A rare cuff by Hector Aguilar and stunning to wear. There are 2 layers of open back repousse that allow for layering of the leaves around and under the bloom. This bracelet is solid 940 silver and the top layer of the bloom is a copper wash. The stamen are left silver for additional depth. Made with 89 grams of thick silver around the wearers wrist. The patina is very dark and there is speckles of it in many places but no dents, damage or repairs. Measurements are: 1 inch gap 2.25 diameter...

Slick and elegant in such a less-is-more way this set of vintage sterling silver Kupitaan Kulta modernist earrings was created in Finland in the 1950s-60s period. It seems to me that in this set Elis Kauppi tempered bare bones minimalism with the lightest possible trace of vermeil that covers the inner surfaces of the earrings' rectangular building blocks and gives the illusion of a textured finish. Spectacularly beautiful they measure 2 3/8" long by 3/8" wide and weigh 7.2 grams (for the set)...

Dating around the middle of Matilde Poulat's career, this sterling repousse brooch exhibits the tell-tale texturing and beading that characterizes her silver-work and is adorned with bezel-set turquoise and red coral. Poulat's inspiration quite often originated in the natural environment with doves, owls, flowers, fish and, in our case, a sea horse featured in her jewelry. Evocative of the tranquility of deep sea waters, this little creature will put a smile on your face every day of the week...

It is a rare occurrence to find a Margot de Taxco ring - some designs do crop up from time to time but to come upon her "yin and yang" design no 5170 is quite a strike of luck! Out of her enamel creations, I have to admit that this is one of my favorite not only because of the "balanced" motif but mainly because of the soul-soothing colors it comes in...

Early, heavy, wrought in fine purity .980 silver the stupendous chain in this pendant necklace is obviously based on Hector Aguilar's "v" link design. Bearing simply a raised mark for Taxco and the metal content hallmark, it is without any doubt comparable to the renowned maestro's original both in heft as well as in level of craftsmanship and quality of materials used. Its deep and careful hand-chased details reflect the warmly ornamentation on the locket pendant I have paired it with...

We are showing a dramatic vintage Mexican Silver bib necklace with warmed turquoise stones and marked only with 925. You can see the hammered silver on the underside which I love to see in a pre Spratling dated necklace. There is a 17 inch wearable currently and it does come with 2 extra links for a longer look. The repousse is not backed as you can see and the weight is 71 grams of heft. The top of the bib spans 7.5 inches across and 3.5 inches long in the center...

Most probably designed by Salvador Teran when he worked for his cousins, the Los Castillo, this pair of Mexican modernist silver dangle earrings is not an easy set to find. Though the Los Castillo did not experiment as much in modernism as some other Taxco maestros and workshops they do count among their creations some amazing examples thanks to Teran's genius...

Dramatic Antonio Pineda modernist silver ring wrought in his signature .970 alloy this piece is all about powerful, unencumbered movement! I am wearing it as I write and even though I can see it and I can touch it, I still I find it quite amazing that such a "simple" design, such an non-embellished execution can muster the strength of a tidal wave, cast in it fine silver and restrain it on the finger...

Demanding and difficult, onix negro (black onyx) is a technique by which the classic art of stone inlay is reversed; instead of setting stone within a silver frame, it is now silver shapes that are placed in a flat piece of black onyx. Devised by the Los Castillo at the beginning of the 1950s, onix negro was practiced by a few other maestros as well with results that are definitely different and can be quite impressive...

Beautiful sterling cuff with fine line chisel work by Navajo silversmith Gibson Nez. Deceased on December 1,2007, he was a self taught silversmith who won the prestigious Smithsonian Medal of Honor, more than 700 blue ribbons, was featured in magazines and books and was a featured guest artist in many museums and galleries across the United States. This beautiful cuff measures 5 1/4" around in the inside plus an additional 1 1/2" opening. It is 1 3/8"" wide and weighs 95 grams...

Bangle bracelets, be they hinged or solid, are a big love of mine but I am doubly thrilled to be presenting here a set of three signed by the Los Castillo! How often does one see this form with this signature, truly? Not often enough is the answer and the rarity enhances the innate quality of the pieces...

