Catalog: Estate Jewelry: Silver (306)

A true choker-sized necklace by the Los Castillo workshop which can, nevertheless, easily accept a simple extension (please, ask if you need one), this is a design I have always admired for its perfect combination of sterling repousse links and bi-cone (or sometimes even flattened circular) glass beads. Very well made and so easy to enjoy no matter what the occasion is, our version is adorned with amethyst-colored beads that cast a purple shadow on the already warm patina of the silver...

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...

A seamless marriage of sterling silver and golden sheen obsidian celebrate Enrique Ledesma's creative genius in this set of modernist Mexican earrings. Much published and avidly sought after, the design can be found with various semi-precious and hard stones or, as in our case, housing polished, glistening pieces of volcanic glass. And if you are not so keen on screw-back findings, you are in luck with these as they are actually clip-ons...

If I saw this piece from far away, I would think it's a poison ring - that's how impressive in size and lift its gallery is. Yet not to worry, there is no hidden compartment here and you won't be tempted to become a modern-day Lucrezia Borgia! Beauty and commanding presence, though, yes! There is a lot of that in the sodalite's dark blue depths with their cloudy grey swirls and that river of black cutting across right through the cab's middle...

Exuding a primordial strength and keeping its secrets well hidden under layers of hand-etched scales, beading and overlay this stunning creature - I see it as a sea serpent but on second thought and if those appliques running along its spine are stylized feathers, it could be Quetzalcoatl as easily - is another treasure bearing the signature of Doris and her Corpus Artisans group of maestros...

A rare example of Jose Luis Flores's work to come upon, this distinctly modernist necklace made my day when I discovered it. I have in the past sold the matching bracelet to it but this specific form eluded me for the longest of times and I am thrilled to be offering it here. Made up of links constructed using overlay, hand-cutting and chasing as well as oxidation, it brings to mind Teran's biomorphism and the design's execution is flawless...

A classic Mexican Deco design the "caviar" can be found in all forms, in all gauges of sterling, with or without stones, signed by as famous a name as Spratling or simply anonymous like the sweet version of it I am presenting here. There is a heart-warming sense of intimacy about "caviar" jewelry...

I always loved "reindeer moss" jewelry and I expected, when I would finally get one, that it would hail from Finland. Little did I know that it would actually come from the other end of the world. But here it is, magically exotic, reminiscent of ancient forests, with trees dripping in the cool mist, their floors soft with fallen leaves and pine needles...

Maestro Mateo is mostly known for his brutalist rings and his work spans the 1980 divide. Most of his pieces that were made after 1980 are wrought in 950 silver, which almost became the norm in Mexican jewelry during that period...

Surrounded by the headless body of a coiled serpent the bezel-set turquoise adorning this Carmen Beckmann ring is one of the most visually interesting specimens of the stone I have recently seen. The variations in its green color in combination with the off-whites and the intense matrix come together in a way that suggests a mountainous landscape, dark boulders looming in the back, green grass still covered with patches of snow here and there...

Inspired by an ancient Aztec or Maya eagle head glyph this set of Antonio Pineda cufflinks were crafted in the maestro’s favorite, .970 silver alloy. Overlay and oxidation are used here to convey the bird’s of prey features, fearsome by default yet a little bit on the cartoonish side as well, if I am allowed the comparison… Measuring approx...

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...

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...

Sweet, romantic and so appropriate for the time of year, this vintage Mexican silver "row of hearts" bracelet bears the signature of the Los Castillo workshop and is crafted using the "mozaico Azteca" technique. Even though Los Castillo "mozaico" jewelry can be found with abalone inlay as well, it is primarily the saturated, gorgeous greens and deep, rich blues of azur-malachite one expects to see in creations from this line. The bracelet at hand, carefully and .....

One of the most elusive pieces designed by Danish modernist Hans Hansen, this sterling silver neck ring has been in my collection for a long time. The idea was to get a pendant by the same designer so as to complete the necklace but it never happened and I decided to give that same opportunity to someone else out there...

Potent design and perfect execution combine in this set of Antonio Pineda cufflinks shaped like bull skulls. Fine, .970 silver with a satin finish (which I love here!), horns of what I believe is obsidian and not onyx (they test as glass on my gem tester, which is what obsidian is, volcanic glass) and a haunting interplay of negative and positive space in the casting of the animal's skull bequeath an other-worldly aura to an already impressive pair - and I mean impressive both in its boldness as...

One of my absolute favorite designs by Gerardo Lopez, this silver and copper "mask" necklace I have sold a few times during my career as a vintage Mexican jewelry dealer and I never tire of it! There is so much to attract the eye here and every time you look at it, you spot something new and exciting. Meticulously cut ornate sterling "frames", oxidized and embellished with overlay, surround the highly sculptural copper "masks". Lopez's decision to flank the central "portrait" with smaller versio...

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. Bold in i...