A classic combination for Enrique Ledesma, the marrying of sterling and stone, makes this vintage Mexican bracelet an easily recognizable creation by the renowned Taxco modernist. The stone is here azur-malachite, I believe, with greens and browns predominant and the warmth of the silver casings adds a certain "inner glow" to it...

Slender, elongated, hand-wrought fine silver feathers that end in a playful curl make up this set of "swan wing" modernist earrings by Antonio Pineda. I have to admit that this is one of the most unexpected Antonio creations I have ever encountered. When I first saw it, I thought that the clip-ons would have to surely be a later replacement yet I have since seen a similar pair and that one too had the same findings. Now these are earrings for those not afraid to .....

Circa mid-century, this Los Castillo pin is a spectacular work of wearable art, and features one of their most iconic designs.

It's a multi-dimensional piece with superb repoussé silver work, highly detailed, and absolutely collector quality.

Measures 3 1/4" x 2"...

Maestro Mateo of Taxco is known among vintage jewelry collectors for his modernist, mostly brutalist, ring designs. His work is sought after for its quality, the beauty of the stones he incorporates in his pieces and the strong sense of tension that his rings exude. His career strides the divide between the so-called Eagle mark period and that of the T-marks and, in my experience, he is one of the very few silversmiths who used .950 alloys before they became the norm in the 1980s...

Straddling the divide between Aesthetic and Arts and Crafts design, this hinged sterling silver buckle bracelet was, I believe, made in the USA based on its hallmarking. The entire surface of the front "wing" is etched with ivy leaves, a motif beloved by the Victorians it seems, while the back is left blank, as is usually the case with bracelets of this type...

This brooch by Matilde Poulat features a large amethyst front and center, with turquoise cabochons and coral branches in a butterfly design with dangles.

Measures 2" tall x 1 1/2" wide. Pin closes with a rolling "C" clasp.

Weight is 11.8 grams.

Signed and hallmarked "Matl Mexico 925", with the eagle assay 129. Dates to pre-1960.

These mid-century earrings from Antonio Pineda are large and unusual. The primitive hunter design is said to have been based on the Lascaux cave drawings, used on several of his pieces. I have the matching bracelet in my shop. These dangle earrings are quite substantial, measuring 2" top to bottom, with a width of 1 7/16". Weight is 28.5 grams...

Circa mid-century, this ring was produced by Antonio Pineda. It's a thick and substantial ring, with a superb modernist twist design...

A beautiful pair of Earrings by the famous Matilde Poulat who signed her work MATL. They feature her ornate silver work set with Coral cabochon stones in a swirl design. They measure 1 3/8" long by 5/8" wide and weigh 10.4 grams. In good condition with the typical screw backs. Hallmarked on one earring "MATL". These are a gorgeous pair of earrings by a important artist.

Early pre-eagle large bracelet with a lacy flower form pattern. Circa 1940. Marked STERLING 925 TAXCO. With a darkened aged finish. It weighs 59 grams. This piece and most of the other Mexican silver I have listed came from one long time collector's estate. 4 inches wide in the front and with a wearable length (when the edges meet) of 7 inches. Excellent condition. No dents. Photos enlarged to show detail. Display form is life size.

Bird doll motif. Pre assay era Made in Mexico bird pin brooch. Early - tested at least sterling - colossal 4 3/4" north to south with 2 turquoise beads. This figural exhibits flowers in the style of Fred Davis or Matilde Poulat. Repousse and chase workmanship.
The native peoples were known to make dolls representing the local animals for their children to play. Today those same children are being taught the value in Nature Tourism...

A retail shop in Taxco, according to Bille Hougart, Plateria Cortes is a name also found on some of Enrique Ledesma pieces, most probably because they were sold there. So my first thought when I saw this set of vintage Mexican silver surrealist earrings was that they might have been made by Ledesma. And then it all came back to me - a couple of years ago, I sold three sets of earrings in the same exact style (and actually even a pair like the one at hand) clearly signed for Sigi Pineda...

Spanish Colonial in inspiration with their heart-shaped wire-work and tiny little beading this set of sterling silver and amethyst dangle earrings is a Mexican Deco treasure. Securely set in their bezels, full of inclusions that shroud their depths in mystery, the stones are carved in the shape of leaves which hang off richly colored amethyst cabs. Big, bold, beautiful yet also so romantic and full of nostalgia...

My second M Velazquez silver brooch for the day, this Mexican Deco repousse "portrait" I have never had (nor, I believe, seen) before. As opposed to the first figural pin, here the "sitter" is shown in profile, his likeness set in a raised frame against a stippled background. Velazquez's repoussage can be very dramatic and in the piece at hand it is also enhanced by deep chasing and oxidation which brings out the sculpturality of the face and the impressive headdress...

