Catalog: Estate Jewelry: Silver (310)

Early, sweet little ring from Taxco, this pinky is wrought in silver and adorned with what I believe to be an ancient bi-cone stone bead out of which emanate two playful, musical cascabeles. It is not uncommon for vintage Mexican jewelry from the first decades of the country's 20th c. Silver Renaissance to incorporate ancient beads and small artifacts as it was not illegal at the time for individuals to buy and sell them...

In the style associated with Matilde Poulat the Mexican Deco sterling silver brooch presented here is big, bold and beautiful! Wrought en repoussage and embellished with hand-chasing feathers and beads surround three gorgeous turquoise cabochons in shades of blue and green. The brooch is open-backed like many of Matl’s early pieces and a pleasure to wear and to behold. It measures 2 3/4” wide by 1 7/8” tall and weighs 17.8 grams...

Elegant and "quiter" than most Matilde Poulat jewelry, this early repousse bracelet by the big maestra exhibits nonetheless all the attributes Matl's work is avidly sought after and venerated for. Repoussage that creates a body with impeccable texture and perfect finishing, a gorgeous golden sheen obsidian cabochon and, of course, the Mexico City style silver-work which to me represents Mexico's Arts and Crafts movement...

An iconic Mexico City design from the Deco years, the "peyote flowers" is rendered here in fleshy repoussage that is further enhance with oxidation and the warm patina of time. Graduated in size the floral links are adorned with vibrantly colored turquoise cabochons and connected with "hidden" pin hinges which allow the bracelet to effortlessly conform to the wrist's moves...

I am thrilled to have stumbled upon this amazing, quintessentially Deco and quite rare Mexican silver and stone ring! Though this piece is not signed for maker, the design is a known Fred Davis creation and as I have recently noted in one of my descriptions, Davis was never as adamant as Spratling was in hallmarking all jewelry coming out of his workshop. So out there, there are many Davis creations that are simply not marked fully and I believe this beauty might easily be one of them...

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...

Hand-wrought in its entirety and a design that I have never encountered before, this early Mexican silver repousse necklace is an anonymous beauty. Its early date is attested to by the fact that it's strung on cotton thread (one of the earliest Aguilar "lyre" necklaces I sold was strung on cotton as well) and has a spring ring clasp. Not signed for maker nor metal content or origin, it is adorned by an elongated cascabela attached to the central station in an adorable yet naive way...

Heavy, early and wrought out of fine, .980 silver this Mexican Deco cuff bracelet is one of William Spratling's "archaelogically-inspired" creations of the renowned maestro's First Design Period. Thick silver sheet is carefully shaped and deeply hand-chased here with the gravitas of the labyrinthine geometric motifs further enhancing the piece's physical heft...

The Deco year saw an influx of gorgeous jewelry out of China in which, more often than not, contemporary silver work was combined with antique elements like carved semi-precious stone buttons, medallions and even mah-jhong and other game pieces. The ring I am presenting here is an immigrant of that era. Delicate silver vermeil adjustable shank and an old amethyst "button" with a lotus flower carving come together in an understated, classically elegant combination...

True to the basic principles of the Arts and Crafts movement, this silver and sodalite ring brings together careful, honest craftsmanship in an uncomplicated, clear design that respects the nature of the materials used and brings out their natural beauty. I love the deep color of the stone with its veins of black and the spiderweb of white that just makes it through to the surface...

A nicely cast sterling silver band of nautilus shells surrounds an oval, semi-translucent piece of gorgeous carnelian in this Arts and Crafts brooch presented here. I have had this piece for a little while and was reluctant to part with it because of its tactile beauty, its warm patina and the color of the stone that brings to mind warm, aromatic caramel. I am assuming this is a native, US-made brooch because it is simply marked for metal quality and I suspect it is a studio-made pin...

I have had this antique Indian Raj bracelet in my collection of unlisted jewelry for quite a while and from time to time, I would take it out and marvel at the miniature paintings that form its links. Colorful, minutely detailed and kept under glass, I think they depict long past scenes of Hanuman Jayanti - the feast and parade to mark the birthday of Lord Hanuman, Indian god of wisdom, strength and devotion...

The busy, ever-changing worlds of the bottom of the sea and the shores of tranquil lakes unfold themselves in the carefully worked repousse silver frames surrounding the chunky turquoise "rocks" that adorn this early 20th c. Chinese necklace and earrings set. I never cease to be amazed at the amount of minute detail Chinese silversmiths were able to condense into such small spaces without ever losing the crispness of each motif...

True to the philosophy of the Arts and Crafts movement which valued artistry and craftsmanship at the expense of ostentatious materials this early 20th c. ring is wrought in silver and centered by a glorious Peking glass cabochon. The ring’s bezel is supported by laurel leaves, their layering given depth by oxidation while the white swirls in the green cab bestow it the dynamism of turbulent water. Currently a sz 4.25 US the ring is easily resizable. Its face is 1 1/8” N-S and 5/8” E-W, h...

Created using the shadowbox technique a row of silver flowers and leaves elegantly circles the wrist in this early 20th c. Chinese bangle bracelet. The floral and foliate motifs are set against a dramatically oxidized background visible through the openings in the cut-work and they are enhanced with hand-etched details. Quite often antique hollow bangles make it to us scarred with the experiences of a long life but the example at hand is unscathed, its beauty glowing with the patina of time and ...

Long antique guard chains have been very popular in the last couple of years and I am very happy to have come upon this stunning solid silver example. This is not your ordinary guard chain, as you can see. All its links are hand-cut and chased, each featuring a beautiful forget-my-not flower and even the connectors are embellished with tiny little bead appliques. Exquisite and romantic, it can be comfotablyd worn double up, holding your favorite bauble as it comes with its original dog clip, or ...

Beautifully worked and quite generous in size this late Victorian / Edwardian locket pendant is, I am assuming, a US-made piece since it is not hallmarked at all. Elegantly monogrammed on the back, it opens to reveal a glass-protected case for the photo of your loved one. In the front, the oval reserve holds a highly detailed representation of Spring with three cupids, very much in the spirit of Franz Zatzka's allegorical painting, while the perimeter is further decorated with impressed scrolls ...