All Items : Archives : Estate Jewelry : Silver : Mexican : Pre 1950 item #1360618
Rare eye catching pair of sterling silver cufflinks designed & signed c. 1949 by Taxco, Mexico artist Valentin Vidauretta (1902-55). Each link measures 1 1/4" across X 3/4". The pair weighs 23 grams. Valentin also designed for Hector Aguilar at Aguilar's Taller Borda as well at Spratling and Antonio Pineda. The links carry Valentin's hallmark along with the eagle 9 assay mark.
All Items : Archives : Estate Jewelry : Silver : Mexican : Pre 1950 item #1390629
Bold, rare and gorgeous, this is a pillow ring by Maestro William Spratling hallmarked from his first design period, circa 1930-46. It is a size 5 1/2 and the face measures 3/4" by 3/4". Weighing 12 grams total, it is in fine original condition free of dents or dings. This ring should delight the Mexican silver collector.
All Items : Archives : Estate Jewelry : Silver : Mexican : Pre 1950 item #1267001 (stock #flowleafneck)
Signed MPO with a floral spray motif this is subtle elegance at 16in. long and at it's widest point is 5/8th's. No chips or dents and free of any flaws. A design with great detail, depth and exhibiting a great deal of skill. A real treasure from the 40's, just LOOK AT THAT NECKLACE!
All Items : Archives : Estate Jewelry : Silver : Mexican : Pre 1980 item #1434965 (stock #15320)
A prolific maestro and one of Taxco’s best modernists, Sigi Pineda enjoyed a long, fruitful career and his jewelry is loved and sought after by aficionados of vintage Mexican jewelry. Made of sterling silver in an asymmetrical design, this hinged bangle bracelet plays with geometry and juxtaposes the shiny surface of the metal with the deep blackness of the stone. Eye-catching, beautifully made, very very mod - and a version of Sigi’s hinged bracelets that doesn’t come up very often...
All Items : Archives : Estate Jewelry : Silver : Mexican : Pre 1970 item #1368461 (stock #172910)
Salvador Teran earrings design # 121 is 1.25in. across in an arc shape. The stones sparkle and the earrings are without damage. There is a natural patina that is untouched and left for the buyers desire. Very well hallmarked and in your hands you will feel the quality of the thick silver. A treasure for collectors and especially for couture clothing or just jeans.
All Items : Archives : Estate Jewelry : Silver : Mexican : Pre 1950 item #1426694 (stock #15117)
Rare Mexican Deco silver repousse figural necklace, its five graduated links featuring what I believe to be a neo-Aztec interpretation of Cinteotl, one of the three goddesses of corn and fertility. Bare-breasted and kneeling in a corn field, holding in her hands an ear of maize and adorned with earrings and a pendant necklace, it is in fact two different figures that we are looking at; while the bodies and what surrounds them is the same, the jewelry and the faces themselves are different...
All Items : Archives : Estate Jewelry : Silver : Mexican : Pre 1970 item #1372558 (stock #180701)
This Ledesma set absolutely shines in the light with a golden hue. The coloration of all stones is black with no direct light on them. The stone work is masterful and the silver is silky to the hand. The necklace weighs 68 grams and has a wearability of 17.5in. Each piece in the drop is .75 inch long. The necklace is hallmarked appropriately as shown and is collector quality. No damage or repairs
All Items : Archives : Estate Jewelry : Silver : Mexican : Pre 1960 item #1460687
This carved rough cut fire opal ring was constructed circa 1950's and is a size 6 1/2. The rectangular stone is 3/4" X 5/8". The stone is set in a silver frame and rises 3/8" high. Hallmarked ANTONIO TAXCO SILVER MADE IN MEXICO. The worn outline of the eagle stamp can be seen. Some surface wear on close inspection. Beautiful colors within seem to dance as the ring moves in the light.
All Items : Archives : Estate Jewelry : Silver : Mexican : Pre 1970 item #1435364 (stock #15325)
One of Margot de Taxco’s most romantic, delicately elegant yet still eye-catching and beautifully made necklaces, the “foliate bow” is characterized by generous micro-beading accented by just the right touch of oxidation. The chain’s riveted links rest perfectly around the neck while the intricately woven central station brings to mind earlier, Old World “lovers’ knot” jewelry...
