This is a superb modernist bird pin from Antonio Pineda. It's large, dimensional, and substantial, with tiny beading and an obsidian eye. A design which is seldom seen, and collector quality. Measures 2 3/4" wide. Weight is 39.8 grams. Signed and hallmarked with the Antonio Taxco Crown, Hecho en Mexico 970, with the eagle assay 17. In excellent vintage condition. Pin closes with a roller.

This mid-century necklace is an absolutely stunning piece, with deeply incised swirling links, silver domes, and tiny silver beading. Exquisitely hand-crafted and collector quality. Looks fabulous on and lays perfectly upon the neck. No maker's mark, but the design itself, along with #54, indicate that this is likely the work of Reveriano Castillo. Measures 15 1/2" closed, wearable length...

Circa 1950's, this bold, edgy cuff from Bernice Goodspeed is a book-piece design shown on p. 132 of the Morrill/Berk book "Mexican Silver".

It's a hand-wrought piece with an intricate deeply carved design and an oxidized background. This is a fabulous bracelet, and one which is rarely seen.

It's a large cuff, measuring 5 3/4" inside edge-to-edge, with an opening/gap of an additional 1 1/2". Width is 2 9/16"...

A wonderfully constructed heavy neck ring by Bent Knudsen, Denmark. Streamlined curves, thick sterling, very Mid Century.

Marked Sterling, Denmark, Bent K, 925S, Style #3 and copyright sign. Measures 13" around plus an opening of 2 3/4". Can be adjusted slightly. Meant to sit on the collar bone. Would be best on a slender neck.

Fine condition.

A classic late 1960s 14K gold and diamond cocktail ring in a "snowflake" design. The seventeen diamonds are set in white gold to highlight their color. The diamonds are graded as J/I1. The openness of the setting gives the ring a delicate appearance. The yellow gold shank is stamped "14K".

Origin: America, ca. 1968. Condition: excellent. Dimensions: crown, 5/8" diameter. Finger Size: 9. Weight: 5.7 gr. Approximate Total Diamond Weight: .50 ct.

An Art Deco pendant or charm displaying four playing cards each with the pip for an ace worked in black or red enamel. Four aces is an unbeatable hand in poker unless an opponent has a flush. The bottom edge of the charm is engraved “Réussité” (“Success”). The charm and the original jump ring are stamped with French 18K guarantee marks.

• Origin: France, ca...

Sleek modernism and heavy sterling combine in this Sigi Pineda bracelet which seems to be one of the maestro’s earlier creations and a relatively harder piece to find as well. Perfect finishing, generous weight, a blissful marriage of glistening silver and dark oxidation and inspired design, all features that make Sigi jewelry exceptional can be seen at work here. What a beauty indeed… The bracelet has a 6 3/4” inner circumference (clasped)and its width varies between 1 1/16″ and 5/8"...

Circa 1930's-early 1940's, this magnificent amethyst ring is the work of Abraham Paz. Paz produced and designed work for himself, as well as for Fred Davis. This is a gorgeous piece, with a huge hand cut and polished amethyst and deco sterling silver setting. The face of the ring measures 1 1/16" x 13/16", and sits 7/16" high above the finger. The ring size measures between 6 and 7 on a sizer, depending on which way the ring is placed. I've taken photos of both...

A cute, diminutive Victorian fob seal in the form of a silver toga-clad monkey sitting atop a gold base. His eyes are set with tiny cabochon garnets. The base is formed from a faceted carnelian and has never been engraved. Tested and guaranteed silver and 18K.

Origin: Probably France, ca. 1860. Condition: excellent, all original, no engraving on seal. Dimensions: 9/16” x 7/16” x 1” tall. Weight: 4.2 gr.

The "Jewels by Antonio" hallmarks dates 1949-1953. This is a book-piece design shown on page 152 of Silver Seduction : The Art of Mexican Modernist Antonio Pineda.

It's a fabulous ring with a huge presence. Size is 8.25. Height on top is just shy of 1/2". 1" wide.

Weight is a substantial 17.3 grams.

Signed and hallmarked "Jewels by Antonio Taxco Mexico", with the design # PP451.

In excellent vintage condition. Collector quality. Beautiful patina.

A pair of Victorian cufflinks in 14K rose gold, each face set with a faceted amethyst cabochon. Cufflinks of this type almost always use plain cabochons and the use of foil-backed faceted amethysts here is particularly attractive. The faces are joined by solid oval links. The backs are marked for 14K.

• America, ca 1890
• Excellent condition
• Faces, 5/8" x 5/16" (16 x 8 mm)
• 6.2 grams
• Approximate Total Amethyst Weight: 11.96 carats

A particularly elegant pair of double-sided cufflinks by Larter. The round mother-of-pearl faces are centered with small natural pearls and surrounded with platinum borders decorated with laurel leaf engraving. The backs are in 14K yellow gold. The mother-of-pearl has very nice luster with pinkish and greenish overtones. These cufflinks would be especially appropriate to be worn with white-tie. The connectors are stamped with Larter's hallmark.

Origin: America, ca. 1900...

