Maestro Mateo of Taxco is known among vintage jewelry collectors for his modernist, mostly brutalist, ring designs. His work is sought after for its quality, the beauty of the stones he incorporates in his pieces and the strong sense of tension that his rings exude. His career strides the divide between the so-called Eagle mark period and that of the T-marks and, in my experience, he is one of the very few silversmiths who used .950 alloys before they became the norm in the 1980s...

A retailer active in the 1930s and 1940s, Ingrid's was - according to Bille Hougart - known for their high quality hollowware and jewelry which they commissioned from the best Taxco maestros...

A rather rare design - I have never encountered it before - by Enrique Ledesma, this pair of earrings brings to mind classical representations of the Aztec Sun Disk yet, in fact, the figure centering them is Tlaltecuhtli, one of the Mexica Earth deities, often referred to as the Earth Monster...

The combination of fine, high purity silver and moonstone is one of my favorite and was equally favored, it seems, by Antonio Pineda, Taxco's renowned modernist. Set in three-dimensional 970 silver settings the stones at hand have a luminous pearlescence that draws the eye into their magical depths, and perfectly reflect the warm glow of the precious metal surrounding them. Antonio's jewelry is characterized by an unfailing sense of easy luxury and that feeling is present here as well...

Playing the violin with abandon as is evident by their determined expression, Margot de Taxco’s “musician putti” come here in earring form which is a rather rare occurrence. The specific angelic musician is usually found hanging off Margot’s charm bracelet of the same design, one out of a band of nine, and even though I have had the bracelet a few times in the past, this is the first pair of earrings I have found...

One of the techniques the Los Castillo workshop pioneered, “pluma Azteca” uses dyed bird feathers as inlay to adorn jewelry and other decorative items. Quite impressive in their colorful vibrancy, the feathers can also be vulnerable, especially when they are left exposed, resulting in a rather small number of “pluma” jewelry having survived over the years. The articulated torque-type necklace at hand is a wonderful exception...

Impressively long and beguilingly slick with its glowing tapering dangles half-hiding a bullet-shaped piece of black onyx, this is one of Antonio Pineda’s most eye-catching set of earrings. Simple yet visually strong lines that re-affirm the philosophy of less-is-more in the world of adornment; smooth as silk, dancer-like motion; fleshy geometry (if you allow me the word combination), all come together and become a piece of wearable art in the hands of Mexico’s modernist magician...

This hand-wrought Mexican necklace dates to pre-1948,

It's an exquisite piece with highly detailed silver work, and it looks beautiful on. Measuring 36" in length, the two sides can clip together about 4" from each end.

Signed and hallmarked on the bottom of each ball "S.D. Hecho en Mexico 0.925".

Weight is 80.5 grams.

In excellent vintage condition.

From his first design period, with hallmarks dating 1940- 46, this is a silver conch pin designed by William Spratling and featured in books on Mexican silver. Measuring 2 3/4" by 2", weighs 21 grams and is signed as shown. The pin clasp may have been replaced . One of Spratling's favorite designs.

Who among lovers of vintage Mexican silver jewelry does not know Margot de Taxco's zodiac treasures? Charms, pendant, charm bracelets and brooches, they come in all those forms and they are avidly collected. Yet how many times have you come upon a mini, almost lingerie size, Margot astrological pin? Rare and sweet as can be, this 1 1/2" Aries beauty is irresistible. I can easily see it worn alongside one of its.....

Very reminiscent of jewelry created in the 1950s by Graziella Laffi, the Italian-born jewelry designer habitually referred to as “the Spratling of Peru”, this is a rarely surfacing creation of Carmen Beckmann’s. Thick, hand-hammered silver sheet that was then oxidized is used to form the bracelet’s main body. Upon that an impressive fish applique marries the piece’s Arts and Crafts feeling with the stylization of ancient Meso-american glyphs...

This mid-century bracelet is the work of Salvador Teran. It's a gorgeous modernist bracelet with two gold sheen obsidian stones set within eight point stars. Measures a closed, wearable length of 6 1/2" with a width of 1 1/2". Weight is 48.5 grams. Signed and hallmarked "Salvador Sterling Mexico", with the design # 156 and eagle assay 36. Collector quality. Closure is tight and secure, and original safety chain is present.

When life hands you lemons, you make lemonade and when it hands you an orphan cuff link, you have it converted into a ring. I have always been very partial to pieces of jewelry that would normally come in pairs but lost their partner over the course of their adventurous life...

Jewelry hosting carved stone hearts in silver settings was very popular in the Mexican Deco period. Teased out of jasper and agate and oftentimes even dyed calcite, the hearts are unfailingly curvaceous as if pulsing with life, their sculpturality shamelessly inviting the touch. The carvings usually dominate the piece with the silver-work providing discreet framing and even though the motif was taken up again in the post-1980 period, the later examples lack the vivacity of the old pieces...

Hallmarks date this Hector Aguilar necklace pre-1948. Detachable pendant is original to the V chain, and this piece is collector quality. A book piece in "Silver Masters of Mexico", there shown with an amethyst pendant. The pendant here is a dense green stone with swirls of various hues - absolutely gorgeous. Measures 15 1/2" without the tongue portion of the clasp. Pendant is 1 1/2" x 1 1/4". Signed and hallmarked on both chain and pendant with the conjoined HA, Taxco 940...

Impressive takes on a whole different meaning when the work of the Los Castillo taller is concerned - and the wide, exuberantly vibrant floral and foliate repousse bracelet I am presenting here proves the point. Continuing in the 1940s’ spirit that called for designs derived from nature in jewelry production, this piece is a celebration of everything verdant - organic in an unexpected way, full of movement, reaching for the sunlight, twisting and twirling with the wind...

Stern and solemn, a gorgeous example of classic Mexican Deco lapidary work, the chrysoprase “mask” centering the silver pendant at hand looks dignified and at ease, completely unaffected by the weight of its ornate headdress. The hefty, entirely hand-wrought chain that accompanies it is, I believe, original to the necklace and perfectly reflects the pendant’s heaviness. Signed by one of Taxco’s “less celebrated” maestros, those listed in the relevant literature yet still unidentified...

The combination of fine purity silver with silky, shimmering pearls is among my favorite when it comes to Antonio Pineda’s work. And the modernist floral brooch I am presenting here is a superb example not only of the renowned Taxco maestro’s exceptional sense of design but also of the quality of materials he used. I love the fluid, curvaceous body of the elongated “pod” and the tender forcefulness (I know, a contradiction in terms, right?) with which the stamens emerge out of it. Slick ...