All Items : Archives : Estate Jewelry : Silver : Mexican : Pre 1960 item #1445722 (stock #15452)
Made in the very late 1940s or in the opening years of the 1950s at the latest, this Marcel Boucher sterling silver necklace is a Mexican piece from the renowned designer’s “Parisina” line. Parisina pieces are not easy to find - Boucher had them made in Mexico for a few years around WWII because the war effort had put restrictions in the availability and use of silver. Yet this specific design, I have never encountered before ...
All Items : Archives : Estate Jewelry : Silver : Mexican : Pre 1980 item #1426751 (stock #15041)
Generously long and definitely mod, this Erika Hult de Corral necklace is a minimalist little treasure! Not only does it wear like a dream - for me it is the epitome of "less-is-more", except for the luscious greens that make the polished stone centering it a treat for the eye. This is a pre-1980 example of her work and quite versatile since you can easily wear it with that classy black dress or have it casually adorn your favorite worn T-shirt...
All Items : Archives : Estate Jewelry : Silver : Mexican : Pre 1940 item #1413049 (stock #14920)
Bearing a combination of hallmarks that dates it around 1939 this William Spratling ring is wrought in high purity .980 silver and has developed the most amazing patina during its long and - I am sure - happy life. According to Goddard, Spratling used to refer to this design as the "crowned pyramid", an appellation that makes more sense if one looks at the matching bracelet from above as it lays on a flat surface...
All Items : Archives : Estate Jewelry : Silver : Mexican : Pre 1970 item #1449202 (stock #15539)
Referred to as the “shells” or sometimes even “snails” bracelet, Margot de Taxco’s des. 5104 is a series of fleshy, perfectly swirling repousse links that feel so comfortable around the wrist, you might take them as an extension of your body. The example at hand vibrates with that warm light only well-aged, well-loved silver acquires and the thick sterling sheet used to craft the bracelet has allowed it to mature without burdening it with the scars and blemishes of age...
All Items : Archives : Estate Jewelry : Silver : Mexican : Pre 1930 item #1276811
Vintage 1930's sterling silver and carved onyx box designed and signed by Frederick Davis (1880-1961). Measures 3 3/4" X 2" X 1 1/2" high. Box weighs 129 grams, 4.05 oz. Beautiful original condition with no dings or dents. Carved onyx Mayan face in perfect condition. Davis designs are featured in the 20th Century Mexican silver collection at Los Angeles County Museum of Art - LACMA.
All Items : Archives : Estate Jewelry : Silver : Mexican : Pre 1960 item #1401664
Created in Frank Patania's Thunderbird shop, this box is a beautiful example of handmade Zuni art. Measuring 4 1/4" X 3 1/4" X 3/4" the piece weighs 166 grams. Carved onyx, turquoise and mother of pearl are inlaid in a silver frame to form the dragonfly. The bold hinge design is often seen on Frank Patania boxes. They work smoothly. The box is in beautiful condition. Hallmarked STERLING with Thunderbird.
All Items : Archives : Estate Jewelry : Silver : Mexican : Pre 1960 item #1222132
Vintage sterling silver and leather bolo tie designed and signed circa 1950's by Taxco, Mexico artist Antonio Pineda. Original braided black leather tie measures 41" long. Sterling silver carved arrow head slide is 2" X 1 1/2". Hunting figure is carved out in the center adding visual dimension. Silver arrow heads finish the piece at the braid tips. Fully signed on the back with Antonio's trade crown hallmark, ANTONIO, TAXCO, 970, eagle, MOTA, TASCO...
All Items : Archives : Estate Jewelry : Silver : Mexican : Pre 1950 item #1456096
This bold sterling silver belt buckle was designed and signed in the 1940's by Taxco, Mexico designer William Spratling. Weighing a hefty 35 grams the buckle measures 1 7/8" X 1 3/4" & will take a 1 1/4" wide strap. Beautiful condition and patina. No dents or dings. Fully hallmarked WS TAXCO 980 on the reverse. This design is pictured on p.35 of MEXICAN SILVER by Penny Morrill & Carole Berk, p. 172 of MEXICAN JEWELRY by Pack & Davis & on p. 108 of SPRATLING SILVER by Cederwall & Riney.