An elegant pendant worked in 18K yellow gold and sterling silver by DeBeers Award winning jewelry designer John Atencio. The pendant features a square cushion cut amethyst surrounded by pave-set round brilliant cut diamonds. The amethyst has strong purple coloring, and the use of concave facets creates are very lively brilliance in the stone stone. The diamonds are of good quality, averaging J color and SI clarity. The setting is finely detailed with niello accents...

An Art Nouveau 14K gold ring featuring an oval carnelian cabochon set in a marquise-shaped surround decorated with a stylized foliage pattern. The 6x8mm carnelian has very nice coloring and good translucency. Originally a stickpin, a 14K gold shank has been added.

• Origin: America, ca 1900
• Condition: excellent
• Dimensions: crown 5/8” wide
• Finger Size: 6 1/2
• Weight: 1.6 grams

Circa pre-1948, this is a spectacular hand-wrought bracelet. It's an exquisitely crafted piece with superb repoussé silver work. Very substantial and dimensional. The amethyst cabochons are well-matched in color. Closure is a pin on a chain . Measures a closed, wearable length of 6 3/4", with a width just shy of 1 1/2". Hallmarked simply "Mexico Silver". Weight is 86.1 grams. In excellent vintage condition.

Hallmarks date this William Spratling brick link bracelet to 1940-1944. This design is shown on the Spratling Silver website. It's a hand-wrought bracelet which feels like silk on the wrist. Certainly a timeless design, and one which is understated in both beauty and elegance. Three rows of brick like links with a foldover clasp give this a completely seamless appearance...

The pilot in your life will love this classic pair of 14K yellow gold Aviator Wings link back cufflinks, styled after the wing pins given to children on flights in the past. Condition like new. Dimensions: 1" long x 7/8" wide. WT: 5 grams.

An elegant pair of cufflinks with engraved decoration suggesting flowing water. The decoration is anchored at either end with a pair of seed pearls and a pair of single-cut and old European cut diamonds. The gold surfaces are acid-bloomed to achieve the rich coloring typical of Art Nouveau jewels. The bridge connectors are marked “585” for 14K and with hallmarks used in Vienna during the late Secessionist and early Art Deco periods, 1902-22.

Origin: Imperial Austria, ca. 1905...

Napier silver plate over brass, c1955, three strand bracelet with center overlapping talon ends holding coral ceramic balls. It is 8 1/4" (20.9 cm) long and the three wheat chain strands together are 1 3/8" (3.8 cm) wide, not including the ceramic balls. They are each 3/4" (2.2 cm) in diameter. The bracelet was designed by Eugene Bertilli and is signed Napier on the clasp. It is in beautiful vintage condition with no plate loss that I could spot.

Wonderful deep carving on this sterling silver bracelet, signed by artist, titled "The Bear", 1970s era. Measures 1 1/8" deep, is 6 1/4" on the outside, with a gap of 1 3/8", and is slightly flexible. In the traditional Northwest Coast form, the bracelet is curved, with abstracted form lines creating a cultural figure, in this case, a bear. The work is especially fine, very deep carving with cross hatching and detailing over the entire surface. The eye forms have hammered surfaces, all visib...

Circa mid-century, here is a rare find from Antonio Pineda. Extra-long dangle earrings with gorgeous smokey quartz gemstones. The almost pure 970 silver has a bamboo design, and the bezel-set stones have open-back settings to let the light shine through, playing up the exquisite bronze hues. There are three sections - the top screwback portion, long bamboo silver middle, and the oval quartz stones - so these have plenty of movement. Measures 3 1/2" tall. Weight is 17.8 grams. Signed and...

This cross necklace was produced by Matilde Poulat in Mexico City between 1934-1948. It's an early Matl creation and an exquisite piece. At the center is a coral cabochon, surrounded by branch coral, turquoise, and pyramidal amethysts. The sterling silver chain does not open, measuring 25" long. Easily fits over the head. Cross measures 3 1/4" to top of the bale, with a width of 2 1/2". Weight is 35.2 grams. Signed and hallmarked "Matl 0.925 Hecho en Mexico D.F.". In excellent vintag...

Classic in its elegance and the delicate filigree work that embellishes it, this vintage silver and sodalite pendant necklace dates in the first decades of the 20th c. and I believe it is an Italian piece. Very similar to work that came out of the Peruzzi and Coppini workshops of Florence, the necklace is anonymous yet exhibits very high levels of craftsmanship and its finishing is impeccable. I love the stations formed by short lengths of chain, the lace-like quality of the filigree beads and ...

A lovely maiden surrounded by a bower of daisies is featured in this Art Nouveau 10K gold pendant/watch pin. In Victorian flower language, the daisy represented "innocence." The design is nicely detailed. Tested and guaranteed 10K.

NOTE: The pendant is shown with a 16" 14K gold chain that is available for an additional $125.

• Origin: America, ca. 1910.
• Condition: sharp detail; pinstem, clasp and watch hook are original; hidden bail was added by our jeweler.
• Dimension...

