I don’t usually venture into the 1980s with vintage Mexican silver jewelry but Erika Hult de Corral is one of the few instances in which the general rule is broken. A Paris-educated, talented modernist with a distinct brutalist strain in her designs, Ric (as she signs her pieces) worked with Sigi Pineda and Enrique Ledesma before she opened her own workshop...

Modernist sterling ring by Erika Hult de Corral (Ric), this rather rare to find design combines silver in two finishes with richly colored malachite and two small, deep blue lapis cabochons. I am very excited to have found this piece, especially since I recently sold the matching earrings to it (you can use the search feature to see them, if you wish). A talented designer and one of the few known female contributors to Mexico’s 20th c...

This lariat solid silver rope necklace is extremely elegant with a width of .25 inch. There is a clamp also hand made to fit this necklace and lock it in place where ever you wish it to hold. The tassels have the fine strands of chain with satin finish balls. With a weight of 93 grams it displays great beauty. The length with the tassels is approximately 42 dramatic inches. Also this jewel has no damage of any kind...

Housing a polished obsidian cabochon with warm, shimmering golden depths this vintage Mexican silver bracelet bears the signature of Sigi Pineda, one of Taxco’s foremost modernist designers. A prolific creator, Sigi was at his best when he worked within the confines of minimalism - the bracelet presented here, a hinged bangle, is just such an example...

Maestro Rivera is one of those contemporaries of Matilde Poulat’s who created jewelry in her manner and whose work I am always on the look-out for because of its quality and attention to detail. Based on a Matl original, the “palomas” (or “doves”) necklace at hand combines Mexico City style repousse with beading, wirework and oxidation...

It is not often that one finds an Enrique Ledesma ring and this modernist beauty is made even more desirable by the big color-change sapphire that adorns it. The gem has a table-cut type of shape and mimicking the behavior of alexandrites, it changes color under different light conditions traveling from deep amethyst to steely purple. I love the highly stylized setting - to my eyes it reads like silver fingers holding on to the stone as it rests on a willing palm...

An absolutely stunning table-cut citrine adorns this massive Carmen Beckmann Mexican silver ring. The gem, its color traveling from refreshing lemon to saturated yellow as the light changes, is lifted above the finger in a terraced setting with geometric cut-outs...

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...

Not very easy to find the specific design of modernist Taxco sterling silver and gemstone earrings by Enrique Ledesma features two generously-sized, color-change sapphires. Mimicking the behavior of alexandrites which change color under different light conditions, the gems are often referred to as “synthetic alexandrites” within the context of vintage Mexican silver jewelry. Yet they are in fact synthetic corundum and at best, they should be identified as “alexandrite simulants”...

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...

It’s been a while since I offered an example of Margot de Taxco’s zodiac jewelry and I am thrilled to be presenting this substantial Gemini pendant necklace here. Zodiac jewelry were popular with many Mexican maestros yet in my opinion, Margot’s creations surpass those of all her contemporaries. Sculptural, big and bold, they can be found as charms to be coupled with chain necklaces and enjoyed as pendants, like here, or dangling off the substantial bracelets she designed for that purpose...

The “enfant terrible” of Mexican silver jewelry design, Hubert Harmon moved to Mexico in 1941 where he created some fabulous and definitely quirky, statement-making pieces. I am tempted to call the big brooch presented here “the captive of love” - and I apologize if my appellation borders dangerously on the …cheesy...

There is nothing simplistic or facile about Francisco Rivera’s jewelry! A maestro who loved overlay, paid attention to detail and finishing, created pieces that cry out to be held and touched and enjoyed he is, in my opinion, still to be recognized as the talented, inspired silversmith and designer that he was...

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.

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...

A very difficult design to find, Margot de Taxco's no 5384 is sheer geometry and a celebration of dark, rich oxidation. It is understandable then that I feel fortunate to have come upon the extra-wide hinged bracelet from the parure. Raised sterling bands around the perimeter of the cut-out design lend three-dimensional appeal which is further accentuated by the black surfaces they define. This is by far my favorite "knot" design of hers; not too simple, not overwhelmingly complicated with the p...

This iconic tour-de-force Antonio Pineda bracelet pulls out all the stops. This design graces the cover of "Silver Seduction : The Art of Mexican Modernist Antonio Pineda".

Weighing in at a staggering 222.5 grams, this bracelet is composed of alternating trapezoidal silver panels tipped with onyx. The onyx gemstones are hand-cut and polished, and the panels are pin-hinged. This is an amazing piece, executed in almost pure (97%) silver. Circa mid-century, this bracelet is perhaps the u...

Lovely sterling and smokey quartz clip earrings by Arizona Modernist H. Fred Skaggs. Photo #3 shows the stones under bright light but the first 2 photos are how the color of the stones appear in routine lighting. Weighing 18 grams total, they measure 1 1/8" by 1 1/8" and are in fine original condition. Signed as shown. Gorgeous !

