Stunning in its towering smokey brilliance, this minimalist solitaire by Carmen Beckmann is a modernist Mexican beauty! Based in San Miguel de Allende Beckmann is reported to have started her activity a little later than the big Mexico City and Taxco workshops with most of her pieces dating in the 1950s and 1960s. In the ring at hand, the generously sized faceted gem is raised above a substantial geometric shank, held in place with sterling prongs in a crown-style setting...

These Mod earrings dangle 1 3/4". They are 3/4" at their widest. The eyes are translucent: a dark purple. They are in great condition.

A rarely surfacing pair of stunning Miguel Martinez earrings, this set reinterprets neo-Aztec elements in a modernist, almost surrealist way. I consider Martinez's jewelry to be among the best examples of 20th c. Taxco design and silver-smithing, always a feast for the eyes and perfectly finished...

This mid-century bracelet from Los Ballesteros is a book-piece design, shown in "Warman's Jewelry" by Christie Romero. Certainly one of the most sought after designs from Los Ballesteros, this is a stand-out showpiece. It's large and heavy and supremely gorgeous, with colorful faceted stones in vivid hues alternating between incised stars. Closed, wearable length is 6 3/4", with a width of 1 11/16". Weight is a very substantial 140.9 grams, or over 4.5 troy ounces. Collector quality.

This ring depicts a climbing snake. It is adjustable in size. The head of the snake is set in abalone. It is marked TAXCO 925, then (hard to read) MEXICO and maker's initials. It also has the Government assay spread eagle mark with a 3 inside.

Tane Orfebres is an important silver house in Mexico City, known as the Tiffany of Mexico. This bracelet is wide, heavy, and gorgeous. It has a sleek modernist design, with the one half shiny and mirror like, and the opposite half bearing a slightly matte finish. I have never seen this design before, and it is a stunning bracelet. Signed and hallmarked "Tane Sterling Mexico", with an "A" within a triangle...

This is a gorgeous cuff produced by Los Castillo, with deeply chased swirling lines, oxidized recesses, and a beautiful patina. Signed and hallmarked Los Castillo Taxco, with the eagle assay 15 and design # 110. Weight is 58.9 grams. Edge to edge measures 5 5/8", with an additional opening/gap of 1 3/8". This will fit a larger wrist, but can be gently adjusted to size by a professional jeweler. In excellent vintage condition. Circa 1950's.

This beautiful band ring is inlaid with 2 bands of azur-malachite stone. The blue and green stone is colorful and stands out nicely in its 1/4" sterling silver band. It is marked TAXCO MEXICO 925 in a circle with with ESE in the middle. It also has the assay mark with 3 inside. The ring is a size 7 1/2 and is in excellent condition.

A graduate of the Parson's School of Design in Paris, Erika Hult de Corral is one of my favorite modernist designers and silversmiths in the context of Mexican silver jewelry. Spanning a few decades, her work is unfailingly of the highest quality with attention paid not only to materials but also to finishing and, of course, imaginative design. The ring presented here, wrought in sterling and centered by a scrumptious tiger's eye stone, can also be found with Enrique Ledesma's signature...

This bracelet is sterling silver. It measures 7" x 1 1/2". The patina is lovely. The clasp is marked SILVER MADE IN MEXICO.

Pendant necklaces are a favorite of mine - I love their versatility and the fact that I can layer them whichever way I want. Luckilly, there is a fabulous selection within the world of vintage Mexican silver jewelry to choose from but I feel particularly lucky to have come upon an example of a classic Taxco design that is, however, smaller in scale than pendants of this design usually in...

This lovely, sterling silver, Mexican, well-crafted bracelet displays a very colorful, large, faux fire opal on each ornate link. It is 6 3/4" long. Each link measures approximately 1 1/8" x 1". It is sterling silver and marked on the clasp: STERLING MEXICO 925, and, in a circle on the back of one of the links: TAXCO HECHO EN MEXICO with the "spread eagle" assay mark in the middle. Each link is slightly convex, adorned with a vivid, faux opal cabochon. It is in excellent condition.

I was always in love with beaded necklaces but as I grow older I appreciate their elegant comfort even more. Whether worn alone or combined with similar pieces, with stones or all-silver, they can be counted on to save the day whatever the occasion. This specific design by Carmen Beckmann is one of my absolute favorites - I have one in my jewelry box and I will never let go...

This mid-century kinetic design necklace is the work of Erika Hult de Corral.

It's a stunning signature piece which features an extra-long length of 28 1/2". Erika Hult de Corral studied at the Parsons School of Design in Paris, later on working with both Sigi Pineda and Enrique Ledesma before opening her own shop.

Moon crater balls and long tubes combine on the sides, with a centerpiece which has free swinging pendulums of varying lengths...

Crafted in the late 1950s or in the 1960s, this sterling silver Mexican necklace is signed by Victoria or Ana Maria Nunez de Brilanti. Victoria is one of the few female designers and silversmiths of Taxco’s 20th c. Silver Renaissance that we know of and she is credited, among others, for perfecting the “metales casados” or “married metals” technique. In this necklace, however, she adds a modernist twist to an otherwise “archeological” design...

This is a gorgeous pendant from Finland is by Kupittaan Kulta Oy. It measures 2" x 5/8". It is marked 925S with the Kupittaan Kulta, anvil hallmark. It is in excellent condition.

This great, puffer fish / blow fish pendant can also be worn as a charm. It measures 1 1/8" from mouth to tail and is 3/4" "tall." It has blue rhinestone eyes and a wonderful, Mexican design. The tail is marked MEXICO 925, below initials that looks like CRL - ( all marks are slightly unstamped--see pictures). It is in excellent condition.

This band ring is just under 1/2" wide. It is a size 6. Its design consists of triangles and "balls" over an oxidized background. It is marked STERLING 925 MEXICO in a circle with a conjoined HF S in the center. It also has the assay mark with 111 inside (and marked 925 again). It is excellent condition.