Classic 1960s Sigi Pineda Mexican silver modernist brooch in a design that looks to me like an angelfish albeit rendered in the most minimalist fashion. I consider Sigi's "niello" line one of the most inspired periods in his admittedly long and prolific career. I find that the metallic black/grey oxidation applied to some of the silver surfaces adds unsurpassed depth and sculpturality, something that in more traditionally crafted pieces is achieved by repoussage and hand-chasing...

A pair of leaves made out of sterling silver and inlaid with azur-malachite this set of Salvador Teran earrings remains true to the absolute minimalism that characterizes his jewelry. It never ceases to amaze me how, with just a few pencil strokes, talented designers can impart the freshness of a green leaf, the way it curls to collect the rain, the texture of its serrated edge. Here the thin ribbon of stone, seamlessly set into the foliate body, is the only element of color, a tiny window that ...

I have a very rare, Antonio Pineda Terascan necklace to offer today. Properly signed on the silver balls attached to velvet and on the Terascan itself. A thick 970 silver sheet is hand made and hand hammered to build texture. The bottom is rimmed for a well finished look and depth. The height in the center is 1.25 in. and it spans 5 in. across. No damage on the silver or velvet which is in excellent condition. The velvet can be tied as long as 23 in. Approximate pendant weight is 70 grams. Th...

For all the horse-lovers out there this majestic Margot de Taxco Mexican silver brooch is a must-have! There is something about her des. 5160 that makes one see the muscles in that strong neck, smell the warmth of the animal's mane, feel the tension as it waits for the go-ahead so it can run like the wind. Masterful repoussage, great design, deep chasing that makes the horse come alive and the patina you want to see on a well-loved, well-cared for silver brooch of this vintage. Magical at 2" t...

Another rare treasure properly signed with Antonio Pineda's hallmarks is featured here today. At 1.25 inches tall and 7.25 inches long it shows a big presence. This is easily sized if needed smaller. Masterful in design with 86 grams of 970 silver.The stones are elongated tear drops and are of a higher grade of stones with clarity. This is a stone that moves from a purple hue to a lighter more clear color and back to a purple hue. Each stone looks like a flowing water fall with each movement. It...

From the earlier part of Matilde Poulat's magically creative career this set of silver and red coral earrings is characterized by her textured wirework, beading and bezel-set stones. Almost understated when compared to Matl's usually bold designs, it reminds me of inverted question marks. I love the classic elegance and the way the dark patina of the silver makes the saturated color of the cabs pop. The earrings are 1 1/2" tall by 1" wide and weigh 11.5 grams (for the set). They are signed with ...

Set of modernist Mexican earrings bearing the Los Castillo signature, each earring featuring two male profiles, one executed in silver, the second with azur-malachite inlay. Though the Mozaico Azteca technique employed here was among the innovations and revivals the Los Castillo workshop is credited for, I believe the pair at hand was in fact designed by their cousin, Salvador Teran, when he was still working with them. The set's sheer minimalism is only tempered by the saturated color in the st...

Sterling silver inlaid with azur-malachite, here with browns and greens dominating, this set of vintage Mexican earrings is out of the Los Castillo "mozaico Azteca" line. I find jewelry created with this technique fascinating - the array of colors in the inlay is wide and rich, allowing the same piece to re-create itself as it plays with the changing light. That playfulness is here taken to a higher level with the addition of musical cascabeles, four on each earring, that will fill the air with ...

A silver arrow shooting through the turquoise center of a starburst is quite a powerful design and in the hands of Antonio Pineda, it becomes a jewel to be enjoyed and lovingly bequeathed from generation to generation. I like the little game Antonio plays here - who wouldn't expect the arrow to shoot through a heart, right? After all, Eros and his bittersweet weapons are so familiar to all of us. But no - the arrow in our case shoots for the ... stars and the turquoise blue sky is its limit... M...

