Catalog (326)

Slick, strong design that brings to mind the best of Scandinavian modernism, this sterling silver studio-made necklace consisting of neck ring and pendant is an unsigned American beauty. One of the most elegant examples of the form I have ever seen, it is obviously hand-wrought and its use of lucite and what I will describe as faux baroque pearls (if I am wrong, all the better for you!) alongside sterling silver and just a bit of brass underscores the belief that inspired jewelry design does not...

Long antique guard chains have been very popular in the last couple of years and I am very happy to have come upon this stunning solid silver example. This is not your ordinary guard chain, as you can see. All its links are hand-cut and chased, each featuring a beautiful forget-my-not flower and even the connectors are embellished with tiny little bead appliques. Exquisite and romantic, it can be comfotablyd worn double up, holding your favorite bauble as it comes with its original dog clip, or ...

Perfect for the black turtlenecks and heavy coats of winter this vintage Mexican Deco silver and turquoise bird of paradise brooch is a stupendous work of art! Not only does its sheer size stun the eye, its layered sculpturality and curvaceous repoussage invites the touch and allows the light to play a thousand tricks hiding in its recesses and reflecting off its elevations. I was always a big fan of brooches and my focus on Mexican jewelry has rewarded me a myriad times over the years with amaz...

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. Its findings a...

Four figural links featuring classic Italian monuments and city symbols adorn this long, Renaissance Revival silver chain. This is the style associated with the Peruzzi and Coppini Bros workshops of Florence and based on the quality of the castings, I would suggest that it was made by either one of them. The figural links are complemented by floral ones while perfect sodalite beads add their strong color to the necklace. Long enough to be doubled-up as a choker, it can easily be enjoyed at its f...

Very evocative of the Arts and Crafts style but most probably made in the 1940s, this elegant sterling silver ring is adorned with a pearlescent purple moonglow lucite “stone”. This type of luxurious plastic was very popular in the 1940s and extensively used in the world of costume jewelry so I think it’s an exciting surprise to find a sterling ring set with it. Please note the detail in the layers of leaves that form the shoulders, the tiny lozenges and linear designs enhancing the bezel....

When I first started my love-affair with vintage Mexican silver jewelry, I found myself intrigued by the work of artists whose names were not among the first ones a new collector would focus on. I love a challenge and seeking out “less celebrated” maestros who nevertheless created superbly crafted jewelry in imaginative designs became my “mission”. I have written in the past that “Cecilia and Tono are one of those well-hidden, well-kept "secrets" vintage Taxco holds for those of us who...

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...

One of the most interesting - and few - female figures of Mexico's 20th c. Silver Renaissance, Doris Smith Chamberlin was a Texas-born American who decided to move to Mexico in the 1940s to open her own workshop after having completed post-graduate studies in art and having taught woodworking, textile-making and silver-smithing for a few years in California (I am grateful to Decotini for the information). In Mexico City, where she settled, she created and sold her own designs but also commission...

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. Just like the one I offered last summer, this lariat was also made in Cuernavaca, one of Mexico's main silver-smithing ...

Lariat necklaces are a favorite of mine and when I come upon a good Mexican example, I make every effort to bring it to One Good Eye Silver. Truth be told, they don't come up as often as other forms but it is an exciting quest to pursue. The late Deco / retro piece I am presenting here is a clipless version - you can adjust it by tying a loose knot at the desired height and change the way it looks whenever you feel like it. Luxuriously thick, the twist rope chain glows with the beauty of a life ...

It is always exciting when I stumble upon a Mexican chain necklace made of polished, tumbled hard-stones caged in sterling silver. When that example happens to be from the pre-1948 period, I am elated! Made up of various agates and black onyx, maybe even a jasper here and there, the necklace at hand is perfect for the winter, its colors warm and cozy yet somewhat subdued , mirroring the dormant nature all around. The necklace measures 30 1/2” long with its stone widths varying between 1/2” ...

Made in the 1980s by members of Matilde Poulat's family who continued her legacy and kept crafting jewelry she had designed, this set of long, eye-catching dangle earrings consists of cruciform stationary elements off which dangle repousse sterling silver angels in a kneeling position, holding lit candles in their hands. Matilde used this figural motif in many versions of her jeweled cross pendants and brooches and in the years after her death, when the workshop was taken over by her long time p...

An early Mexican Deco bracelet, made in Mexico City as indicated by its hallmarks, this massive piece is as well-crafted as it is impressive. Impressive might even be an understatement, actually. Though it is true that vintage Mexican silver jewelry is not of the delicate, demure kind, even after so many years of researching, buying and selling them, I find myself at a loss for words when a piece like this shows up. I love the Spanish Colonial air of the wirework adorning the convex panels with ...

I was always in love with beaded necklaces but as I grow older I appreciate their elegant comfort even more. Whether worn alone or combined with similar pieces, with stones or all-silver, they can be counted on to save the day whatever the occasion. This specific design by Carmen Beckmann is one of my absolute favorites - I have one in my jewelry box and I will never let go. Made up of two sizes of beads, one plain, the other embellished with ornate wire-work, it is most usually found in choker ...

Attributions are a difficult issue in the world of vintage Mexican silver jewelry - they are almost never accepted. If a piece is not signed, it’s just not signed! In this case, however, I will put my years of experience behind my suggestion that the necklace I am presenting here is the work of Reveriano Castillo. When I acquired it, it had no clasp and since the specific Reveri design is usually marked exactly there, the connection to its maker was lost. I had my jeweler craft a fold-over cla...

Stunning Los Castillo "doorknocker" dangle earrings, these beauties are breath-taking and beguilingly curvaceous. I love this design and it has been a long time since I had a similar set. Sensual curves, sculptural teardrops, discrete little scrolls and confident, masterful repoussage - there is nothing about the pair that was not paid attention to. Even the concave round elements that hide the screw-back at the earrings' top have been enhanced with oxidation. Measuring 2 1/4" long by 1 1/8" wid...

Not much is known - if anything at all - about Ars Plata whose signature is found on the Mexican silver and amethyst dangle earrings at hand. Bille Hougart lists an "Art Plat." in his book on Mexican silver hallmarks but I am not sure the two workshops / retailers (?) are the same. This lack of information is part of the field's reality yet it is always exciting to find a name not often encountered. Especially if it is stamped on beautifully made, slick jewelry like this set ever so reminiscent ...