Rings by Victoria of Taxco, one of the few ladies of Mexico's 20th c. Silver Renaissance that are known to us, are such rare finds, they actually touch upon the impossible. If one is really lucky, one might find a shadowbox example from her "angel" parure but I have never before seen a "mask" ring with her signature. Yet here it is - the black onyx "mask" set in elaborate sterling worked such as to represent a headdress and breastplate...

One of the best "manufacturers" of silver jewelry and holloware in Peru Industria Peruana created some amazing "Inca Revival" (if I am permitted the term) pieces around the middle of the 20th c. when Graziella Laffi was also active. Their designs are beautifully executed with crisp detail and careful finishing and very often it is Peru's rich history that provided the motifs. The necklace at hand with its three "Inca cat" links is also adorned with deep green/blue stone disks set as the felines'...

This past year seems to have been a Carmen Beckmann year for One Good Eye Silver. And even though I cannot claim it was because of planning, it has not been entirely out of luck either. One of the few female contributors to Mexico’s 20th c Silver Renaissance that we know of, Beckmann’s jewelry are works of a confident designer, impeccably finished and at her best moments, incredibly creative as well. In the ring presented here I see a marrying of ancient motifs and modernist sensitivity as t...

Rare to find and quintessentially Mexican Deco, especially if we are looking at the Mexico City school repousse pieces, these sterling silver rings with their carved stone "masquettes" are the dedicated collector's dream. Yet you don't have to be a collector to enjoy their unique character. What always attracted me to them is their "Arts and Crafts" style silver work which allows you to follow the maestro's creative journey by tracing the marks his/her tools left on the precious metal. Coveted a...

This mid-century pin is the work of Los Castillo. It's a striking modernist design which is composed of two pieces connected with a rivet. The bottom hands and body swings freely with movement. Hand-wrought with intricate detail.

Measures 2 3/4" x 1 3/8".

Weight is 17.3 grams.

Signed and hallmarked "Los Castillo Taxco", with the eagle assay 15 and the design # 136.

In excellent vintage condition. Pin closes with a rolling C clasp.

Circa 1950's, this belt buckle is was produced by Antonio Pineda. I have never seen this one before, and it's quite similar to one which William Spratling designed. Antonio Pineda began his career working for William Spratling. It's hand-wrought with criss-crossing lines which are deeply carved with oxidized recesses.

Measures 2 5/8" x 15/16". I believe this will accommodate up to a 3/4" belt.

Weight is 34.9 grams.

Signed and hallmarked with the Antonio Taxco cro...

Offered on consignment... Circa mid-century, here is a large stunning amethyst ring which I believe is from Mexico. It is unmarked. Tested to be 940 silver, so greater than sterling 925. It is a magnificent ring, reminiscent of the work of Fred Davis and Abraham Paz. The amethyst is a gorgeous old stone with quartz marbling, natural inclusions, and lots of character. The stone is free of any flea bites, cracks, or chips. The split shank band has never been sized, and it's measures 7.5 on a...

Circa pre-1948, this large sterling silver brooch was produced by Doris Silver / Corpus Artisans. It's a highly detailed exquisitely crafted pin with a floral design. Measures 3" tall, 2 1/2" wide. Weight is 24.7 grams. Signed and hallmarked "Doris Silver Corpus Artisans Mexico". In excellent vintage condition. Pin closes with a roller.

Circa mid-century, this necklace is exquisitely hand-wrought by noted Taxco silversmith Beto. Deeply carved swirling silver panels alternate with polished half-cylinder shaped amethysts. The stones are gorgeous, with natural inclusions and quartz marbling. Measures 15" closed, wearable length. Weight is 52.7 grams. Signed and hallmarked "Beto 925 Taxco GRO Sterling Hecho en Mexico". In excellent vintage condition. Clasp is tight and secure.

Circa mid-century, these earrings are the work of Salvador Vaca Teran. Teran worked for William Spratling before leaving to work with his cousins at Los Castillo - creating many of their earlier designs. These earrings are a perfect example of his distinct abstract designs, biomorphic and modernist. Measures 1 5/16" at the widest part. Weight is 18 grams. Signed and hallmarked "Salvador" in script, and "Sterling Mexico", along with the design # 144. Collector quality. Scre...

Not much is known - if anything at all - about Ars Plata whose signature is found on the Mexican silver and amethyst dangle earrings at hand. Bille Hougart lists an "Art Plat." in his book on Mexican silver hallmarks but I am not sure the two workshops / retailers (?) are the same. This lack of information is part of the field's reality yet it is always exciting to find a name not often encountered. Especially if it is stamped on beautifully made, slick jewelry like this set ever so reminiscent ...

