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...

Circa 1940-1945, this pin was produced by Los Castillo. It's an early piece which was designed by Margot van Voorhies Carr / Margot de Taxco. This is a superbly crafted piece, showing a koi fish swimming atop a blue glass stone which is filled with bubbles...

This Los Castillo bracelet is a truly stunning piece, with a wonderful deco design. There are six gently curved panels connected with oxidized bulls-eye spirals, from which two pendants dangle in front. This is Los Castillo's design # 788, and it is collector quality. Complete with safety chain. Measures a closed, wearable length of 6 1/4". Width in front with the dangles is 1 1/2". Weight is 42.3 grams. Signed and hallmarked "Los Castillo Taxco", 788, with a very worn eagle assay.

These very rare earrings from Margot de Taxco are a curled ribbon design, with synthetic pink tourmaline stones dangling below. The stones are a star cut, and they are gorgeous. Measuring 2" tall and 15/16" wide, these show up beautifully. Signed and hallmarked "Margot de Taxco 5429 Sterling Made in Mexico", with the eagle assay 16. They have been converted professionally to clips, and they are super comfortable to wear and very secure. Weight is 26.1 grams. In excellent vintage condition.

Stunning in its towering smokey brilliance, this minimalist solitaire by Carmen Beckmann is a modernist Mexican beauty! Based in San Miguel de Allende Beckmann is reported to have started her activity a little later than the big Mexico City and Taxco workshops with most of her pieces dating in the 1950s and 1960s. In the ring at hand, the generously sized faceted gem is raised above a substantial geometric shank, held in place with sterling prongs in a crown-style setting...

A fascinating pair of double-sided Continental silver cufflinks, each face featuring the image of Medusa. The faces are intended to suggest ancient coins, but the stylized lines are very much in the Cubist style. Though her appearance was capable of turning a man to stone, Medusa's image was often used to ward off evil spirits. The backs are stamped with French import marks.

Origin: Europe, ca. 1915. Condition: excellent, sharp detail. Dimensions: larger faces, 7/8" diameter...

Superbly crafted, profusely decorated and visually powerful this early Mexico City repousse figural brooch is an a rather rare example of vermeil silver jewelry from the country's 20th c. Silver Renaissance. I will admit that I am not particularly fond of vermeil - I love the look and feel of aged silver without "enhancements" that make it look like something it is actually not. Yet there are those very very scarce moments when a piece like this shows up and it makes me reconsider...

A very attractive pair of silver cufflinks inlaid with various hardstones by noted Navajo artist Jim Harrison. The curved faces are inlaid with turquoise, coral, lapis, sugilite, onyx and malachite in a contemporary interpretation of timeless Navajo designs. Harrison is considered a pioneer of contemporary Native America inlaid jewelry and his work is held in several museum collections. Each cufflink is signed "Jim Harrison" and is marked "Sterling".

Origin: America (New Mexico), ca. 1990...

A delightful enameled 18K gold love/friendship charm or pendant by Georg Adam Scheid, jeweler to the Imperial Hapsburg Court in Vienna. The rooster is carefully engraved into the gold surface and then filled with translucent enamels in shades of orange, green and yellow. The edge is enameled in black with the French phrase, "Quand ce coq chantera, mon amitié finira...

A very nice 14K yellow gold pendant set with a circle of diamonds around a natural black star sapphire. The cabochon sapphire is very fine quality with excellent asterism (the star-like effect). The diamonds are bead-set in white gold. Exposed areas of gold have a Florentine finish that contrasts nicely with the sparkle of the diamonds and sapphires. Tested and guaranteed 14K gold.

The 16" 14K gold chain shown in the photos is available for an additional $85.

Origin: America, ca. 1970...

A whimsical Retro 18K yellow gold, amazonite and ruby brooch in the form of a stork. The turquoise coloring of the amazonite against the red of the ruby eye is very attractive. The use of amazonite is unusual, but the color and texture are evocative of a bird's plumage. This piece could easily be updated to become a pendant instead of a pin. The reverse is stamped with French 18K gold marks.

Origin: France, ca. 1935. Condition: excellent. Dimensions: 1-5/8" x 1-1/16"...