Spectacular sterling and coral clip earrings in what appears to be a starfish pattern by Frank Patania Sr. The stones are saw tooth bezel set and there is a beautiful, fine textured pattern in the silver. Measuring 2 3/8" long and 1 1/4" wide, they weigh 31 grams total and are in fine original condition. Signed as shown. Rare and show stopping when on the ears.

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...

This eye-catching design by Taxco, Mexico artist Hector Aguilar measures 18" long by 1" wide and weighs 105 grams. Hand-wrought in 940 sterling silver, this mid 20th century necklace is in beautiful condition with a tight and secure clasp. Hallmarked on the clasp HA 940 TAXCO with eagle #9. These hallmarks are pictured on p.13 of Silver Masters of Mexico by Penny Morrill. Hector Aguilar designs are included in the permanent Latin American collections at LACMA and MFA Boston as well as many othe...

Properly hallmarked by Margot de Taxco and bears this very rare design 5581A. It is fine line enamel and is 1 1/8th of an inch tall and further showing off a weight of 126 grams of silver. The diameter is 4.5 inches for sizing. There is no damage to the silver or enamel. I have never seen this flip of the silver on it's ends and it is absolutely beyond charming. A huge YES for collectors and beautifiers, just LOOK AT THAT NECKLACE!

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 ...

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...

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 ...

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. And since all good things come in threes, I found two more pairs in the months following that initial discovery. I am still trying to decide, however, what it is we are looking at here: is it Siamese twins? Or ...

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. Here, it is the feathers (or scales) rendered en repoussage that intrigue me - a reference to Quetzalcoatl, the di...

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. The earrings are 1 5/8” long by 5/8” wide (when worn, the “wind” faces downwards as shown in the...

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. On my gem tester the stone registers in the citrine/quartz area and even though I would love to say it is citrine, I will stay on ...

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. I particularly love the big spring ring clasp that allows you to easily...

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. The earrings are 1 3/8” long by 1 1/8” wide and weigh 11`....

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. It is fully and appropriately signed with the early Los Castillo signature in straight capital letters and be...

This elegant, hand wrought sterling silver necklace was designed and signed c. 1940's by Taxco, Mexico artist William Spratling. Measuring 20 1/2" long & 1 inch wide the necklace weighs 100 grams. Beautiful condition and patina. This design is pictured on p. 46 of MEXICAN SILVER by Penny Morrill and Carole Berk. Looks great with casual or dress. Spratling designs are the central focus of the permanent 20th century Mexican silver collection at Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

Better than wearing your heart on your sleeve is this lovely silver bracelet with seventeen charms. The bracelet is 7 1/4" long and is sterling. It bears a maker's mark for GJ Ltd. The charms are clearly a collection made over time. There are charms made of sterling, 800 silver, and silver plate. There are padlocks, puffy hearts, plain hearts, and flowered hearts...even a heart locket. The bracelet dates from the 1950s.

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. Most of her bracelets are big, bold and daring - her jewelry in general commanding...

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. In the modernist bracelet at hand it is golden sheen obsidian cut in curved rectangles that adorns the thick sterling links and I could never exaggerate the in...

Here is a fantastic necklace, in the style of Murrle, Bennett and other Arts & Crafts designers of high renown. It is unsigned, which is not unusual. It features a central silver panel with a big labradorite cab, 3/4” x 9/16”. The whole panel with dangles measures 13/16” x 1-7/8”. The wearable length is 24”, and there are 20” worth of labradorite beads, most having the distinctive and beautiful blue flash for which that stone is known. The clasp has a very pretty flower and leaf desi...

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. I am particularly excited to present this combination pin/pendant necklace here not only because of the absolute beauty o...

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. Serene under its heavy, ornate headdress the “face” looks as if in deep sleep, its features ...

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. Craftsmanship of the highest quality and attention to detail and finishing have contributed to Industria’s reputation - along with Gr...

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. Coupled with an appropriate for the genre chain with many figural links, as you can see...

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. Generous in size though light enough to be worn on a silk blouse, the brooch has all the qualities of the best minimalist designs - economy of lines, honesty of materials and stron...

With delicately carved features, this silver and tiger’s eye Egyptian Revival “Cleopatra” bolo tie is a small work of art that came out of the Los Ballesteros workshop. One of the best - and definitely the most persistent - Taxco talleres involved in the creation of exquisite “mask” jewelry, the Los Ballesteros used an array of semi-precious and hard- stones to create serene, out-of-this-world effigies for brooches, rings, bracelets and pendants. This is, however, my first bolo tie b...

Based in Mexico City Plateria FarFan created some of the most impressive and well-made collar necklaces, many in the multi-row "mesh" style and others in puzzle “Cleopatra style” designs. The necklace presented here is one of the latter, a pretty handsome one at that and a favorite of mine for the comfortable, just-at-home way in lies around the neck. I consider myself most lucky because I have also the matching bracelet to it and even though the two will be listed separately, there is nothi...