This huge pin is the work of Taxco designer Hubert Harmon. Harmon was active for a short time, and this piece bears hallmarks dating 1944-1948. Collector quality, this is a hand-wrought brooch with exquisite repoussé silver work and a gorgeous bow and ribbon design. Hubert Harmon's work is seldom seen, with his sterling pieces quite rare. Measures 4" long, 2 1/8" wide. Weight is 30.8 grams - quite substantial. Signed and hallmarked "Hubert Harmon Sterling Made in Mexico". In exce...

A delightful late Victorian or Edwardian pendant in the form of a poodle jumping through a hoop. The wonderfully detailed poodle is cast in sterling silver and the hoop is 14K gold. The dog is fully three-dimensional, and the eyes are set with small pyrope garnets. The pendant is marked “14K Sterling.”

• Origin: America, ca. 1910
• Condition: excellent
• Dimensions: 1-9/16” x 3/8” x 1-1/4”
Weight: 11.2 grams

Produced by Enrique Ledesma, this bracelet features four large golden sheen obsidian stones which seem to glow from within. The alternating repoussé silver panels have oxidized recesses, and the tongue in box closure is tight and perfect. Original safety chain is attached. This will fit up to a 6 1/4" wrist. The width is 15/16". Weight is 54.6 grams. Signed and hallmarked "Ledesma Plateria Cortes 925 Taxco Hecho en Mexico", with the eagle assay 6 and design # 401. In excellent vintage co...

I have never seen cuff links these. They are made of obsidian with an abstract wheel design. The disks have a diameter of just over 1/2". The silver "wheels" are not just applied, they are connected to the back plate which is marked with the eagle, #9 and VALENTIN with a line extending from the top of the V, over all the letters. These unusual cuff links have a good heft and are in excellent condition. I believe they are circa early 1950's.

One of the techniques the Los Castillo workshop pioneered, “pluma Azteca” uses dyed bird feathers as inlay to adorn jewelry and other decorative items. Quite impressive in their colorful vibrancy, the feathers can also be vulnerable, especially when they are left exposed, resulting in a rather small number of “pluma” jewelry having survived over the years. The articulated torque-type necklace at hand is a wonderful exception. Combining the slick minimalism of its modernist silver-work wi...

Bearing the signature of Pedro Castillo who opened his own workshop in 1940, after having worked for both William Spratling and Hector Aguilar this early Taxco modernist necklace is made using the overlay technique which has also been enhanced by purposeful oxidation. Perfectly finished, it has generous weight and at just a hair less than 16", it is not only a gorgeous piece to wear but it is quite comfortable. Let me end by saying that its abstract design, so representative of Taxco's early mod...

Tone Vigland modernist sterling silver ring

Norway

Mid 20th century

Size - 6 1/2

Weight - 21 grams

Front - 1" x 1"

Hallmarks pictured

Excellent condition

One of Taxco’s two “Miguels”, Miguel Melendez started his career with William Spratling at Las Delicias, moved on to work with the Los Castillo and later Margot de Taxco and in the early 1950s opened his own workshop. A talented modernist with deep roots in Mexico’s rich archaeological history, he loved combining silver with hard- and semi-precious stones and excelled in two-sided pendants that married stone or shell inlay with abstract overlay on highly oxidized surfaces. The figural pi...

The combination of fine purity silver with silky, shimmering pearls is among my favorite when it comes to Antonio Pineda’s work. And the modernist floral brooch I am presenting here is a superb example not only of the renowned Taxco maestro’s exceptional sense of design but also of the quality of materials he used. I love the fluid, curvaceous body of the elongated “pod” and the tender forcefulness (I know, a contradiction in terms, right?) with which the stamens emerge out of it. Slick ...

A lovely 18K yellow gold, diamond and ruby love pendant ("medille d'amour") with a rebus spelling out "Plus qu'hier, moins que demain" ("More than yesterday, less than tomorrow") a line from a love poem written by Rosemonde Gérard to her husband Edmond Rostand (author of "Cyrano de Bergerac") in 1889. The word "plus" is symbolized by a plus sign set with rose cut diamonds and the word "moins" is symbolized by a minus sign set with rectangular cut synthetic rubies.

In 1907, the Lyonnais jewel...

Elegant Napoleon III circle brooch enclosing a delicate sprig of flowers set with 19 small rose-cut diamonds. The floral motif is worked in silver as was the practice in 19th century diamond jewelry. The white color of the metal was thought to show diamonds to their better advantage. The edges of the circle are beautifully pierced with a double gallery. The back retains the original extended pinstem and c-clasp, and back is marked with 19th century French hallmarks for 18K gold.

Origin: Fr...

A superb pair of double-sided Art Deco silver cufflinks by E. Besseire & Cie. The hexagonal faces are decorated with red, green and black blocks of opaque champlevé enamels highlighted with silver shield-shaped and squiggle accents. The faces are connected bychains. The backs of each face are marked with Besseire’s maker’s mark and with assay marks for silver.

Origin: France, ca. 1930. Condition: excellent; no enamel damage (the green enamel has some porosity visible under magnificati...