Fortuno Mota, a talented Taxco maestro who in the 1950s and 1960s produced many of Antonio Pineda’s pieces, signs this stunning set of modernist dangle earrings. Crafted in Antonio’s signature fine .970 alloy, the pair reminds me of slender flutes as they elegantly hang off geometric stations with stone inlay. The inlay and the beads in which the dangles end seem to be made of azur-malachite with the second component responsible for the predominantly green and brown hues. When the set came t...

Less-is-more is definitely the way Carmen Beckmann chose to go with this vintage Mexican sterling silver and amethyst ring. Set in a disk adorned with overlay and oxidation, it brings to mind a perfectly round stone as it touches the water causing it to ripple. Easy to wear whatever the occasion and a beautiful example of Mexican modernist jewelry. Currently a sz 6 US (easily resizable by your jeweler) the ring has a face that is 7/8” in diameter and it weighs 8.3 grams. It is marked with make...

A figural repousse Mexican Deco brooch in sterling silver this "portrait" piece bears the signature of early Mexico City maestro M. Velazquez. Over the years of my love affair with vintage Mexican silver jewelry, I have come to know and appreciate Velazquez's work for its "earthiness", its craftsmanship and the interesting designs he created. The specific "mask" motif I have had a few times in the past in necklace, ring and brooch forms but always anonymous. Often described as an Aztec or Maya "...

A simple and elegant sterling cuff by Navajo Yazzie Johnson from his early work in the 70's. His work now features varieties of stones and he often collaborates with Gail Bird. This bracelet measures 5 1/4" around in the inside plus a 1 1/2" opening. It is 3/8" wide and weighs 31 grams. Fine original condition and signed as shown. A very handsome and wearable piece that can stand alone or be stacked with your other favorite cuffs.

A contemporary of Matilde Poulat's, maestro M. Velazquez also worked in Mexico City and created jewelry primarily in the repousse style associated with the capital and Matl, its most famous practitioner. Velazquez was a true master of his art - his jewelry is bold and his repoussage confident, sculptural and nicely finished. The inspiration for the fish brooch at hand was obviously an ancient Maya or Aztec glyph or carving. The hand-hammered body is here deeply etched for detail and subsequently...

These unique Earrings by Antonio Pineda are a great example of the imaginative designs he is know for. The earring resemble an Arrow open at the center which slip between the front and back of your earlobe so when worn it appears that the top of the arrow is piercing your ear and exiting at the bottom. They measure 1 1/2" long and each is marked with the Antonio Taxco Crown Mark. In good condition with light wear - the backs are a bit out of shape - and they have some light tarnish. The screw b...

This Victorian revival sterling silver cuff is elaborately decorated with repousse flowers and leaves, with a scrolled reserve at each end. It was made by Kirk & Son of Baltimore, MD, as part of a line of 19th-century-inspired jewelry, some made of pewter. This is one of the larger and more elaborate designs. The sterling and maker’s marks are inside the bracelet. Circumference is about 8 inches, including the 1/2-inch opening; the bracelet is slightly over 1 1/4 inches wide. Weight: 41.8 gram...

Unique cone shaped deep Black Onyx stones are set along a swirl of smaller silver cones to create these fantastic modernist earrings in a style known as "Gladiator". Beautifully designed the bottom end of the earring curves slightly under your ear lobe. They measure 1" long by 3/4" wide and together they weigh 15.4 grams. Hallmarked Hecho en Mexico with the eagle stamp on one earring and 970 with the Antonio Taxco Crown on the other. They are in good condition with no signs of damage or repair ...

Fleshy, slick and so mod this set of vintage Mexican Antonio Pineda earrings is wrought in his favorite fine (.970) silver alloy in the form of heart-shaped leaves. Antonio's jewelry, no matter how many elements combined in a design, if unfailingly sculptural and shamelessly tactile. It is very difficult to restrain oneself and not keep passing one's fingers over the masterfully worked, perfectly finished silver. Measuring 1 5/16" long by 5/8" wide the earrings weigh 14.4 grams (for the set) an...

From his first design period, with hallmarks dating 1940- 46, this is a silver conch pin designed by William Spratling and featured in books on Mexican silver. Measuring 2 3/4" by 2", weighs 21 grams and is signed as shown. The pin clasp may have been replaced . One of Spratling's favorite designs.

When life hands you lemons, you make lemonade and when it hands you an orphan cuff link, you have it converted into a ring. I have always been very partial to pieces of jewelry that would normally come in pairs but lost their partner over the course of their adventurous life. Conversions, though a dedicated, purist collector’s nightmare, are to me a welcome way of prolonging the journey of an otherwise shunned piece by providing it with a new purpose, a new opportunity to be enjoyed and admire...