A luxurious tassel, its sterling threads spilling out of a brushed silver bead, catches the eye instantly in this vintage Mexican charm bracelet. A classic rendition of the specific design, it has a thick twist rope chain that has acquired a soft, silky glow over the years. Striding the divide between Deco and Retro jewelry, this is a veritable statement bracelet and if you decide to add the matching earrings and lariat necklace you see in one of the photos to it, you will not be disappointed...

Circa mid-century, this necklace is exquisitely hand-wrought by noted Taxco silversmith Beto. Deeply carved swirling silver panels alternate with polished half-cylinder shaped amethysts. The stones are gorgeous, with natural inclusions and quartz marbling. Measures 15" closed, wearable length. Weight is 52.7 grams. Signed and hallmarked "Beto 925 Taxco GRO Sterling Hecho en Mexico". In excellent vintage condition. Clasp is tight and secure.

There are some pieces of jewelry that simply defy any effort to photograph them. And this stunning Taxco modernist sterling silver and blue spinel hinged bangle is one of them - a really tough one at that too! I have faced this challenge once before in the past and the “culprit” is available here as well, only that one is by Enrique Ledesma and adorned with color-change sapphires...

A beautiful sterling and turquoise bracelet by Frank Patania Sr. This is a unique design with a center medallion featuring three saw tooth bezel set turquoise. The cuff sides have texturing in the middle, topped with silver dots. Measuring 5 1/2" around in the inside with an additional 1 1/4" opening , it is 1 1/8" wide and weighs 61 grams. It is in fine original condition and signed as shown. Frank Patania Sr. came to Santa Fe, N.M. from Italy and opened The Thunderbird Shop in 1927...

An elegant 970 silver and amethyst necklace by Taxco silversmith Antonio Pineda. The square bezel set cabochon amethyst links alternate with square silver links and terminate with a secure silver push in clasp. The necklace measures approximately 17 1/2" end to end ( it is curved so hard to measure exactly), is 3/4" wide and weighs a very sturdy 157 grams. The links are double strung on silver chain and the necklace is in fine condition with no chips or cracks to any of the stones...

Produced by Enrique Ledesma, this bracelet features four large golden sheen obsidian stones which seem to glow from within. The alternating repoussé silver panels have oxidized recesses, and the tongue in box closure is tight and perfect. Original safety chain is attached. This will fit up to a 6 1/4" wrist. The width is 15/16". Weight is 54.6 grams. Signed and hallmarked "Ledesma Plateria Cortes 925 Taxco Hecho en Mexico", with the eagle assay 6 and design # 401...

Circa mid-century, this Antonio Pineda amethyst bracelet is a book piece design, known as "Architectural Cuff with Amethyst Closure".

Shown in both "William Spratling and the Mexican Silver Renaissance" and "Silver Seduction The Art of Mexican Modernist Antonio Pineda", this piece is an extraordinary example of the brilliant work put forth by Antonio. It's a superb modernist cuff bracelet, sleek and chunky, and it looks stunning on the wrist...

An early design by the Los Castillo taller (could it have been created by their cousin, Salvador Teran, when he was still working for them?), the “fish skeleton” is considered a classic and has seen many emulations and reproductions over the years. The hinged bracelet at hand, wrought in thick silver sheet with copper bead accents, is a modernist treasure that was made for small wrists...

Circa mid-century, this parure is an extremely rare design from Margot van Voorhies Carr / Margot de Taxco.

The original design drawing is shown in the Penny C. Morrill book "Margot Van Voorhies: The Art of Mexican Enamelwork".

The necklace consists of three tiers alternating with two round button links, and a thick chain on each side with a ball tassel on one and a hook on the other. This is original to the necklace...

Felipe Martinez opened his shop, "Piedra Y Plata" in 1950. A former sculptor who had worked with Hubert Harmon in the 1940's, Martinez was known for his work with beautiful stones which melded seamlessly into his silver designs. This necklace features chrysocolla stones with a trapezoidal shape which alternate with concave silver panels in front. Stones and silver panels graduate in size, with the upper sides of the necklace all silver...

This pin bridges mid-century modernist and Southwest aesthetics with its angular design and polished ceramic cabochon resembling turquoise. It’s marked 925 for sterling silver at one end; the original rollover clasp is very secure. The pin measures about 3 inches long by ¾ inch wide.

I acquired this pair of Miguel Melendez’s hinged bangles as a set some time ago and after long deliberations, I decided that they should continue in life as such. Miguel is one of Taxco’s modernists yet he honed his skills at Spratling’s Las Delicias and working for Margot de Taxco for many years. This specific design is a favorite of mine’s by him - it brings to mind rock formations and I love the interplay of negative and positive space...

This tour-de-force bracelet from Antonio Pineda pulls out all the stops. It's a book-piece design, shown on p. 209 of "William Spratling and the Mexican Silver Renaissance".

Composed of thirteen amethyst cylindrical bars and silver cones, it's an amazing bracelet with a very luxurious feel. The amethysts are gorgeous stones with natural inclusions and quartz marbling, well matched in color. Closure is a tight and secure wide tongue in box.

Weighs a very substantial 141.8 gr...

Abstract sterling silver ring by Danish designer Jacob Hull for B&D, circa 1970s. The top of the ring measures 1 1/8" x 7/8". Marked "Denmark, Sterling, Jacob Hull, B&D," and with a hallmark. Adjustable, currently size 6.5. Weighs 14 grams.

Classic and classy this fab Los Castillo necklace will astonish you with the way it feels and looks once you have it on. An iconic Taxco piece with its cascading festoon links and its playful teardrop repousse dangles the design draws from Mexico's long Spanish Colonial tradition. Much heavier than the unsigned imitations that surface from time to time, it wears like a dream and has a very strong visual effect. And if you need some extra length, it can easily accept a simple sterling extension t...

Here is a beautiful, ornate, Norwegian sterling silver and enamel bracelet. It consists of 8 butterfly-shaped, linked panels of pearly white guilloche enamel. Each panel has a lovely applied wirework decoration with beaded center. The bracelet has a safety chain and a V-spring and box clasp, on which, “925 S STERLING NORWAY” is marked, along with a maker’s mark of (what looks to me like) an “E” inside a lobed oval. (I am unfamiliar with this artist’s hallmark). The bracelet is a...

The epitome of minimalism and the best proof that when it's done correctly, it is the most elegant style, this vintage Danish sterling silver and banded agate ring is signed by Bruno Jorgensen who was active in Virum until his death in 1973. There is nothing about this piece I would change - I love the way the flat cut of the stone reveals its two colors; I love the laconic design of the silver setting; and that touch of black enamel which accentuates the stepped construction of its bezel. Curre...

The "queen" of shadowbox designs, Victoria - otherwise Ana Maria Nunez de Brilanti - also excelled in the "married metals" technique. Her work is inspired, of the highest quality and today it is considered part of Mexico's 20th c. Silver Renaissance design index. The adjustable sterling silver ring I am presenting here is out of her coveted "angel" parure. The form does not come up very often and I am happy to have come upon a beautifully aged example. Beading and black-as-pitch oxidation in the...