Sterling overlay and three-dimensional stone frogs turn this Carmen Beckmann necklace into a small sculpture gallery around the neck! One of the few known to us female contributors to Mexico's 20th c. Silver Renaissance albeit active a little later than the beginnings of the big Mexico City and Taxco workshops, she was based in San Miguel de Allende in the 1950s and 1960s and that is where she created most of her jewelry. Quite often borrowing motifs from Spratling's earlier pieces, Beckmann's j...

An accomplished member of the Mexico City school of repoussage, maestro M. Velazquez was a contemporary of Matilde Poulat's and many of his designs are actually based on Matl's originals. The level of craftsmanship and the quality of his work have contributed to his becoming increasingly sought after by collectors, especially with the high prices Poulat's creations realize. I love all his pieces but I have a particular affinity for his brooches and this one, I have never seen in the past. Intere...

An iconic design for Sigi Pineda, the "boomerang" can be found with tiger's eye, like here, as well as black onyx, obsidian, amethyst and chrysoprase. Contrasting niello-ed against glistening silver surfaces "boomerang" pieces exude a sense of slick, unimpeded movement and the wire-wrapped cabochons bring more color and added texture. An interesting detail about the pair of earrings at hand is that it has "transitional" findings - a combination of screw backs and clips that many find easier to n...

How often does one find an Antonio Pineda locket pendant? Not often enough and if one does come upon such a treasure, what are the odds that it’s going to be big, bold and beautiful like the rare, fantastic example offered here? Hefty and meticulously crafted, from the twist-rope and beading detail surrounding the stone’s bezel to the dramatic amethyst oval that takes up almost the locket’s entire face, to the substantial hand-made chain (by a different maker yet perfectly matching the pen...

One of the few female designers and silversmiths who contributed to Mexico's 20th c. Silver Renaissance that we know about, Carmen Beckmann is reported in the literature to have worked primarily in the 1950s and 1960s in San Miguel de Allende. I am not sure if this is indeed the case, at least in terms of the dates when she was active and I only say this because many of the pieces by her that I have seen bore hallmarks that would indicate a pre-1948 date of crafting. This might be one of the fie...

Filipe Martinez was well known at being the best stone cutter laying the stone next to the silver with no space in between. This is an outstanding example of such. The obsidian is a turned on sheen so strong I photographed and different light levels to help you see it in an in person sort of way. The necklace is 16 inches long 1.25 inches tall as well as the bracelet and the earrings. The bracelet is 7in. long. There is a 216 gram combined weight. A rare collectors set, just LOOK AT THAT NECKLAC...

A most beautiful Frank Patania Senior cuff offered here with 7 large nuggets of turquoise. These nuggets measure 5/8th's tall and the overall height of the cuff is 2 inches. The length of the silver is 6.25 inches and the inside diameter is 2 3/8th's inches. There is a 1in. gap as well. Silver nuggets are dispersed an each side of the stones. Masterfull hand chasing and a heft of 112 grams. A huge presence and at an auction price value.

One of the demanding techniques the Los Castillo workshop is credited with, onix negro (black onyx) was introduced by them in the world of Taxco silver-smithing in the early 1950s and it has resulted in some amazing pieces of jewelry. Set within a carefully carved piece of flat-cut black onyx, the silver elements of a design are then ground down to match the stone surface in a seamless, perfect plane. The technique was picked up and experimented with by a few other Taxco maestros and it was also...

Mid-century mod "peas-in-a-pod" Mexican silver dangle earrings, this set is signed by Sigi Pineda and it's an iconic creation for the renowned Taxco modernist. I think Sigi was at his best when he worked with designs that contrasted niello-ed surfaces with brushed silver pearls. There is nothing classier than the marriage of black and gleaming sterling yet the textured beads add a dimension that enriches the earrings' visual impact. Gorgeous and timelessly elegant the earrings are 1 7/8" long by...

There is not one form of jewelry in which the Los Castillo did not excel yet I think their big, bold repousse brooches are simply above and beyond! The example I am presenting here, most probably an early creation if design numbers are indeed good indicators of when during the workshop's life a specific idea was transformed into jewelry, reflects the Egyptian Revival of the Deco period. The brooch is dominated by a lotus flower in full bloom, with scrolled elements surrounding a fleshy rosette a...

