Catalog: Estate Jewelry (318)

One of the best lapidaries in Taxco’s jewelry history, Felipe Martinez created amazing jewelry in many styles. The classy sterling silver and azur-malachite earrings at hand follow the “mozaico Azteca” line that was introduced by the Los Castillo workshop. Rich, dark blues, understated safe and a breath-taking splash of electric green come together in the stone inlay held securely in the most minimal “gypsy” setting...

Matching the set of earrings that is also available in my store (you can see the demi together in two of the photos) this Mexican silver and azur-malachite ring by maestro Felipe Martinez is an ode to the power of color. Striking greens and dark, rich blues delight the eye while the elegance of the sterling ring shoulders complement in the best possible way the magic of the stone. Currently a sz because of the size it comes with (easily removed) the ring is an sz 7 (can also be easily resized)...

A puzzling piece - though it is signed “Birks”, the hallmark does not look like the Canadian company’s commonly encountered marks - this vintage sterling vermeil pin is a small work of art. Slender and elegant, the flower it represents consists of a textured silver stem while its leaves and bloom are made of molded jadeite glass. The glass is supple and glistens thanks to the glaze that was applied over it and the brooch has that romantic, nature-loving air of 1940s jewelry...

Breathtakingly beautiful this vintage sterling silver cuff bracelet, Navajo or Southwestern based on the style, is one of those pieces that become heirlooms. Exceptionally well crafted, it is centered by a huge oval lace agate, the color of the stone showing at times powdery blue, at times light grey. Set in a fine saw-tooth bezel, the agate is surrounded by beading and beautiful, richly layered foliate and floral overlay...

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...

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...

Confident in his prowess as a warrior and comfortable in his ceremonial attire this Margot de Taxco silver and enamel Aztec figure can be enjoyed both as a brooch as well as a pendant. Though experimentation with the art of enameling started while Margot was still part of the Los Castillo workshop, it was after her divorce with Antonio that she focused on perfecting it in her own, independent taller. And perfect it she did...

Bigger in size than the most frequently encountered version of the specific design and executing a different step, this vintage Margot de Taxco “ballerina” brooch is Mexico’s contribution to the ballet craze started by Van Cleef et Arpels in the 1940s, with the issuance of their gem-studded “ballerina” jewelry...

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...

It is always vexing when a hallmark eludes identification and this is (almost) the case with the towering vintage silver ring at hand. Brutalist in design, having a big, semi-translucent chrysoprase cabochon nested in its elevated setting, it bears a partial hallmark which has been suggested to me is probably a maker’s mark from Spain. Home of renowned modernist designers such as Joachim S’Paliu and Puig Doria, Spain sounds like a plausible place of origin for our 1970s ring...

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...

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...

True to the philosophy of the Arts and Crafts movement which valued artistry and craftsmanship at the expense of ostentatious materials this early 20th c. ring is wrought in silver and centered by a glorious Peking glass cabochon. The ring’s bezel is supported by laurel leaves, their layering given depth by oxidation while the white swirls in the green cab bestow it the dynamism of turbulent water. Currently a sz 4.25 US the ring is easily resizable...

An ode to Mexico’s ancient crafts this “tribal” necklace wrought in sterling silver with bone links and agate beads bears the signature of Reveriano (Reveri) Castillo. Though the Castillos did, on occasion, incorporate Aztec and Maya artifacts and beads in their jewelry, I believe that here the materials used are contemporary to the designer but brought together is such a way as to evoke ancient types of personal adornment...

In my last treasure-hunting adventure I ended up with a couple of really really nice cross pendants and necklaces. The first one to gain center stage is this two-sided Flli Coppini Italian silver example. Executed in the .800 alloy that was the Italian standard until 1934, the pendant is crisply cast and its profusion of detail and ornamentation is easily readable to the eye. A generously-sized piece, it is shown in one of the photos here with a Peruzzi / Coppini style silver chain so you can ge...

Dating in the first decades of the 20th c. this Italian Renaissance Revival necklace is wrought in .800 silver and adorned with flat-cut and cabochon sodalite. In the same style as “Grand Tour” jewelry popularized by the Peruzzi and Coppini houses in Florence, this piece features grape clusters and leaves while also showcasing shell, floral garland and rosette links in its ornate chain. Good casting and beautiful patina render the design three-dimensional and I do love the unexpected brown s...

Signed by a listed “middle period” Taxco maestro primarily known for his repousse work, this 1950s carved azur-malachite and sterling “mask” pendant necklace is as stunning as it is unexpected. Dark blues, deep greens and earthy browns add depth and gravity to the stone, making the ancient figure’s features as stern in sleep as they must have been in that life lived centuries ago. The “mask” is big and bold and I love the generous prongs holding it in place at the top like bent ant...

Matilde Poulat needs no introduction to the seasoned Mexican silver collector but I believe her work is equally appreciated by all lovers of bold, earthy, hand-crafted jewelry. Matl’s creations have a unique, powerful character - there is nothing timid or hesitant about them and I cherish them for exactly that. The ring presented here is a design that comes up less frequently than some of her other rings. It features Poulat’s signature wire-work ornamentation and channel-set turquoise cabs b...