Catalog: Archives: Estate Jewelry (467)

Dating around 1930, this Mexican Deco Fred Davis necklace in a design that rarely comes up, is an early example of "mixed metals" jewelry. Combining repousse silver with copper wire and then bringing in ripe, saturated color with the amethyst cabs, the necklace is an ode to vineyards and aromatic red wine. Though the brooch of the parure appears in the third edition of Morrill's "Mexican Silver" (p. 28), the necklace is hard to find and I am thrilled to be presenting it here...

Stunning Antonio Pineda Mexican modernist silver and black onyx necklace, this too is wrought in the maestro's favorite fine, .970 alloy in a variation of his "crescents" design. There isn't much one can say about Antonio jewelry, at least not more than a few good photos can say, but let me express my admiration for the magical way he articulates his creations so as to sit perfectly where they should and at the same time showcase the design's sculpturality in the best possible light...

A rarely coming up bracelet by Taxco's foremost modernist maestro, this Antonio Pineda treasure is wrought in silver and adorned with obsidian bars and pearls. The design can be seen in Stromberg's catalogue for Pineda's exhibition at UCLA's Fowler Museum but in necklace form and it is a pleasure to wear! Caged in bullet-shaped links the obsidian bars peer through the cut-outs, their dark power contrasting with the delicate whiteness of the pearls...

Early and gorgeous Matilde Poulat sterling silver and coral bracelet in one of her iconic designs, the "paloma". This is classic Matl with the bird rendered in textured repoussage, its wings open, ready to fly away. The dove is surrounded by coral cabochons both bezel- and channel-set while small pieces of branch coral adorn the links of the chain...

An extremely rare Antonio Pineda necklace this modernist beauty I am presenting here is wrought in his favorite fine .970 silver alloy, oxidized in the design's recesses and embellished with ten gorgeous, luminous soft white pearls. Cascading from an elaborate knot that forms the necklace's central station, the pearls rest graciously on the collar bone and they look fantastic against a black background. Shown on p...

Gorgeous vintage pair of Georg Jensen dangle earrings in a repousse leaf and berry design designated as no 32A on their back. Sculpturality, exquisite patina and the unparalleled crispness in the design's execution transform the pair into a veritable miniature work of art. The earrings measure 1 1/2" long by 3/4" wide and the set weighs 9.2 grams. Both pieces are signed on the back with Jensen's post-1945 hallmark as shown in addition to the design number and "STERLING DENMARK"...

One of the best repousse figural brooches I have had over the years this is an early, stunning bird studded with blue and greenish blue turquoise cabochons. The repoussage is definitely the work of somebody who mastered the art - bold, deep, with excellent detail that has been accentuated with time by warmly glowing patina. If you have to portray a peacock, it better look like this one here! The brooch measures 4 1/8" tall by 1 7/8" wide (at its widest)...

Italian-born Gulielmo Cini arrived in the States when he was 17 years old and in 1922, started creating jewelry based on Classical and Renaissance Revival themes in Boston, MA. His pieces are considered among the best American examples and are sought after and enjoyed to our day...

Early and rather rare - in all the years that I have been involved with vintage Mexican silver jewelry I have not seen another one like it - this is a bracelet with a big "wow" factor. Wide, with beautiful cut-out designs, its links are constructed in the shadow-box style which adds a dramatic sense of depth to the bracelet. Beautiful amethyst cabochons, twist-rope wire decoration and a pin closure complete the Deco marvel...

The daughter of celebrated Taxco silversmith and designer Antonio Castillo, Mimi learned the art of jewelry design and production from the best and the most talented...

A trained painter and sculptor, Enrique Ledesma became one of the foremost modernist designers in Mexico's 20th c. Silver Renaissance. Many of his pieces were sold through Plateria Cortes and the brooch presented here is just such an example. Generous in size, it combines oxidation and overlay with deep chasing on heavy gauge silver sheet and epitomizes Ledesma's sense of fluidity and abstraction in the best possible way...

Easy to wear, very comfortable Los Castillo Mozaico Azteca bracelet. I love the way the curved links hug the wrist and, of course, the beauty of the colors in the stone inlay. The bracelet measures a wearable 6 3/4" long (clasped) and it is 11/16" wide (at its widest). It weighs 70.1 grams and is signed with the taller's name, "MOZAICO AZTECA" and des. no 230 alongside a badly stamped Eagle 15 assay mark and "STERLING MADE IN MEXICO"...

Charm bracelets were always popular but even more so in the 1950s-60s, when they became all the rage with big film divas wearing and advertising them. Understandably, the Mexican talleres happily joined in the fun and created some spectacular examples. This is the second piece in this specific design that I have had over the years and I believe it is superb! Distinctly three-dimensional with its double row of domed silver links that catches the eye right away, and heavy enough to make itsel...

Big and impressive a vintage Deco Chinese silver bracelet with meticulous filigree and bezel set amethyst nuggets. Its links are adorned with bat and floral overlays and stylized Shu characters shoot out of the middle stone in the central link. The bracelet measures a wearable 7 1/2" long and its width varies between 2 1/8" and 3/4". It weighs 69.0 grams, is signed simply "SILVER" in early, raised letters and is in excellent vintage condition.

Vintage Deco Mexican silver repousse cuff bracelet bearing the signature of Maciel, whose name came to be associated with this specific form of stunning jewelry. Here the bracelet is wrought in 900 silver which probably indicates an earlier date and its impressive width is adorned with pre-Colombian motifs in three distinct panels. Measuring 8"in inner circumference (including the 1 1/2" gap; relatively adjustable yet I would advise to exert caution so as not to damage the repousse or seek the...

You don't have to be a warrior princess to wear this Sigi cuff yet you do need a certain sense of daring, don't you think? This is one of those pieces that illustrate in the best possible way Sigi's ability to seek out ancient motifs and forms and convey them anew through the eye of the modernist artist. The cuff fits perfectly around the wrist and the abstract overlay stands out against the oxidized background even though it has itself acquired a wonderful patina over the years. The bracelet h...

Perfect for the summer a gorgeous Margot de Taxco silver and enamel necklace in white and tropical sea blue that combines both the guilloche and confetti techniques. A classic Margot, book-piece design masterfully executed as all of her enamel pieces that I have seen over the years. Measuring 16 7/8" in wearable length (total length is 17 3/8") it is 13/16" wide and weighs 84.8 grams. Fully signed with Margot's name, des. no 5855 and Eagle 16 assay mark, a 1950s piece in excellent vintage cond...

Vintage Deco Chinese silver filigree bracelet having a vermeil finish and adorned with what seems to have been a late 19th c. carved jade button showing the figure of a bat or butterfly (?). Floral and foliate enamel decoration in cobalt and sea blue as well as green and red along with stylized "shu" characters in silver overlay complete the piece. Measuring 7 1/8" long (wearable) the bracelet has a width that varies between 1" at the center front and 7/17" at its narrowest. The jade button its...