"Like mother like daughter" (and why not? father and son as well) is what came to mind when I saw this sweet Mexican silver and turquoise "baby" cuff bracelet. Beautifully stamped with ornamentation in the Native American / Southwestern style and centered by a rich blue turquoise stone with warm dark brown matrix the cuff is, of course, also ideal for those of us out there with very small wrists. Over the years of my love-affair with vintage Mexican jewelry, I have come upon "baby size" cuffs bu...

Rope designs were used exclusively in Spratling's 1st design period, 1931-46. This amethyst & 980 sterling pendant measures 2" X 1 3/4" X 1 3/8". The box is suspended by a heavy sterling Spratling chain measuring 24" long. Both box and chain are in beautiful condition. The circular clasp is tight and secure. Fully hallmarked WS 980 TAXCO. The amethyst box necklace is pictured in MEXICAN SILVER by Penny Morrill & Carole Berk and in SPRATLING SILVER: A FIELD GUIDE by Phyllis Goddard.

Matching the "festoon with teardrops" necklace I recently sold, this set of earrings by the Los Castillo workshop is truly glamorous! I love the flair of the bifurcated element at the top with its curvaceous central semi-sphere which mirrors the sculptural elegance of the teardrop. And, please, note the playful articulation of the semi-circular links forming the main dangle. Aren't they just a pleasure? The earrings measure 1 3/4" long by 1 1/4" wide and weigh 17.5 grams (for the set). They are ...

Circa mid-century, here is a Margot de Taxco zodiac pendant bracelet with Taurus the Bull. It's her design #s 5310 and 5233, and it's collector quality. It's a heavy, chunky, absolutely beautiful bracelet and one which shows up beautifully on the wrist. Closed wearable length is 6 5/8". Taurus charm/pendant measures 1 13/16 to the top of the bale, 1 9/16" wide. Weight is 97 grams. Signed and hallmarked "Margot de Taxco 5310 Sterling Made in Mexico", with the eagle assay 16 on t...

The "less-is-more" philosophy of modernism and the classic, for Mexico's 20th c. Silver Renaissance, marriage of silver and amethyst come together in this minimalist by-pass ring signed by Doris Corpus Artisans. A daring, Texas-born American who decided to move to Mexico in the 1940s, Doris Smith Chamberlin had her own workshop by 1945 and her commitment to perfection and inspired design resulted in the creation of some truly exceptional jewelry. I have in the past offered examples of the work c...

A fabulous example of Taxco modernism by Los Ballesteros, this vintage Mexican silver and amethyst bracelet is as beautiful to look at as it is comfortable to wear. A couple of days ago I presented another creation by the same workshop and I will suggest that the two pieces are representative of their line of medium-width modernist link bracelets. In the last few years, I have come to realize that the Los Ballesteros maestros succeeded in pushing their ranking higher and higher up in my hierarch...

Deeply carved ancient Aztec motifs adorn this Mexican Deco cuff bracelet by Taxco’s foremost designer, William Spratling. This is one of his earliest and probably quite popular cuffs since it was kept in production for a while as alluded to by the late Phyllis Goddard. Wrought in sterling silver in our case, its labyrinthine beauty makes it difficult for the eye to disengage and its comfortable weight feels divine around the wrist. With an inner circumference of 7" (including the 1 1/2” gap...

One of the classiest and most classic Mexican Deco jewelry designs, the "shield" necklace is associated with the names of Fred Davis and Abraham Paz but has also been made by other, contemporary maestros both anonymous and "less celebrated". Our sterling and dyed green calcite example belongs in the latter group but, as I have pointed out many times in the past, its "anonymity" does not take away at all from its craftsmanship and good looks. I am fascinated by the myriad of ways in which calcite...

Highly stylized foliate links cut out of thick gauge silver sheet and deeply hand-chased comprise this modernist Taxco sterling bracelet. The central station houses a faceted glass gem, its crystal clear, icy blue color eye-catching and evocative of wintry landscapes. This is a piece signed by one of those early Mexican maestros about whom we don’t know much more than where they worked and when they were active. The jewelry they created is their legacy, however, and judging by the craftsmanshi...