Symbols of hope for fresh, new beginnings swallows are an integral part of the advent of Spring in my home country and I grew up waiting for a glimpse of their bifurcated tails and soft, white bellies as a sign that the end of the school year and the fun-filled days on the beach were not far away. In Victorian symbolism the birds express enduring love and loyalty and the promise of a safe return back home and it is these hopes the set of Mexican silver earrings at hand encapsulates. Very sculptu...

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...

Set in a raised bezel on a hand-hammered sterling platform the “mask” in this vintage Carmen Beckmann brooch is carved out of dyed calcite, often - and mistakenly - referred to as “jade”. Oxidation and a geometric glyph applique add complexity to the design and the portrait’s minimalist rendition brings to mind the more austere of ancient artifacts unearthed from the Mexican soil. I believe that this brooch comes out of a line of similar brooches Beckmann created, sometimes using anci...

One of my favorite sub-genres in the world of vintage Mexican silver jewelry includes those early Deco repousse brooches wrought in the usually referred to as the “Mexico City style”, the most famous proponent of which is, undoubtedly, Matilde Poulat. Quite often anonymous, as in our case, these pieces can be fascinatingly weird, at times even bordering on the surreal. Who is this bearded man with the thick facial features, his eyes cast down as if in intense concentration, and what is this ...

Circa mid-century, this heavy chunky modernist onyx ring was produced by Antonio Pineda.

It's a rarely seen design, wide, solid, and absolutely killer, with inlaid onyx in a 970 silver setting.

Measures a 6 on a ring sizer. The side is quite wide, so may fit a little more snug than that. The silver has a sleek mirror-like finish.

Weight is 12.1 grams.

Signed and hallmarked with the Antonio Taxco Crown, 970 Silver Sterling Mexico, and the eagle ...

This brilliant vintage squash blossom necklace is anecdotally from the 1950s but stylistically typical of the 1970s (the leaves surrounding the turquoise cabochons were popular at that period.) It is sterling silver and turquoise but unmarked. The 1/4” sterling beads are bench-made. The necklace is 27” in length, with a naja that measures 2 5/8 in width by 3 inches in length. The necklace is set with 17 turquoises. The seven ornamenting the naja are 3/8 by ½ inches in size, and the ten su...

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”...

Handwrought in the early 1940's, this trapezoid design by Spratling measures 17" long and 1" high. The panels catch and reflect light beautifully as the wearer moves about. The necklace is in excellent condition. Spratling hallmarks are found on the slide-in clasp and on one panel.

An early Mexico City (I will suggest) maestro, P. Ochoa must have been a contemporary of Matilde Poulat’s and M. Velazquez’s. His work, wrought in the same “Mexico City” style of repoussage which for me represents the country’s Arts and Crafts version in jewelry-making, is very rare to come upon but, I think, of the highest quality. All of this pieces that I have seen over the years seemed to revolve around the “ancient mask” theme - in our case, in the smaller, “masquette” ver...

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 . Its floral links are nicely cast and oxidized and I love the s...

A stunning Antonio Pineda modernist bracelet, its rectangular, slick links held together with bezel-set carnelian connectors, each one of which features a daringly protruding silver “tongue”. I love the gutsyness of the design and the mischievous sense of humor behind it but I am also taken with the rich color in the stones which changes hue as it responds to the changing light. Definitely an eye-catcher and one of Antonio’s designs that don’t come up very often, the bracelet measures 7 ...

Antonio Pineda cuffs don't surface very often and this specific design is even more difficult to find. An ode to the art of a-symmetry, the cuff is wrought in the maestro's favorite fine ,.970 alloy and quite substantial. The stone that adorns its widest end, rich in greens and blues, is agate, I think, but it might be a very special kind of turquoise as well. Warm patina, perfectly conveyed less-is-more attitude and Antonio's exquisite finishing are all present here to please the eye. The cuff ...

Measuring 19 1/2" long this stunning piece was designed by Frederick Davis c.1930-40's. The necklace weighs 75 grams and is comprised of jade beads and hand tooled silver balls of graduated size. The largest silver ball is 1/2". The largest jade beads are 3/4" long. The silver balls appear not to have been polished for decades and the patina is gorgeous. A few pin head size dings noticed on close inspection with a loupe. Davis is known to have collected ancient Mexican artifacts and stones inco...

Carved in translucent amethyst the “mask” adorning the Piedra y Plata silver ring presented here bespeaks Felipe Martinez’s talent as a sculptor. His jewelry, always combining sterling with the most amazing stones, showcases some of the best lapidary work in the world of vintage Mexican jewelry and his “masks”, I consider some of the most evocative, spiritual examples in the field. And even though Martinez’s creations are usually rooted in Mexico’s rich archeological past, he is un...

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. Measuring a wea...

Working out of San Miguel de Allende, Carmen Beckmann is one of the “second generation” (if I may be allowed the term here) designer / silversmiths who contributed to Mexico’s 20th c. Silver Renaissance. In her work, Beckmann is often inspired by ancient Maya and Aztec motifs to which she adds her unique modernist “twist” - quite successfully in my opinion at least. The ring at hand, however, habitually referred to as a “cha cha” ring, I always associate with the roaring epoch of C...