brazilian landscape architect and jeweler. His brother, Haroldo Burle Marx, also a jeweler , was well-known for his carved stone free form designs, but his collaborations with his brother had a much more linear, abstract feel as in this piece. So I suspect this piece was either a collaboration of the brothers, or designed and made only by Roberto...

Very Well Made Heavy Link Sterling Silver Bracelet stamped: MEX TM-223 925 in a wonderful Aztec Zig Zag motif filled w crushed Malachite. Weighs 1.2 Ounce or 31 Grams and measures 7.5" inside while the very strong V in Box clasp is engaged X 1/4" wide X 2.75mm thick. In excellent condition. Please see scans.

It is not often that one finds an Enrique Ledesma ring and this modernist beauty is made even more desirable by the big color-change sapphire that adorns it. The gem has a table-cut type of shape and mimicking the behavior of alexandrites, it changes color under different light conditions traveling from deep amethyst to steely purple. I love the highly stylized setting - to my eyes it reads like silver fingers holding on to the stone as it rests on a willing palm...

A sterling silver Celtic eternity knot design band ring. This size 10-1/2 ring measures 7/16" wide and it weighs 8.6 grams. It is signed CA and 925 and it is in excellent condition with no dents, bends, corrosion, losses, or repairs. Please note that due to its ornate and deep decoration, sizing this ring may be visible or mar the design...

Big, heavy and bold, the Los Ballesteros “beehive” pendant can be found with “masks” carved in amethyst, dyed calcite, azurite, black onyx and even obsidian yet I have never seen one like the example I am thrilled to be presenting here! Very reminiscent of Old World “moon face” jewelry, the portrait in our case is rendered in a light, lemon-colored stone...

Perfectly carved and housed in a monumental sterling silver setting, this vintage Los Ballesteros “mask” ring is definitely a statement-making piece. For me it is all the more appealing because the stone changes color as one descends from the “mask’s” forehead to the chin, going from purple to a semi-translucent white. The effect is visually attractive as it somehow bestows age and wisdom to the tranquil face...

20% of this was mailed to Katrina Survivors via Salvation Army & American Red Cross. Just as Matilde Poulat used Turquoise Coral & Amethyst so is this 4.2 Oz Bold Medallion Necklace stamped: "TS-39" (a listed silversmith) and HECHO EN MEXICO 925, possibly by her nephew Ricardo Salas. Super piece weighing 120 Grams or more than 4 Ounces! The Articulated Pendant Medallion 3 part Center piece is 4 1/4 X 2 1/2" wide. 14 Spiral Swirls ( 1 1/8 ea) make up the 'chain' part for 19". 38 gems...

Sold. Taxco Mexico Handsomely Crafted Hinged Neck Collar marked: "Mexico" "950" and "TM-77". It weighs 3.7 Ounce or 107 of 95% Silver and measures 16.75" from end to end on the inside. The tri-lobal part measures 1.75" across and 1/2" wide at the sturdy hinge. Some tiny lines that vintage silver gets, yet is easily buffed. A lot of necklace for the price.
Sold, no price, no info available

With delicately carved features, this silver and tiger’s eye Egyptian Revival “Cleopatra” bolo tie is a small work of art that came out of the Los Ballesteros workshop. One of the best - and definitely the most persistent - Taxco talleres involved in the creation of exquisite “mask” jewelry, the Los Ballesteros used an array of semi-precious and hard- stones to create serene, out-of-this-world effigies for brooches, rings, bracelets and pendants...

Miniature mandolin musical brooch pin by Reuge, Swiss, gilded 800 silver and blue enamel. Circa 1970s. Size: 3 inches length. This little gem is fashioned in gilded silver, with blue enamel, in the form of a musical instrument - a mandolin. Beneath the strings, it has a miniature painting of a pianist. The musical clock-work mechanism is entirely mechanical, and, best of all, it is actually a piece of jewelry that can be worn as a brooch...

A brooch that unabashedly lures the eye and invites the touch this sterling silver and golden sheen obsidian treasure bears the signature of Erika Hult de Corral, one of the few female designers of Mexico's 20th c. Silver Renaissance that we know of and definitely the only modernist. de Corral's work can be truly inspired - and she has a way with silver and stones that makes the materials simply flow into each other effortlessly, as if they were always meant to be together. Just look at how the ...

Modern Taxco Mexico Silver Neck Cuff Necklace mrkd: encircled "SJ" Mexico TC-110 (both listed) or TL-40 & 925. Nice heft @ just under 2 Ounces or 55 Grams w the bezel set black Onyx Trapezoid 23 X 12mm stone at mid front. Measures 15 1/4 inches inside including the flexible 3 inch opening X 7/8 in at widest to 1/4 in at narrowest. SOLD, no price, no info

One of the best Taxco modernists Enrique Ledesma was successful not only as a jewelry designer but also as a mosaicist and a lapidary. Two of his favorite materials, sterling silver and stone, are combined here in a classic for the maestro design. Minimalist, quite geometric with clean, easy to follow lines, the necklace's only luxury seems to be the saturated, rich green of the chrysocolla (I think!) trapezoids. Easy to wear and quite comfortable as it has the ability to conform to the necklin...

A massive sterling moderne bracelet designed by Bjorn Weckstrom for Lapponia, Finland. It has a beautiful matte finish that makes it look like an ice sculpture. The links are hinged together and all move. It is a treat to wear. Measuring 6 1/2" around in the inside and 1 1/2" wide, it weighs 111 grams. The push in clasp is secure, the safety chain intact.Fine original condition.It comes in its' original Lapponia metallic silver colored ,fur lined pouch. Signed crown/925/crown in heart/U7(1973) ...

A pair of Mexican patinated sterling silver hoop earrings from the 1970s. These attractive 1-1/2" Mexican sterling silver pierced hoop earrings feature black background patination, and one is stamped MEXICO TB-41 925. They weigh 16.3 grams and they are in excellent condition with no dents, bends, corrosion, losses, damage or repairs. All items are thoroughly and conservatively graded and all condition issues are noted; all items are vintage or antique and may have slight signs of gentle use....