A lovely Art Nouveau pendant worked in gilt silver depicting a pair of hounds against a background of oak leaves and acorns. The quality of the casting and chasing is very nice. The reverse is marked "800".

• Origin: Europe, ca 1900
• Condition: excellent
• Dimensions: 1-9/32" diameter
• WeightL 13.0 grams

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. ...

The combination of fine, high purity silver and moonstone is one of my favorite and was equally favored, it seems, by Antonio Pineda, Taxco's renowned modernist. Set in three-dimensional 970 silver settings the stones at hand have a luminous pearlescence that draws the eye into their magical depths, and perfectly reflect the warm glow of the precious metal surrounding them. Antonio's jewelry is characterized by an unfailing sense of easy luxury and that feeling is present here as well. Substanti...

I never tire of the double-sided pendant necklaces Victor Jaimez created for Emma Melendez. The perfect blend of Aztec Revival and modernismo Mexicano, they are unfailingly characterized by craftsmanship of the highest level and meticulous finishing. At the same time dramatic and awe-inspiring, the pendant's two sides showcase several techniques as overlay, oxidation and mozaico inlay come together to create the image of Quetzalcoatl and the abstract figure of a Meso-american monkey. The chain ...

Abstract - and rather chubby - fish wrought in sterling silver with overlay and oxidation hang off the earlobes with this set of abstract Mexican dangles signed by Sigi Pineda. I don't believe I had this specific design by the talented - and prolific - Taxco modernist before but I am very familiar with the line and definitely in love with it. Substantial in size and quite dramatic in their juxtaposition of matte black and warmly glowing silver, these are quirky and elegant in a strange yet quite...

I am very partial to hinged bangle bracelets - you get the best of both worlds with them! - and I am very attracted to the Portuguese repousse examples. Signed by Topazio, the country’s foremost manufacturer of silver holloware and decorative items, there is something quite “regal” about this piece. Surrounded by scrolls and foliate motifs the dominant design here is a royal crown. It is repeated in all eight facets in high relief and looks even more sculptural thanks to the patina that ha...

I am thrilled to have stumbled upon this amazing, quintessentially Deco and quite rare Mexican silver and stone ring! Though this piece is not signed for maker, the design is a known Fred Davis creation and as I have recently noted in one of my descriptions, Davis was never as adamant as Spratling was in hallmarking all jewelry coming out of his workshop. So out there, there are many Davis creations that are simply not marked fully and I believe this beauty might easily be one of them. Bold in i...

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). ...

There are some pieces of jewelry that simply defy any effort to photograph them. And this stunning Taxco modernist sterling silver and blue spinel hinged bangle is one of them - a really tough one at that too! I have faced this challenge once before in the past and the “culprit” is available here as well, only that one is by Enrique Ledesma and adorned with color-change sapphires. Almost identical yet bearing a signature which I will suggest belongs to Miguel Melendez (the mark is very faint...

A delightfully feisty-looking cat is featured in the French Art Nouveau brooch. We’re particularly fond of his enormously long whiskers that stretch the full width of the pin. The pin is stamped with French silver marks and with an illegible maker’s mark.

NOTE: The pin could be worn as a pendant with the addition of a bail to the back.

• Origin: France, ca. 1905.
• Condition: excellent; all original.
• Dimensions: 1” diameter.
• Weight: 5.4 grams.

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. I have seen kept my eyes...

Bearing the signature of maestro Barrera this carefully made figural brooch depicts a richly clad person, most probably a nobleman or priest, with hands forming a very distinct gesture as if he takes part in a ritual or is performing a dance. Barrera , I suspect, worked in Mexico City, and created some impressive jewelry in the style associated with it. In the brooch at hand attention has been paid to every little detail that emphasizes the figure's high standing in society, their importance exp...

A luxurious tassel, its sterling threads spilling out of a brushed silver bead, catches the eye instantly in this vintage Mexican charm bracelet. A classic rendition of the specific design, it has a thick twist rope chain that has acquired a soft, silky glow over the years. Striding the divide between Deco and Retro jewelry, this is a veritable statement bracelet and if you decide to add the matching earrings and lariat necklace you see in one of the photos to it, you will not be disappointed. T...

Circa mid-century, this Margot de Taxco ring has exquisite repoussé silver work with scrolls and tiny beading.