All Items : Archives : Estate Jewelry : Silver : Mexican : Pre 1960 item #1344949
Elegant hand wrought 940 sterling silver pin designed & signed c. 1950's by Taxco, Mexico artist Hector Aguilar (1905-86). Pin measures 2" X 2". Beautiful condition and patina. Pin back and safety in fine working order. Fully hallmarked on the reverse. Aguilar designs are included in the permanent 20th century Mexican silver collection at Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
All Items : Archives : Estate Jewelry : Silver : Mexican : Pre 1970 item #1320082 (stock #13361)
Ultimately modernist in its approach to personal adornment, with Enrique Ledesma's signature perfection in the marriage of silver and stone, a necklace and earrings set with triangular links of sterling framing richly colored azur-malachite. Honesty of materials, craftsmanship of the highest level and immaculate finishing create a superb example of Taxco lapidary and silversmithing prowess. The necklace measures 15 3/4" long (wearable) by 5/8" wide while the clip-back earrings are 7/8" by 3/4"...
All Items : Archives : Estate Jewelry : Silver : Mexican : Pre 1970 item #1345921 (stock #16911a)
This Victoria signed brooch is a published design in the Penny Morrill's books on Mexican Silver and it is also extremely collectable. The pattern is unique and it is made with quality workmanship. Dimensions are 2.5in. by 2.75in. No damage and very well cared for.
All Items : Archives : Estate Jewelry : Silver : Mexican : Pre 1940 item #1215671
Elegant branch coral and sterling silver pin or brooch designed and signed circa 1930-40's by Taxco, Mexico designer Matilde Poulat. Poulat signed her work Matl, a variation of the Aztec word for water. Pin measures 1 1/2" X 1 1/2". Beautiful condition, signed on the back Matl 0.925 HECHO EN MEXICO. This early piece was designed and made before Poulat's passing in 1960. A similar design of this pin is pictured on p.221 of MEXICAN SILVER by Penny Morrill and Carole Berk.
All Items : Archives : Estate Jewelry : Silver : Mexican : Pre 1940 item #1303273 (stock #13159)
Stupendously beautiful, a vintage Deco Mexican silver bracelet that is not for the faint of heart! This is one of the most impressive, visually stunning examples of Mexico's early 20th c. jewelry I have seen. Its tall panels are profusely decorated with wirework and beading and set with two yummy, big amethyst cabochons each. Early as its pin-style clasp reveals and absolutely breath-taking it measures 7 3/4" in inner circumference (clasped) by 2 1/2" wide and weighs a whopping 179.6 grams...
All Items : Archives : Estate Jewelry : Silver : Mexican : Pre 1950 item #1181925 (stock #migbolotie)
Rancho Alegre featured Miguel Martinez as a principle designer and this is an early hallmark of Miguel's as shown. The silver is thick and almost pure. The tips are also beautiful and hand made. The rope is black cording and can be replaced quite easily if desired but it is in it's original state for the purest at heart. I would be happy to put the tips on a new cord for you. I have a picture of the leaf cuff by Doris with it which is also listed on my site...
All Items : Archives : Estate Jewelry : Silver : Mexican : Pre 1950 item #1427649
Generously long, with a hefty chain and an unusual stylized floral design, this early Mexican Deco necklace combines silver and copper in a playful yet still bold way. The graduated tulip links bring to my mind classic representations of the flower in Ottoman art - the blooms are slender and tall as opposed to the hybrids we are used today which are shorter and rounder. The minimalism of the floral links is set off by the cheerfulness of the mixed metals dangles, each made up of four "dimpled do...
All Items : Archives : Estate Jewelry : Silver : Mexican : Pre 1960 item #975445
Handmade sterling silver pin designed and signed c.1950 by Taxco, Mexico artist Salvador Teran. Marked SALVADOR STERLING MEXICO 103. Layered sections of silver combine to paint a stunning and mysterious modernist portrait. Female or feline? Pin measures 2 1/4" X 1 1/2". 25 grams. Beautiful vintage condition.Pin back and lock work perfectly. No dents, dings or repairs. Works by Salvador are featured in WILLIAM SPRATLING AND THE MEXICAN SILVER RENAISSANCE by Penny Morrill and in MEXICAN SILVER by ...
All Items : Archives : Estate Jewelry : Silver : Mexican : Pre 1970 item #1437485 (stock #15349)
The name of Plateria Cortes, a Taxco retail store is often found on jewelry signed by Enrique Ledesma and this is the case with the modernist sterling silver and green stone necklace at hand. This type of curved trapezoid links embellished with inlay is a signature design for the maestro yet here there are two sections of stone in each station which is a welcome variation that does not come up as often as the typical single segment. Predominantly green, the color of the azur-malachite is deep an...
All Items : Archives : Estate Jewelry : Silver : Mexican : Pre 1950 item #1432618 (stock #15273)
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. Silver Renaissance, the "mask" itself is based on an early An...
