Catalog: Archives: Estate Jewelry (468)

Ethereal, barely touching the ground, light as a feather and lost in the music to which she is dancing, this vintage Marcel Boucher ballerina was crafted in the mid-1940s in Mexico for the renowned designer’s Parisina line. Wrought in sterling, she has a teardrop piece of lapis for her bodice and she is magnificent...

Steeped in ancient Italian lore, the “cimaruta” pendant might have started its life in the world of magic yet somewhere along its long life, it became adopted as a talisman warding off the “evil eye” and protecting against witchcraft in general. The Flli Coppini example presented here dates in the first decades of the 20th c. and is the next best alternative to the impossible to obtain ancient pieces...

Inspired by ancient Inca motifs this 1950s Industria Peruana silver and 18k yellow gold necklace is a classic example of the best jewelry that came out of Peru around the middle of the 20th c.. Hand-hammered sterling links feature figural appliques on their slightly concave faces, the same combination of silver and gold also used to form the circular connectors...

I have said many times in the past that I consider the Los Ballesteros workshop Taxco’s foremost creator of the so-called “mask” jewelry. And among their best are their hinged bangle bracelets, a fantastic example of which I am presenting here. The effigy is carved out of tiger’s eye, a stone which creates a magical sensation with its molten gold, glistening caramel and rich chocolate browns...

A trained sculptor, Felipe Martinez created some of the most amazing “mask” jewelry in the golden period of Mexico’s 20th c. Silver Renaissance. His ability to work with precious metal and stone is astounding, the two materials becoming like one whole in his inlaid designs while in his “mask” creations turning into living, breathing figures in a deeply serene sleep...

Trained as a sculptor Felipe Martinez, the founder of Piedra y Plata, is one of the best lapidaries in the world of vintage Mexican silver jewelry. There is a liquid perfection that characterizes the way he fuses stone and precious metal together and the serenity on his carved “masks” seems to be flowing in from a different dimension...

Without a doubt the “queen” of vintage Mexican silver jewelry, Matilde Poulat was an exceptional designer and, in my humble opinion, one of the country’s artists who, in their work, expressed the philosophy of the Arts and Crafts movement. Her highly textured repoussage allows us to follow the silversmith’s hand as it slides over the metal thus affording us, to an extent, a glimpse of the creative process...

Early and quite hard to find, this Los Castillo silver repousse bracelet is comprised of lusciously sculpted, wide feather links. A dream to wear, I love it for the scrolled edges of each feather and the way the links alternate their orientation adding drama to the design. The bracelet measures a wearable 7" long and it is 1 1/2" wide. It weighs 52.9 grams and has a safety chain as well...

The smaller version of this particular design, this set of vintage Margot de Taxco earrings reminds me of elaborate woven baskets. The repoussage here is very sculptural and the beading in combination with the wonderful patina the set has acquired over the years accentuates its three-dimensional appeal. Eye-catching without being visually overwhelming, it is easy to wear and will hold its own whatever the occasion you chose it for...

Casting of very good quality, a huge amethyst gemstone and a long chain with figural links combine in this Italian Peruzzi style pendant necklace to create one of those pieces that collectors covet and all of us dream about. I believe we have here a convergence of two Revival movements - Classical Revival in the sterling chain with its theater mask links and Gothic Revival with the two dragons flanking that amazing amethyst...

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...

A design that doesn’t come up very often, these figural Mexican Deco silver earrings by Los Castillo remind me of Old World “wind” representations. I love the sense of powerful forward motion they convey with the curling repousse silverwork and the feather-like trail that the “winds” leave behind them as they sweep through the skies. I wonder what the rest of the parure looks like...

Beautifully executed this Mexican silver and dyed calcite "mask-in-a-feathered-sunburst" brooch is based on a similar Spratling design (if I am not mistaken). Sunburst designs were popular among Mexican silversmiths in the first half of the 20th c. - a giver of life and warmth, the sun is important in all civilizations and its portrayal took on a myriad of symbolic meanings...

Just shy of 2" long, I give you the third and last and definitely quirkiest set of Sigi Pineda silver earrings I have been talking about. I happened to come upon the first of these in early summer, fell in love with its cartoonish strangeness - I had never seen this line of Sigi's before...

I promised yesterday that I had two more of those Sigi Pineda surrealist figures dangle earring sets to present and here is the second pair. There is something as endearing as it is quirky about the specific design line - I am not sure what Sigi was into when he created these - but I find them all weirdly irresistible. Overlay and oxidation are used here too to convey the human form, its hands crossed on the chest, turning a minimalist profile away from the onlooker. What a concept! Measuring ...

A favorite designer of mine, Carmen Beckmann is one of the few female contributors to Mexico’s 20th c. Silver Renaissance that we know of. Mostly modernist, her work is known for its massive, at times, proportions (especially with her hinged bracelets) and her masterful use of semi-precious stones and gems. The star-form ring at hand is centered by a big, faceted color-change sapphire, that varies between amethyst and steely purple as the light changes. The star is raised above the similarly s...

The most fun Sigi Pineda earrings I have ever had, this set is in fact the first in a series of three pairs I will be presenting, all in the same design vein. Quirky and definitely playful, the figures look as if springing out of a child's sketch book. Human? Penguin? A combination of the two? Whatever the case, they are striking, rendered in silver and opaque black oxidation, a surrealist representation of wearable bipeds. Measuring 1 3/4" long by 1" wide the earrings weigh 11.7 grams (for the ...

An iconic creation for Enrique Ledesma, this design can be found in all jewelry forms and with various stones. There is something very sculptural in the way the stone is cut that bestows an irresistible tactile quality to it and the case of the brooch at hand is no exception. Predominantly green with sage overtones yet not lacking rich blues and more muted browns, the azur-malachite is securely set in its warmly glowing silver frame. Distinctly angular, the stone’s shape is mitigated by the sw...