Catalog: Estate Jewelry: Silver: Mexican (255)

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...

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...

Perfect for those breezy nights by the beach, this vintage Mexican silver Carmen Beckmann brooch is shaped like a starfish (some see it as a sea anemone too) and centered by a turquoise of the softest sea foam color. I love Beckmann jewelry - when she was inspired, she created some amazing pieces. Simple yet not simplistic, the almost abstract a-symmetry of the silver work is reflected in the shape of the stone...

Stunning in its towering smokey brilliance, this minimalist solitaire by Carmen Beckmann is a modernist Mexican beauty! Based in San Miguel de Allende Beckmann is reported to have started her activity a little later than the big Mexico City and Taxco workshops with most of her pieces dating in the 1950s and 1960s. In the ring at hand, the generously sized faceted gem is raised above a substantial geometric shank, held in place with sterling prongs in a crown-style setting...

A maestro from the middle period of Mexico's 20th c. Silver Renaissance, Carsi is among those Taxco silversmiths about whom we don't really know much. I have had pieces by him a few times over the years and I was pleasantly surprised to have found his signature on the ornate bangle bracelet presented here. This wire-work scrolled heart motif I am used to associating with Arte en Plata, even though I have seen it by other makers or even anonymous in the past...

Bold, colorful and generously long this vintage Mexican chain necklace is signed by Cecilia and Tono, one of Taxco's most successful duos. The combination of chunky amethyst, slender sterling tubes and lozenge stations embellished with azur-malachite inlay is undoubtedly eye-catching and I love the irregular shape of the stone beads which underscores their hand-cut quality. Wear it alone or combine it with similar pieces, the result will be stunning either way...

Glistening caramel golds and molten browns dominate in this Cecilia Tono Mexican modernist bang ring. This is one of my favorite Taxco collaborations - the jewelry that came out of it slick and inventive with the highest quality of craftsmanship and the best of materials. There is nothing excessive about this ring - except maybe the heftiness of its oxidized setting - yet it immediately attracts the eye and holds the gaze captive with its liquid warmth and its generous width...

One of the most successful duo in Taxco’s 20th c. Silver Renaissance, Cecilia and Tono excelled in some of the most difficult techniques in jewelry making like piedra negra, metales casados and mozaico Azteca. Their jewelry is usually modernist yet their designs unfailingly reference Mexico’s rich archeological heritage...

For a few years around WWII and possibly up to 1950, Marcel Boucher had a special line of silver jewelry made in Mexico under the name "Parisina". I don't think we know which workshop produced those pieces or whether they were made by a number of different silversmiths. I can, however, say that Parisina jewelry ranges from the very light-weight to the chunkier, more substantial examples and that the same variety is also reflected in their designs...

A substantial set from Taxco's "middle period" this stunning necklace and earrings demi combines chunky cylinders of azur-malachite with shadow-box sterling box links. The result is quite impressive as the primarily green hues of the stone (the malachite is predominant here) are tempered by the variegated brown of the inclusions, all colors finally reflected in the glowing silver. I love a good chain necklace and this example combines good length with a presence that will never go unattended...

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...

Maestro Damaso Gallegos was for years associated in my mind with the Mexican Deco "Christmas jewelry” tradition. His “holly and bells” as well as “bow and bells” designs are a classic way to celebrate the coming of the holiday season yet in the last couple of years I keep stumbling upon totally unexpected pieces by him. The massive, early Taxco combination pin / pendant with the carved stone “mask” at hand is crafted in high purity, .980 silver with overlay, beading and oxidation...

In the style associated with Matilde Poulat the Mexican Deco sterling silver brooch presented here is big, bold and beautiful! Wrought en repoussage and embellished with hand-chasing feathers and beads surround three gorgeous turquoise cabochons in shades of blue and green...

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...

An American who arrived in Mexico in the 1940s, opened her own workshop in 1945 and by 1950 employed about twenty five artisans*, Doris is one of the few female designers that we know of in the world of vintage Mexican silver jewelry. My first encounter with her creations wasn’t until a few years into my “career” as a Mexican jewelry dealer and I was immediately captivated by the exquisite design, the impeccable craftsmanship and the quality of the materials used. I have seen kept my eyes...

Dating in the first period of the Los Ballesteros workshop but after their 1941 move from Iguala to Taxco, this combination pin / pendant is an "archaeologically inspired" piece. A multitude of techniques come together in the creation of the figural scene that dominates here. Azur malachite inlay provides the canvas within which the combined copper and silver praying (?) figure is laid in. Surrounding all this, the sterling silver frame is embellished with overlay, oxidation and pyramid-shaped c...

Exquisite Matl Salas Mexican silver, coral and turquoise brooch, I believe this piece to have been made in the years following Matilde Poulat’s death in 1960 based on the quality of the materials used and the high level of craftsmanship. Maestro Salas, Matl’s nephew, worked alongside his aunt for most of Matilde’s career and upon her demise, he (and later his family) took over the workshop and continued making jewelry based on Poulat’s designs. Steeped in Mexico’s folk tradition, the b...

Big and early as indicated by the .900 silver alloy used to craft it, this Mexican Deco silver repousse "mask" brooch I particularly love because of the gorgeous stone out of which the portrait is carved as well as the pronounced repoussage of the frame that surrounds it. If you follow my "journey", you already know that I am drawn to Mexican "mask" jewelry. I consider them quintessentially "Mexican Deco" and believe that they epitomize the spirit of the period in which they started being made...