A stunner of a brooch, this Antonio Pineda sterling silver and amethyst floral cluster hails the maestro's finding himself as a modernist. Antonio's early pieces betray the strong influence Valentin Vidauretta exerted on his work, so much so that one acquainted with Pineda's classic design period would find it difficult to recognize them as Antonio creations. Yet here, the artist has already found his "hand". Minimalism yet full of exuberant life, sculpturality that makes you want to hold the br...

Imposing presence and a beautiful green stone that I believe is agate combine in this vintage Mexican silver ring by the Los Ballesteros workshop. A mid-century piece in terms of its age, the ring does, however, retain the architecturality that Deco jewelry is known and sought after for. And then, of course, there is that detail of the twist-rope wire delineating the rectangular face - more of a traditional, Spanish Colonial touch but who could ever object to it? Currently a sz 6 US but easily r...

Margot de Taxco's design no 5194, her "roses" parure, is one of her most romantic, "feminine" creations. There is something so tactile about the small silver flowers linking together to make up necklaces, bracelets and brooches that brings a certain kind of "first love" warmth to the heart and puts a smile on the face. Quite often combined with hearts and cupids, the "roses" are the quintessentially "lovers' jewelry" motif. The design's appeal seems to have lasted for a long time since most of t...

One of Taxco's early maestros, Jose Luis Flores worked for Aguilar as well as for Emma and Miguel Melendez. Carefully crafted and meticulously finished, his jewelry is often based on creations by his more renowned colleagues yet he can be quite creative and original himself. In my opinion, he is at his best within the realm of modernist design and I believe that the bracelet presented here attests to that. Clever cut-outs, beading and layering combine to shape minimalist "masks" that are then "m...

Good early Mexican Deco silver repousse jewelry is becoming harder to find - I don't know if it's because there weren't that many to begin with (quite often repoussage from that period seems a little clumsy, the technique needing additional experimenting with) or that at some point their popularity grew so much that they were "scooped up" from the market. Whatever the case, I am thrilled to be presenting this fantastic cuff bracelet with two saturated purple amethyst cabs here. I would call this...

An early Taxco maestro, Manuel Altamirano worked for both Aguilar and Valentin Vidaurreta. With the former, he shares what has come to be known as the "armadillo" parure, out of which you can see here the quite impressive belt buckle. Evocative of the “armor plates” covering the body of the namesake creatures, the buckle's links are graduated in size and adorned with short, flat-topped round appliques. Big and bold, it can be worn easily by either men and women and would look equally stunnin...

Early and gorgeous Matilde Poulat sterling silver and coral bracelet in one of her iconic designs, the "paloma". This is classic Matl with the bird rendered in textured repoussage, its wings open, ready to fly away. The dove is surrounded by coral cabochons both bezel- and channel-set while small pieces of branch coral adorn the links of the chain. I find the relative "minimalism" (speaking for Matl, of course) in the use of one stone only quite refreshing and soothing to the eye as opposed to t...

Spratling uses one single rod of thick sterling silver to form this elegant "safety pin". Worked by hand, the detailed swan's head is formed, continuing down to the double looped turn, ending with the sleek, tapered point. Measuring 3 3/4 inches long and 1/2" wide the piece is in beautiful condition. The ingenious design allows for excellent tension in opening and closing the pin point. The thickness of the rod is most suitable for looser weaved fabric. Using one single piece of metal is remini...

Dashing early modernist Mexican silver and amethyst earrings with the signature of the Los Ballesteros workshop, this set is a variation on the "clamshell" type of jewelry that was so popular with modernist Taxco maestros in the mid- to later 1940s. Having taken their name from the concave, clamshell-like silver platform within which semi-precious and polished hard-stones are housed, this sub-genre of Mexican beauties is characterized by absolute minimalism that is only tempered by the lusciousn...

One of the most interesting - and few - female figures of Mexico's 20th c. Silver Renaissance, Doris Smith Chamberlin was a Texas-born American who decided to move to Mexico in the 1940s to open her own workshop after having completed post-graduate studies in art and having taught woodworking, textile-making and silver-smithing for a few years in California (I am grateful to Decotini for the information). In Mexico City, where she settled, she created and sold her own designs but also commission...

