Impressive takes on a whole different meaning when the work of the Los Castillo taller is concerned - and the wide, exuberantly vibrant floral and foliate repousse bracelet I am presenting here proves the point. Continuing in the 1940s’ spirit that called for designs derived from nature in jewelry production, this piece is a celebration of everything verdant - organic in an unexpected way, full of movement, reaching for the sunlight, twisting and twirling with the wind...
This is an absolutely gorgeous necklace created by Nestor. The elaborate centerpiece measures 2 15/16" wide and features a huge lab created purple stone in a four pronged setting. Necklace measures a closed, wearable length of 17", and it lays perfectly on the neck. Signed and hallmarked "Nestor Hecho en Taxco 925 Sterling" with an eagle assay. Weight is 48.5 grams. In excellent vintage condition.
In the years I have been buying and selling vintage Mexican silver jewelry I have seen many "mask" pieces - this is, after all, one of the "pillars" in the genre's design index and I am also very partial to it and always on the look out for good examples. I have to also admit that seeing jewelry of a certain kind over and over again makes one a little more blasé and hence, more difficult to impress. Yet impressed I was with this astounding combination pin / pendant I am presenting here...
Circa mid-century, here is one of Margot's early and most beloved designs.
Hand-wrought with world class repoussé silver work, it's crazy killer gorgeous. Will not fail to be noticed.
Measures a closed, wearable length of 6 3/4", with a width of 1 7/16".
Weight is 79.6 grams.
Closure is a tight and secure tongue in box, with original safety chain.
In excellent vintage condition.
One of my absolute favorite designs by Gerardo Lopez, this silver and copper "mask" necklace I have sold a few times during my career as a vintage Mexican jewelry dealer and I never tire of it! There is so much to attract the eye here and every time you look at it, you spot something new and exciting. Meticulously cut ornate sterling "frames", oxidized and embellished with overlay, surround the highly sculptural copper "masks"...
Classic and classy this fab Los Castillo necklace will astonish you with the way it feels and looks once you have it on. An iconic Taxco piece with its cascading festoon links and its playful teardrop repousse dangles the design draws from Mexico's long Spanish Colonial tradition. Much heavier than the unsigned imitations that surface from time to time, it wears like a dream and has a very strong visual effect...
One of the Mexican designs inspired by Far Eastern cultures, the koi fish are a signature creation of Margot de Taxco and the Los Castillo yet its popularity prompted many of their "less celebrated" or anonymous contemporary maestros to come up with their own versions of it. And thankfully so because one can now find a beautiful example by a talented maker without having to break the bank - or at least not in a truly dramatic way! The all-silver necklace at hand is just such a welcome find...
Made up of heavily “pitted” and oxidized beads, tubular links and a central medallion with asymmetrical dangles this Erika Hult de Corral Mexican silver necklace is an ode to modernism peppered with a touch of brutalism. Ric (as de Corral signs her pieces) has created a few versions of this particular design that I like to refer to as “moonscapes” and they are all a pleasure to wear and to behold. One of the few talented female contributors to Mexico’s 20th c...
A truly fabulous mid century modern cuff bracelet, multi metal, with copper base, enhanced with brass or bronze and silver elements, textured sections and incised lines. One of the best imaginable designs from the era of innovative and wonderful metal work.
It measures 5 1/8" on the interior, with a gap of 1 1/2" and is 1 3/8" wide...
A nice Georgian locket in the form of a Maltese cross with a central rock crystal locket compartment. The arms of the cross are made from faceted carnelian plaques mounted in gold around the central compartment. The compartment was intended to hold the woven hair or perhaps a miniature portrait of a loved one. The Cross of the Knights Hospitallers of St. John was created in 1126 based on designs from the Crusades...
A wonderfully detailed 14K yellow gold brooch depicting a spaniel. The shape of the dog’s head and the amount of fur suggests that the pin represents a Springer or English Cocker spaniel. The pin has substantial weight. The clasp is marked “14K.”
- Origin: America, circa 1935.
- Dimensions: 1 3/32” x 3/4”.
- Weight: 6.9 grams.
- Condition: excellent; sharp detail.
A fine green-toned cat's eye chrysoberyl cabochon surrounded by delicate scalloped border set with seed pearls centers this Victorian stickpin conversion ring. The stone displays excellent chatoyancy, with a clear milky white streak down the center of the stone that seems to "wink" as it is rocked from side to side. The surrounding pearls pick up the creamy color of the eye...
This pre-1948 bracelet produced by Frederick Walter Davis features nine amethyst cabochons set in repoussé silver panels with a sunrise design.
It's a beautiful piece, with oxidized recesses and amethyst gemstones which are perfectly matched in color.
Born in the U.S. in 1880, Davis moved to Mexico in 1910 and began designing and selling jewelry. Often, he designed jewelry and contracted with master artisans to produce these designs...
Circa mid-century, this modernist Mexican bib necklace is the work of "MGI". It's an Antonio Pineda design, and this piece matches the quality and construction perfectly.
This necklace has seventeen polished onyx crescents, and it certainly makes a statement.
A very substantial piece, weighing 131.3 grams.
Very difficult to accurately measure the closed, wearable length, but I would say about 15"...
Slick, a modernist dream-come-true, crafted with the highest quality of craftsmanship and studded with the most beautiful tiger's eye you have ever seen, this slick Mexican silver necklace was made in Taxco in the 1950s-60s...
A lovely 14K yellow gold flower pin enameled in elegant shades of lilac and cream by Bippart, Griscom & Osborn. The five petals are nicely undulating around a central pearl, and a gold stem peaks out at the bottom. The back is stamped with Bippart's 14K gold mark.
Origin: America, ca. 1910. Condition: good; a few expert touch-ups along the edges. Dimensions: 1" x 1". Weight: 7.5 gr.
Circa 1941-1950, this extremely rare Antonio Pineda pin is a book-piece shown on p. 89 of Silver Seduction: The Art of Mexican Modernist Antonio Pineda.
Measuring 3 1/8" tall, this pin has stunning detail and is exquisitely crafted. The center fuchsia flower dangles freely...
A handsome mid-Victorian Scottish agate pendant featuring pear-shaped cabochons of bloodstone ("heliotrope") and carnelian in a fine gold setting. The gold surfaces are heavily decorated with fiolate engraving...