This Fred Davis ring was produced in the 1930's to early 1940's. It features a large hand-cut and polished amethyst cabochon, and is a generous size 7. The face of the ring is 13/16", with a depth of 3/8". The stone itself is gorgeous, with natural inclusions and quartz marbling. Weight is 9.8grams. Signed and hallmarked with the conjoined FD and Made in Mexico Silver. In excellent vintage condition.

When I first started my love-affair with vintage Mexican silver jewelry, I found myself intrigued by the work of artists whose names were not among the first ones a new collector would focus on. I love a challenge and seeking out “less celebrated” maestros who nevertheless created superbly crafted jewelry in imaginative designs became my “mission”...

One of my favorite female designers of Mexico's 20th c. Silver Renaissance (and admittedly, they aren't so many to begin with), Carmen Beckmann was a rather flexible maestra, able to create in many different styles. using a variety of materials. Her jewelry can be massive and jaw-dropping but quite as easily delicate and more sophisticated...

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...

These collector quality mid-century earrings are a very seldom seen design from Hector Aguilar. These are gorgeous, comfortable to wear, and have great movement. Each earring has nine dangles, each tipped with a tiny silver ball. Screw backs work perfectly,. Measures 1 3/4" tall, 3/4" wide. Weight is 12 grams. Signed and hallmarked on each earring with a conjoined flared HA,.940 Taxco, and the eagle assay 9. In excellent vintage condition.

This bracelet is the work of Horatio de la Parra, whose company Plateria Azteca produced hollowware for both William Spratling and Hector Aguilar.

It's an early piece, dating to the 1940's. Six repoussé silver panels, each with a high domed amethyst cabochon, make for a regal deco design bracelet which closes with a pin.

Closed, wearable length is 6 3/4"...

Pendant necklaces are a favorite of mine - I love their versatility and the fact that I can layer them whichever way I want. Luckilly, there is a fabulous selection within the world of vintage Mexican silver jewelry to choose from but I feel particularly lucky to have come upon an example of a classic Taxco design that is, however, smaller in scale than pendants of this design usually in...

Less-is-more would be the term I would use to describe this Carmen Beckmann modernist ring if it weren’t for that stone! Molten caramel golds fill the tiger’s eye slab almost in an ombre arrangement so that the ring changes the way it looks as the light that hits it changes...

Circa mid-century, these earrings are a rare find. Produced by Margot de Taxco, these are a book-piece design shown on page 34 of Margot Van Voorhies : The Art of Mexican Enamelwork. Both earrings and original design drawing are shown.

Referred to as "Egyptian Scroll", the colors are bright and vibrant. Gold, black, and green enamel.

Measure 1 9/16" x 1 1/4"...

Circa mid-century, these are fabulous earrings from Margot de Taxco.

These koi fish with teardrop amethyst dangles measure 1 3/4" tall, and they are stunning. The detailing is amazing. Amethysts match perfectly in color, and screw backs work perfectly.

Signed and hallmarked "Margot de Taxco 5207" on one, "Sterling Made in Mexico" on the other. No eagle assay.

Weight is 10 grams.

In excellent vintage condition, collector quality.

Circa mid-century, this hinged bracelet was produced by Erika Hult de Corral and has her unmistakeable style. Rare to see one of her pieces executed in 980 silver as this one is. Hult worked with both Sigi Pineda and Enrique Ledesma before opening her own shop, and the influence of Sigi Pineda can certainly be seen in this bracelet.

It's a beautiful bangle bracelet, hinged on both sides to swing wide open...

This large Fred Davis amethyst brooch was produced 1930's - early 40's. Measuring 4 1/2" long, 2 3/16" wide, it features a gorgeous hand-carved amethyst tulip. Pin closes with a roller. Signed and hallmarked with a conjoined FD and Silver Mexico. Weight is 32 grams. In excellent vintage condition. Some very minor abrasions on the edge of the tulip, but nothing seen without magnification.

An early Taxco treasure, this Mexican Deco cuff bracelet is both generous in weight and wrought in fine, .980 silver. The design is classic for the period and I have seen all-silver versions of it over the years by anonymous and recognizable names, that of Emma and La Cucaracha being among the most famous. The marriage of silver and copper that we are treated to here, however, I have never encountered before...