Gorgeous silver hinged bangle bracelet signed by Topazio of Portugal featuring a repousse "harvest" motif with bunches of mature wheat in rectangular frames. Topazio bracelets are the best of the genre - their designs are crisp and register easily to the eye; the finishing is impeccable and their decorative motifs a joy to behold. I love the octagonal shape on the outer surface, the sense of Deco geometry it adds to the piece and the silky soft patina the bracelet has developed over its long lif...

This ribbed Hector Aguilar Bracelet is a rare find with 104 grams of heft and a striking height of 1 3/4 inches. Perfectly hallmarked with an applied plaque. This treasure is well rounded fitting perfectly on the wrist. The diameter is 2 3/8 in. The 6 stones are a hidden surprise presenting to the one who wears it. No dents and versatile to wear with anything anywhere.

We have offered today a very early Antonio Pineda repousse brooch signed with his earliest hallmark of AP. The Quetzalcoatl is beautifully done and with no damage. The dimensions are 3in. long and 2 3/8th's tall at highest points. This size is perfect for holding a shawl together on a chilly night. The weight is 26 grams of thick silver. A very special treasure.

The emerald Salvador Teran is one of the most sleek and rich designs from his body of work. The stones are raw uncut emerald crystals. The necklace diameter is 5.3 inches and the face front is .75 of an inch. The neck band is jointed for a perfect fit and the drop displayed for a straight forward look at the emeralds. It masterfully displays 72 grams of silver and is 18 inches of wearable length. The bracelet is 7 inches long and is also segmented for a perfect fit. One inch is the height of th...

In 1940 Spratling was commissioned to design the first logo for Aeromexico Airlines then known as Aeronaves de Mexico S.A. The design included a stylized eagle with serpent in its' beak along with AMSA. Penny Morrill's beautiful new book DREAMING IN SILVER (p.111 & 123)discusses this period and features the deeply carved and detailed pin based on Spratling's AMSA design. Measuring 1 1/4" X 1 1/4" the pin is in beautiful condition. The unusual pin closure/safety on the back is tight and secure. ...

Hector Aguilar is known for his collection worn by Georgia O'keeffe. This one is iconic as the matching bracelet to her belt that we see her wearing in photographs. A well fitting treasure with 7in. in length with more that can be let out if needed and shortened as needed. There is a height of 1.75in. The material is a fabric backed suede. I am at a loss of words for this design. I think all I can say is it is my favorite bracelet in the entire Mexican Silver Renaissance. It is current with all ...

Here is a rare Los Castillo necklace design # 482A. The weight is pure lux at 85grams. Length of this treasure is 16 in. and it lays like silk. The links are strung on silver cable links. Correctly signed and with no damage. Certainly collector quality and perfect for fun or board room savy, just LOOK AT THAT NECKLACE!

Dating around 1930, this Mexican Deco Fred Davis necklace in a design that rarely comes up, is an early example of "mixed metals" jewelry. Combining repousse silver with copper wire and then bringing in ripe, saturated color with the amethyst cabs, the necklace is an ode to vineyards and aromatic red wine. Though the brooch of the parure appears in the third edition of Morrill's "Mexican Silver" (p. 28), the necklace is hard to find and I am thrilled to be presenting it here. Beautiful repoussag...

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. The bracelet has an inner circumference of 7 1/4" (clasped) with the three-...

A beautiful sterling and turquoise ring by Navajo Allen Kee created during his time as a benchsmith at the White Hogan Shop in Scottsdale, Arizona from 1946 to 1962, working beside Kenneth Begay. The ring is a size 6 1/4 and measures 1 1/4" long and 1/2" at the widest point. It weighs 8 grams and is in fine original condition. Spectacular stones that are free of chips or cracks. Signed as shown. Allen Kee and Kenneth Begay produced more award winning jewelry then any other silversmiths of this p...