Vintage 1980s Talleres de Los Ballesteros Mexican modernist bracelet wrought in Antonio Pineda’s favorite .970 alloy which is richer in silver content than the standard sterling, this is a heavy, architectural piece adorned with clear, faceted, gem-quality amethysts. The stones are open on the back to maximize the effect created by the light as it passes through them and the all-silver links are substantial and very sculptural. I don’t offer post-1980 Mexican jewelry very often unless the qu...

This sterling silver and copper bolo was designed by Antonio Pineda c. 1950's. The bear claw measures 3" X 2 3/4". Each of the arrowhead tips are 3/4" L. The piece weighs 78 grams. The overall length of the adjustable bolo cord measures 33" from arrow tip to arrow tip. Fully hallmarked. All in fine condition.

This Antonio Pineda ring features an oval turquoise cabochon alongside a pearl in this very flattering modernist design. It's a book piece design shown with a jade stone on p. 136 of Silver Seduction : The Art of Mexican Modernist Antonio Pineda. Size is a generous 6.5. Face measures 3/4" x 13/16". Weight is 9.6 grams. Signed and hallmarked with the Antonio Taxco crown, JVL Taxco 970, and the eagle assay 208. In excellent vintage condition.

I am thrilled to be presenting you with this Mexican Deco silver and amethyst glass “masks” and cabs bracelet. This type of multi-row repousse semi-spheres bangle (I like to think of similar bracelets as glorified hinged bangles indeed!) is one of the most sought-after forms in the world of vintage jewelry from Mexico. The particular example, with its heavy patina, its molded elongated masks and the hidden clasp (it is positioned behind one of the faces, as you can see) is a veritable little...

This is a magnificent Antonio Pineda bracelet which I've never seen before and believe to be very rare. Likely dating to the 1950's, this bracelet showcases three natural untreated blue star sapphire stones. The center stone is approx 5 ct. Each stone sits in a star setting. Very unique, and certainly a statement piece. You can see the star It's a huge bracelet, with a weight of 155.2 grams. Closed, wearable length is 6 1/4". With is 1 1/2". Depth is 9/16". Signed and hallmar...

The story of this Mexican Deco silver and turquoise hinged bangle is an interesting one. When it came to me, it had a rather hastily applied gold plating that looked both out of place and, should I say?, garish. I cannot understand why anybody would do such a thing yet many a time, in discussions with older bench jewelers, I have been told that a few decades ago this was indeed a trend of sorts. Very rarely do I decide to intervene in a similarly dramatic way on old jewelry but this was a very ...

One of the most beautiful early Taxco brooches I have had over the years, this glorious butterfly combines delicate repoussage and the marrying of copper and 980 silver with a richly colored piece of azur-malachite. Copper-plating fine silver is not something everything would think to do - after all, one is a precious metal, the other, though very important throughout history, is not. The Mexicans, however, at least some of them, the famous Los Castillo included, seemed to have found the techniq...

*On Hold* Circa mid-century, this Los Ballesteros bracelet is a tour-de-force statement piece which immediately garners compliments to the wearer.

It's an iconic book-piece design, shown in "Warman's Jewelry" by Christie Romero, there with amethysts. I have the amethyst bracelet in my shop, as well.

This bracelet features eight faceted stones, in an array of vivid colors, in high five pronged settings. The stones alternate between four and five pointed incised stars with ox...

I have had this mod Taxco bracelet a few times over the years - also in ring, earrings and brooch form. And I never tire of it! The example at hand is signed by maestro Moreno and it has the beguiling sculpturality that makes the design memorable. Two perfectly crafted silver spheres sitting on stylized leaves - that is all yet it is so much more. Gutsy, slick and eye-catching at the same time - definitely a bracelet for the daring among us. With an inner circumference of 6 7/8" (clasped) it is...