Attributions are a difficult issue in the world of vintage Mexican silver jewelry - they are almost never accepted. If a piece is not signed, it’s just not signed! In this case, however, I will put my years of experience behind my suggestion that the necklace I am presenting here is the work of Reveriano Castillo. When I acquired it, it had no clasp and since the specific Reveri design is usually marked exactly there, the connection to its maker was lost...

Per the Spratling Silver website, these earrings were only produced between 1958-1967. These William Spratling earrings are stunning, with eight shiny discs and tiny beading. Each disc moves independent of the others, creating beautiful movement. Measures 1 1/2" tall, 7/8" wide. Screw backs work perfectly. Signed and hallmarked with the WS Script Circle and eagle assay 30. Weight is 11.2 grams. In excellent vintage condition.

This is a gorgeous cuff produced by Los Castillo, with deeply chased swirling lines, oxidized recesses, and a beautiful patina. Signed and hallmarked Los Castillo Taxco, with the eagle assay 15 and design # 110. Weight is 58.9 grams. Edge to edge measures 5 5/8", with an additional opening/gap of 1 3/8". This will fit a larger wrist, but can be gently adjusted to size by a professional jeweler. In excellent vintage condition. Circa 1950's.

It's been a very long time since I offered a Mexican clamper bracelet and I am happy to be starting again with a classic Taxco design, this repousse and shadowbox "Quetzalcoatl" example. The maestro who signs it I am familiar with - he worked in Taxco and it seems that clamper bracelets were one of his favorite forms...

Circa mid-century, this is a rarely seen design from Antonio Pineda. I have seen hoop earrings from Antonio, but not this exact design with the rims.

These are fabulous! Repousse sterling silver hoop earrings which are very substantial - weighing 32 grams. Wide and puffy in the center, with a rim on each side. They are comfortable to wear and very secure. Hinged on one side, so simply open in the center to slide right on your ears...

Chunky fine, .970 silver and gorgeous, appetizingly curvaceous tiger's eye spheres come together in this set of Mexican cufflinks by Taxco's renowned modernist, Antonio Pineda. The specific design is very popular in necklace and bracelet form but when it surfaces, it is usually with chrysoprase or aventurine or some other green stone. This is the first time I have seen it with tiger's eye and I have to admit, I love the combination...

Calling the vintage Mexican silver and black stone "mask" ring I am presenting here massive is not an exaggeration. It is not just the actual ring size (9.5 US) that makes it so; it is also the textured, solid setting, quite masculine in design, and the beautifully carved, stupendous effigy it houses. I am not sure what the stone is - I think it might be onyx but it could also be black agate. I am fascinated by its opaque gravity and the way its satin finish invites the touch. And what about tho...

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. I have to ad...

Circa pre-1940, this set of Matilde Poulat bird pins are signed with her early hallmarks. Collector quality, beautifully hand-crafted, with superb repoussé silver work, this matching pair of doves feature turquoise eyes, with one bird facing left and the other facing right. Absolutely fabulous.

Each measures 1 3/8" x 1 1/8". Pins close with rolling "C" clasps.

Signed and hallmarked on each pin "Matl 925".

Weight for the pair is 12.4 grams.

In excellen...

An excellent late Victorian silver baton link watch chain, the batons decorated with niello in a checkboard pattern. The batons are joined by gilt silver curb links. Even the dog clip and bolt clasps are enhanced with striped niello. The chain is stamped “800.”

• Origin: Switzerland, ca. 1900
• Condition: excellent, all niello intact
• Length: 16-1/2”
• Weight: 10.4 grams

Maestro C. Molina is one of those “enigmatic” figures of Mexico’s 20th c. Silver Renaissance. Even in Bille Hougart’s seminal work on hallmarks and makers there is minimal information about him - namely, two or three examples of the way his jewelry is hallmarked and the photos are really difficult to read. Yet I have come upon his works several times during my years of buying and selling vintage Mexican silver and our lack of information notwithstanding, I have come to appreciate the hig...

One of the few female designers of Mexico's 20th c. Silver Renaissance that we know of, Bernice Goodspeed arrived in Mexico's capital in 1930, according to Bille Hougart. Even though she and her painter husband, Carl Pappe, identified as writers and artists primarily, they opened a shop in Taxco where they sold not only their books and artwork but also jewelry that Bernice herself designed. Bernice's work is not as easily found - she was probably not as prolific as some of her contemporary maest...