All Items : Archives : Estate Jewelry : Silver : Mexican : Pre 1950 item #1402597 (stock #14905)
One of the Mexico City maestros active in the first decades of Mexico's 20th c. Silver Renaissance, Abraham Tobias was a contemporary of Matilde Poulat's and he created jewelry in the so-called Mexico City style repousse. Many of his pieces are based on Matl originals and admittedly the boldness and quality of his repoussage is very very close to, if not often en par with, Matilde's own. Tobias excelled in the crafting of cuff bracelets as well - one can find them in various widths, usually boas...
All Items : Archives : Estate Jewelry : Silver : Mexican : Pre 1970 item #1415755 (stock #14934)
Last year I was lucky to find three examples of jewelry by Celia Harms, a talented designer who lived and worked in Vera Cruz in the 1950s and '60s. The Etruscan style sterling vermeil cross pin / pendant necklace I am presenting is the last of that trove and a very classy duo as well. I am very particular with vermeil - I don't really like it unless it is old and has mellowed almost to the point of ... extinction yet here it has an understated matte finish that exudes a calm warmth. The workman...
All Items : Archives : Estate Jewelry : Silver : Mexican : Pre 1950 item #1449255 (stock #15532)
Following in the tradition of Mexico City “jeweled” jewelry closely associated with Matilde Poulat, this Mexican Deco silver and amethyst cross pendant necklace is not signed for maker yet its rich patina, beautiful stones and exceptional chain more than compensate for the absence. I could hardly exaggerate how rare it is to find a repousse chain of this beauty, let alone one adorned with richly colored amethyst cabs. The stones’ circular shape is cleverly reflected in the beading on the c...
All Items : Archives : Estate Jewelry : Silver : Mexican : Pre 1980 item #1444821 (stock #15474/14953)
One of the few female designers of Mexico’s 20th c. Silver Renaissance that we know of, Erika Hult de Corral excelled in the creation of slick abstract and brutalist jewelry. She started creating her own work in Taxco’s “middle period” and continued being active in the post-1980 years as well. Big, bold and beautiful, the result of the artist’s few yet perfectly placed brushstrokes, the dove-shaped pendant at hand conveys that precious sense of elegant, unimpeded motion. Measuring 3”...
All Items : Archives : Estate Jewelry : Silver : Mexican : Pre 1970 item #1478628 (stock #8888846)
This amethyst ring is an iconic Antonio Pineda design, shown on p. 154 of Silver Seduction. It's a mid-century piece, collector quality, with perfectly matched amethyst cylinders which are channel set in a thick and chunky 970 silver setting. The stones are perfectly matched in color, and this ring can be worn by either a man or a woman. Measures 7 1/4 on a ring sizer, although because of the thickness and width of the band it will fit slightly smaller. Signed and hallmarked with the Antonio...
All Items : Archives : Estate Jewelry : Silver : Mexican : Pre 1980 item #1416113 (stock #14533/14986)
In keeping with the love the 1960s and '70s had for huge, "ethnic" pendants this Los Ballesteros sterling silver sunburst stunner is inspired by ancient Aztec and Maya calendar disks and measures 3.5 in without the bail! Several silversmithing techniques were combined to create the pendant - cutwork, chasing, overlay, oxidation - and right at the center, a crown-set amethyst brings intense color to an otherwise silver and black background. The chain itself is an incredible find not just because ...
All Items : Archives : Estate Jewelry : Silver : Mexican : Pre 1980 item #1444174 (stock #15459)
In the last couple of years I found myself drawn closer and closer to the jewelry created by the Los Ballesteros workshop. I am especially attracted to their “mask” pieces in all the forms they can be found as well as to what I like to call their “hinged bangle” bracelets. I consider both kinds the absolute jewel in the taller’s creative crown and it seems that there is always something new and different to discover. The perfectly carved tiger’s eye “Joker” pendant is a piece I h...
All Items : Archives : Estate Jewelry : Silver : Mexican : Pre 1950 item #1437433
This lovely pair of handmade silver earrings designed by Taxco, Mexico artist Hector Aguilar measure 1 3/4" x 1 3/4" and weigh 21 grams. Each earring is accented with a turquoise cab. All five of the earring hoops move freely. The screw backs are in fine working order. The earrings are in beautiful condition with a soft aged patina. Fully hallmarked HA 940 TAXCO with eagle #9.
All Items : Archives : Estate Jewelry : Silver : Mexican : Pre 1970 item #1429191 (stock #15212)
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...