Catalog: Archives: Estate Jewelry (469)

Big, with pronounced repoussage, a series of beautiful turquoise cabs crowning the crest of the creature's shell, this vintage Mexican Deco figural brooch was most probably made in the country's capital as its workmanship indicates. This type of "high relief", textured repousse jewelry is reminiscent of Matilde Poulat's techniques and closely associated with Mexico City maestros...

A most unusual Mexican Deco necklace, this Mexico City figural example falls under several categories. Its links are inlaid with azur-malachite in the Los Castillo "mozaico azteca" style but it also belongs in the "mask" jewelry sub-genre thanks to the repousse portrait adorning the central station. And even though this is not a work from Taxco and its maker is, for all intents and purposes, an "unsung" contributor to Mexico's 20th c...

One of Enrique Ledesma's signature designs, the necklace at hand is a must-have for the collector because of the rare color agate used to complete the trapezoid links. Most frequently found with black onyx, obsidian and green stones (chrysocolla or chrysoprase) this is an ode to "less-is-more" necklace and to come upon an example with this rich, reddish brown agate is a real treat...

Light and airy this vintage Hector Aguilar foliate brooch looks almost like an anatomical leaf study in fine, .940 silver. I think it is a fern leaf that is presented in its absolutely bare essentials yet the stem's playful curve and the graduated lessening of the pin's width as it proceeds from base to leaf tip impart a pleasantly deceiving illusion of sculpturality. Easy to wear, soothing on the eye, perfect for the time when trees put on their fall colors...

Perfectly carved obsidian teardrops with shimmering golden depths and high purity silver combine in this modernist Antonio Pineda set of dangle earrings. There is an innate elegance in the way the silver embraces the volcanic glass, like slender flames of a hot fire emanating from black coals. In the darkness, you only see the silver; in the light it is only the obsidian that catches the eye. Antonio at one of his best moments, I believe...

The signatures of Chato Castillo and Ingrid's combine on this exquisite Mexican Deco silver fan pendant necklace - neither is a a common occurrence and both are synonymous with imaginative design and high quality. Chato is reported to have been the driving adventurous force behind most of the Los Castillo innovations - the revival of ancient techniques, the experimentation with materials - while Ingrid's still remains among the elusive early Taxco retailers...

Architectural in a dramatic yet also minimalist way, this Hans Hansen sterling silver ring does not come up very often. Set on a cylindrical post its tambour-shaped face holds a polished round black onyx disk within it. The transition from sterling to stone is seamless, the surfaces of the two materials "married" to each other in the most perfect way while the tambour's sides are reflected in the simple wide shank...

The quintessential Art Deco designer, Abraham Paz is one of the earliest maestros of Mexico's 20th c. Silver Renaissance. He worked in Mexico City and many of the designs we associate with Fred Davis are actually Paz's creations. His minimalist "masks", shield-form links and tiered ring settings epitomize the elegant geometry the 1920s and 1930s are known for while also foreshadowing the less-is-more attitude of modernism...

Big and beautifully aged this floral sterling silver Hector Aguilar brooch is representative of the 1940s' love affair with all motifs from nature. The flower is here layered, with deep hand-chased details in the petals and foliage, a strong curving stem and cluster of small beads right at its center. I love the way the bloom is wide open, its face turned to the sun, taking in light and heat and turning it to color, aromas and beauty for our visual enjoyment...

When it comes to impressive pendant necklaces with a distinct "ethnic" twist, the Los Ballesteros signature is what one has to look for within the field of vintage Mexican silver. Their designs are amazing not just for their proportions but also for their quality of materials and impeccable craftsmanship. This sunburst example with color-change sapphire (synthetic corundum) hanging off the hand-made sterling chain of the same vintage I have had several times in the past but I never tire of it...

A true maestro when it comes to combining silver with faceted, brilliant gems Enrique Ledesma is the creator of this modernist Mexican hinged bangle bracelet. Ledesma set three color-change sapphires against a glistening sterling frame here but I have also had one or two similar pieces in which the silver had been oxidized. Held in place with prongs, the stones are open-backed allowing the light to play its luminous games and coax different colors out of the stones...

One of the most inspired Taxco modernists, Enrique Ledesma is not widely known as an enamelist yet he did create jewelry combining sterling with bright colored enamels. It seems that those pieces are rare and difficult to find but if one is lucky enough to come upon an example, the search is justified and the seeker duly rewarded! The necklace at hand, distinctly "machine age" in its constituting elements, breaks free of its functionalist constraints with the use of brilliant blue enamel...

Valentin Vidaurreta is one of the “giants” in Mexico’s 20th c. Silver Renaissance...

An iconic design for Salvador Teran, the "moon and star" looks as if it floated out of our childhood dreams, out of that world where there are no sharp edges and everything has a reassuring face. Yet it is also one of the most recognizable creations in Taxco's modernist design index. I love the cartoonish cut-outs, the darkness of the nocturnal sky, the way the moon curves over the little star as if to tuck it in for the night. Measuring 1 1/4" by 1" the earrings weigh 19.2 grams (for the set)an...

I look at this Sigi Pineda brooch and I see pine trees frosted with snow, dancing to the tunes of cold winter winds in a Nordic forest. I am sure that others out there will see something else - and this is the magic of minimalist, abstract design; the magic of Sigi when he is truly inspired. I will not say much more hoping that my photos will help illustrate your dreamscapes but will add that the brooch is 2" tall by 1 1/8" at its widest and weighs 8.5 grams. It is fully signed with Sigi's signa...

Zodiac jewelry is not uncommon in the field of vintage Mexican silver yet it is mostly bracelets (charm or link), pins and combination pin/pendants that one finds. Rings, and especially sculptural ones like the example at hand, are rare and I am thrilled to have discovered it! Applied on a round flat field, the kneeling figure of Aquarius faces the onlooker, water flowing out of the urn under her arm (I know Aquarius is supposed to be male but the more I look at this ring, the more I see a femal...

Eagle 22, one of the assay marks used by Fred Davis, is stamped on the bracelet at hand and its design combined with the fact that Davis was not at all meticulous at signing his pieces makes me believe that we might as well be dealing here with one of this creations. The carved amethyst "masks" are rendered in the most minimalist manner, a classic Abraham Paz / Fred Davis characteristic. For me, they also bring to mind ancient Cycladic art yet they were made thousands of years later in a totally...

Probably my favorite among the Taxco modernists, Salvador Teran has that magic touch which allows him to draw a perfectly "readable" picture with the least amount of strokes. His work is inspired and his ability to deal with different materials and always create wearable pieces of art is simply unbelievable. In this set of abstract earrings my eyes see the figures of two birds. They are so abstract, as if made of air and movement, but I look at them and I can almost hear them fluttering above my...