A fabulous sterling cuff with 18k gold concave dots by Arizona metalsmith Kim Rawdin. Kim Rawdin studied painting and art education in college in New York and his interest in jewelry started when he took a job as an art teacher on a Navajo reservation in Arizona. Becoming highly influenced by the beauty of the Arizona landscape, he is also influenced by traditional Japanese haiku and scroll paintings, and often includes on the reverse of his bracelets a poem that serves as “an emotional metaph...

Perfect for medium to smaller wrists, this modernist Erika Hult de Corral bracelet was made in Taxco in the 1960s-70s. One of the few female contributors to Mexico's 20th c. Silver Renaissance that we know of, de Corral studied at the Parson's School of Design in Paris. An award-winning designer, she worked with Sigi Pineda and Enrique Ledesma before opening her own workshop. Always within the scope of modernism, her jewelry is impeccably crafted, with high quality materials and when they don't ...

Based on an ancient glyph, or at least inspired by one, this vintage Los Castillo Mexican silver and azur-malachite inlay necklace is out of the workshop's "mozaico Azteca" line of jewelry. Centuries old, the technique became almost obsolete during the Colonial period but was revived by Chato Castillo, one of Taxco's most talented, innovative and original maestros. The coloration of the stone here leans towards the greens and taupes with rich blues present here and there to add that visual surpr...

Gerardo Lopez is one of my favorite Taxco maestros. I believe his talent and workmanship to have been of the same caliber as that of his more famous contemporaries and I am always on the look out for his jewelry. Based on his work, I believe that he must have worked for at least the Los Castillo and/or Margot de Taxco and his prowess in the art of repoussage supports the hypothesis. But he didn't limit himself to the more "straightforward" kind of silversmithing - I have had enameled pieces by h...

The last example of a small Los Castillo "onix negro" jewelry collection I acquired a little time ago, this mod bracelet is perfect for the medium to smaller wrist. Its thick links remind me of mahjong tiles and I am captivated by their minimalist geometry. Easy to wear yet definitely a bracelet whose weight feels warm and familiar when you have it on - the perfect accessory to add that little bit of style to make it special. Measuring 6 3/8" long (wearable) by 1/2" wide it weighs 50.0 grams. It...

Swallows hold within their slender, elegant little bodies tender memories of my childhood in Greece - they are considered the most important harbingers of spring and symbolize regeneration, hope and the assurance that sun-filled days will always follow the darkest hours of winter. For the Victorians, they represented faithfulness and the promise of a loved-one's return and as a motif, they were widely used in sentimental jewelry. This stunning Mexican Deco silver repousse version captures the bi...

One of the finest cuffs out there. A Really magnificent Ortega still showing the inside gold wash which helps release the bracelet from the pressing. The feathered headdress and the intricate swirls of flowers on each side show a masterful designer. It wows with a 5.25 inches height. The diameter of the bracelet is 2.5 inches by 3 inches up the arm. It can be professionally sized to fit at no charge. Pressed perfectly with no light holes or damage. It is signed Ortega, 925 Mexico, eagle 8 and a ...

One of the pieces that were made around WWII, I believe, this Mexican silver and carved dyed calcite brooch is such a find! Shaped like a US Army officer's visor cap, complete with the appropriate insignia, it recounts part of the relationship the two countries had during those difficult times albeit in its jewelry version. The fact is that during WWII and due to the restrictions on the availability of metals which were dedicated to the war effort, many US jewelry manufacturers and big retailers...

Classic Fred Davis Mexican Deco silver and turquoise bracelet in a design that is considered an iconic creation for the renowned designer, especially in this combination of materials. A row of repousse florets with stone hearts comfortably hugs the wrist and conforms to its movements freely. The turquoise cabs have developed an interesting variation of hues over the years which, in combination for the warmly glowing patina, adds character and a certain "life experience" to the bracelet. Need I s...

Rare Mexican Deco silver repousse figural necklace, its five graduated links featuring what I believe to be a neo-Aztec interpretation of Cinteotl, one of the three goddesses of corn and fertility. Bare-breasted and kneeling in a corn field, holding in her hands an ear of maize and adorned with earrings and a pendant necklace, it is in fact two different figures that we are looking at; while the bodies and what surrounds them is the same, the jewelry and the faces themselves are different. I hav...