Catalog: Estate Jewelry (310)

Classic Antonio Pineda bangle bracelet wrought in the maestro's favorite, .970 fine silver alloy with deep notches all around it that appear more dramatic thanks to the intentionally applied oxidation. There is something about Antonio's jewelry that bring them close to your heart as soon as you first see them and this piece is no exception. Enjoy it alone or, if you are lucky enough, add it to the stack of his bangles you already have...

Often referred to as the "Spratling of Peru", Italian-born Graziella Laffi came to be associated with the country's most innovative design in jewelry and hollowware in the 1950s. Just like Spratling did in Mexico, Laffi turned to Peru's rich archeological past and its vibrant folk culture for inspiration. Her re-interpretations of ancient Inca motifs in silver, copper and enamel are avidly sought after by collectors today for their creative spirit and exceptional craftsmanship...

One of my favorite William Spratling designs, the original (bearing his signature) "hummingbird" pendant necklace I have seen crafted in all-silver and silver combined with black onyx or obsidian. I am sure other configurations must be available which I have not encountered so it is understandable that I was elated to discover this version marrying sterling with copper. My first surprise was followed by a second when I saw that the piece at hand was signed by Mari...

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...

Known for their high quality of holloware primarily, Ingrid's remains even today one of those elusive actors in the story of Mexico's 20th c. Silver Renaissance. Active in the 1930s and 1940s, as Bille Hougart reports, this retailer seems to have been the venue through which well-known maestros like Chato Castillo sold some of their creations...

Two different sizes of sterling silver barrel beads adorned with a myriad of hand-made florets in the Etruscan style make up this generously long Mexican lariat necklace from the pre-1948 period. I am very partial to long necklaces and lariats are a small obsession of mine. When I am lucky enough to come upon an Etruscan example as the one presented here, my heart skips a beat...

Generously long with a twist-rope chain of good thickness and its original dog clip, this antique silver guard or muff chain does not stop giving! I would have loved it even as a long chain necklace but what makes it irresistible for me is its Art Nouveau slide with its portrait of the idealized female. Shown in profile in a geometric frame tempered by stylized flowers, her wavy hair held back by a floral ribbon, she is the personification of calm and serenity...

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...

An early Los Castillo design and very much in keeping with the 1940s' love for sweeping flourishes this set of earrings, carefully hand-cut, overlaid and oxidized will add just the right amount of festive spirit to your outfit. Bold and confident, the swirls seem to twist upon themselves in excitement and then reach high up for the skies with abandonment. Got to love the Los Castillo and the myriad ways in which they still make our day...

Stunning and rare, especially in its use of the specific stone, this vintage Mexican silver necklace features a combination pin / pendant signed by Taxco's foremost lapidary, Felipe Martinez, and a substantial chain from the same period which I believe might be by the same maestro as it bears an Eagle assay mark that Martinez used. And yes, the superbly carved "mask" is teased out of tiger's eye stone though a more unusual kind that it often referred to as "hawk's" or "falcon's eye"...

The bearer of Zeus's thunderbolts Pegasus, the winged stallion of Greek mythology, is also associated with literary and artistic inspiration. One of my favorite images from that period, he is always depicted striding the air with pride and confidence, his strong, wings working hard to raise that formidable body high into the lofty realms of the divine...

Made in 1978, this vintage English sterling silver ring epitomizes the timeless appeal of Wedgwood jasper "cameo" rings. Wedgwood jasperware cut across genre divides and come in several colors but this darker blue (along with black) is my favorite of all. Hailing from Greece, I appreciate the Greek Revival figural applique as well as the sweet serenity the image of mother-and-child imparts...

The epitome of minimalism - there is nowhere further in subtraction to go from here - this modernist sterling silver collar necklace bears the signature of the Los Ballesteros workshop and was made in Taxco, Mexico in the 1960s-70s. Shaped in order to wrap itself around the neck and rest lightly right below the Adam's apple, its width is at its maximum at center front and then tapers gently toward the two ends in the back of the neck...

Very similar to one of Antonio Pineda's designs, this modernist sterling silver and amethyst bracelet is signed by a listed yet still unidentified early Taxco maestro...

One of my favorite "less celebrated" maestros whose jewelry, however, has been experiencing a constant rise in appreciation among collectors, A. Tobias was a contemporary of Matilde Poulat's and I believe he was probably also working in Mexico City. His creations caught my attention several years ago for their characteristic "Mexico City style" repoussage and their beautiful craftsmanship. I have since come to find out that he also designed some amazing "mask" brooches and tried his hand at impr...

One of the oldest and definitely one of the very few original workshops that are still in operation in Taxco, the Los Ballesteros taller created some of the best "mask" jewelry in the story of Mexico's 20th c. Silver Renaissance. Whether incorporated in rings, brooches, pendants or bracelets, their minimalist carved portraits are always finely executed and the silver-work which houses them quite often touches the monumental. Based on the shape of the ancient Aztec calendar disk discovered in Mex...

Maestro Nestor is one of Taxco’s well-kept little secrets. He is not widely known - only the very dedicated vintage Mexican silver jewelry collectors are aware of his work - and his pieces can vary in style and inspiration. Yet when he is at his best, he can be truly spectacular. I believe the necklace at hand is expresses one of those creative moments. Lovingly hand-cut and deeply chased sterling silver surrounds a big faceted amethyst set in a substantial crown setting while the delicate fol...

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/...