Fabulous vintage necklace with thirteen glowing "dragon's breath" glass cabochons simulating fire opals, in baroque, deeply worked settings. Marked STERLING, TAXCO, EMMA, and numbered 279. This is the mark of Emma Melendez of Taxco, active 1953-1971. Slide clasp. 16 inches wearable length and 7/8 inch wide. Excellent condition. Photos enlarged to show detail. Display form is life size.

Stunning vintage 1970s modernist collar necklace in sterling silver with a large genuine rock crystal quartz stone. Marked ALTON SWEDEN 935 STERLING (935 is actually a higher silver content than sterling, which is of course 925). Great statement from all angles. Easy to slip on and off. Inside circumference/wearable length is about 17 to 18 inches, including the gap, which is 2 inches. The rock crystal stone and setting is 3/4 inch. Excellent condition. Display form is life size. Photos enlarged...

American Modernist Bronze Vintage Abstract Ring

Carl Tasha - signed

c.1970s

Excellent condition

size 6

front - 1 3/8" x 1"

Perfect for the black turtlenecks and heavy coats of winter this vintage Mexican Deco silver and turquoise bird of paradise brooch is a stupendous work of art! Not only does its sheer size stun the eye, its layered sculpturality and curvaceous repoussage invites the touch and allows the light to play a thousand tricks hiding in its recesses and reflecting off its elevations. I was always a big fan of brooches and my focus on Mexican jewelry has rewarded me a myriad times over the years with amaz...

Stunning antique Austro Hungarian silver girandole drop earrings in 935 silver with glass paste stones, in an 18th century style. Circa 1910. 935 silver is a bit higher in silver content than sterling, and the designation was used in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. The design and construction are characteristic of Austro Hungarian jewelry. Marked 935. With screwbacks. The stones are held in tiny prong settings. The backs of the earrings are as finely and ornately finished as the fronts. The l...

Beautiful earrings in classic MATL style. By Matilde Poulat of Mexico City. Circa 1950. Marked MATL in script, 925, and MEXICO, and both earrings are marked with eagle 129, which is the correct number. The screwbacks, which are original, are marked ALPACA, which is of course a white metal alloy. With detailed baroque wirework, tiny turquoise cabochons with beautifully aged green color, and pyramidal amethysts. 1 1/2 inches long and just under 1 inch wide. Excellent condition. One ame...

Undoubtedly the result of artistic cross-pollination this vintage Mexican silver neck ring pendant necklace emits an intense Scandinavian vibe . Evocative of Danish modernist jewelry, it is not just the shapes that refer to it but also the choice of sodalite cabochons to accompany the warmly glowing silver. Slick, elegant, versatile - a combination which still speaks to our modern eye even though created almost a century ago. The neck ring has an inner circumference of 16” (including the 1 1/...

Impressively long and beguilingly slick with its glowing tapering dangles half-hiding a bullet-shaped piece of black onyx, this is one of Antonio Pineda’s most eye-catching set of earrings. Simple yet visually strong lines that re-affirm the philosophy of less-is-more in the world of adornment; smooth as silk, dancer-like motion; fleshy geometry (if you allow me the word combination), all come together and become a piece of wearable art in the hands of Mexico’s modernist magician. Measuring ...

I love vintage Portuguese silver bracelets, the repousse hinged bangles more specifically, for which makers like Topazio and Safir are well known. They come in all sizes and designs, they are ideal for bracelet stacks but can be just as easily enjoyed worn alone. The example at hand is floral, with sculptural roses and dahlias in full bloom and in bud running its perimeter, rendered more dramatic by the patina time has bestowed upon them. The bracelet has an 7” inner circumference (clasped) an...

Known for her bold modernist designs and her love for big, gem- and stone-studded bracelets Carmen Beckmann was equally creative when allowing the Spanish Colonial tradition to influence her work. That “old way” of doing things manifests itself here in the heart-shaped wire-work appliques that support the luscious tiger’s eye cabochon, bringing to mind the more delicate, ornate filigree jewelry every silversmith in the country knew how to make. Everything else, however, from the oversized ...

Symbols of fertility, rebirth, transformation and even immortality snakes and serpents have been favorite jewelry motifs through the centuries and across civilizations. In this Mexican Deco demi signed by the Los Castillo they are formed by silver, copper and brass, their slick bodies coiled around shimmering golden sheen obsidian. This is one of the best examples of the technique I have seen by the Los Castillo - probably because I love snake jewelry. Yet how could I say otherwise? Just look at...