This is Margot's design #5337. The face of the ring measures 1 3/8" x 1", with a band that is adjustable. Current size is 9 1/4.

Weight is 19.1 grams.

Hallmarked with the eagle assay 16 and the design # 5337.

Beautiful patina, excellent vintage condition.

This hand-wrought Mexican necklace dates to pre-1948,

It's an exquisite piece with highly detailed silver work, and it looks beautiful on. Measuring 36" in length, the two sides can clip together about 4" from each end.

Signed and hallmarked on the bottom of each ball "S.D. Hecho en Mexico 0.925".

Weight is 80.5 grams.

In excellent vintage condition.

Pretty 14K yellow gold locket, the front cover engraved with a floral motif centered by a 10-point round brillian cut diamond. The diamond has very nice clarity and color. The inside rim is stamped with the maker's mark "WEH 14K".

Origin: America, circa 1930. Condition: excellent, no monograms or removals. Size: 1-3/16" x 15/16". Weight: 7.0 grams. Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: .1 carat.

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. The bracelet has an inner circumference of 7 3/4" (2 1/2" i...

Over the years of my career as a vintage Mexican jewelry dealer I have come to love and appreciate the "mask" pieces created by the Los Ballesteros workshop. I have to admit that this was not a "love-at-first-sight" affair. On the contrary, it took me some time to realize that prolific though they might have been, especially in the post-1980 years which witnessed a drop in creativity as well, the specific workshop excelled in the production of superb jewelry centered by carved stone effigies. Th...

Matching the highly geometric cuff bracelet that is also available in my store, this vintage Los Castillo Mexican silver modernist ring still cherishes the austere angularity of the Deco years. Set in channels defined by sterling wires, the saturated blues and greens of the azur-malachite inlay clearly mark it as belonging to the workshop's "mozaico Azteca" line. Its strong geometry notwithstanding, the ring is easy to wear since the shank curves as it progress towards the back providing a smoot...

Great carved Bakelite fish with painted eye and lucite fin. Thick and heavy for its size. 3 1/8" wide, 3 1/8" high.

Originally a painter who in the 1930s moved to Mexico to participate in the country’s cultural scene, Bernice Goodspeed quickly moved into designing and selling her own jewelry out of the store she and her fellow-artist husband Carl Pappe opened in Taxco. Bernice’s work does not come up often and I am very excited to have found this repousse necklace by her. The rose links, very reminiscent of the classic “Rosas de Mexico” that often adorn cuffs by Sanborn’s and Maciel, are at the same...

Possibly my most favorite Carmen Beckmann ring design (an example lives in my jewelry box), her Etruscan style domed creation presented here is an ode to wire-work and micro-beading. It rises regally above the finger yet because of all those curved, glistening surfaces, it never creates problems to the wearer like most rings that are so high do. And though its “stature” is by itself impressive, it is all those nooks and crannies among the profusion of design elements coming together here tha...

Circa 1940-1945, this is a rarely seen hummingbird pin produced by Hector Aguilar at the Taller Borda. This piece is shown on p. 17 of "Silver Masters of Mexico". Beautifully hand-wrought with superb repoussé silver work, this pin is collector quality. Measures 2 1/2" x 1 7/8", pin closes with a roller. Weight is 17.3 grams. Signed and hallmarked "HA Made in Mexico Sterling". In excellent vintage condition.

An iconic personality for advocates of female empowerment, Jeanne d’ Arc is not a figure I expected to see on a piece of jewelry by the Los Castillo. I look at the pendant and I see Margot de Taxco at her drawing table, sketch pencil in hand, making the French heroine materialize on paper before she is cast in sterling silver. Very unusual - I have never seen one before - the pendant is crafted “cameo style”, with Jeanne d’ Arc on horseback, brandishing her sword in full armor for the fo...

A lovely carved coral cameo of a maiden in an elegant 14K yellow gold surround set with small pearls. The cameo is deeply carved and has nicely even color. The back retains the original folding bail, pinstem and clasp. The back is stamped "14K" and has the maker's mark for Erlich & Sinnock, a Newark jeweler.

Origin: America, ca. 1910. Condition: excellent, all original. Dimensions: 25/32" x 15/16" (excluding bail). Weight: 6.0 gr.