Pictures of Mexican jewelry. a foundation reference source is Mexican Silver by Penny Chittum Morrill and Carole A. Berk, Schiffer Publishing Ltd., 1998 (revised edition).
Date(s): September 2, 2002. Album by Cathy Gordon. Photos by Cathy Gordon. 1 - 30 of 30 Total. 31524 Visits.
1 Stunning, heavy sterling and jade (?) stone group by Antonio Pineda. These belong to my good friend Regan. Her great-aunt bought them in the late 1940s on a trip to Taxco. Note that the designs complement each other beautifully, but they are not a matching set. They all show the Pineda crown and have a 17 in the eagle mark.
2 Back of Pineda necklace. When held up to the light, the jade stones are translucent. Note the typical metal loop link construction. When closed, the clasp is well hidden under a design element.
3 Antonio Pineda signature. Crown in the center is his hallmark with his signature inside. On the right is the eagle mark with number 17 in the center.
4 Heavy necklace by Antonio Castillo de Teran, known as Los Castillo. It is from a 1945 collection called the Azteca Mosaica (Aztec Mosaic) and is sterling and embedded stone.
" The silversmiths at Los Castillo who produce abalone and stone inlay follow procedures developed by Pre-Columbian artisans. The stone most often chosen is either malachite, turquoise or chrysophase. The basic form consists of a silver base with raised contours which distinguish the outlines of the image. In the indentations, a cement pitch is spread which holds the stone after it has been cut to fill the space. This work requires an expert craftsman because the stone is thin and brittle and is often applied in a small area." Morrill and Berk, pg 87.
5 Back of necklace.
6 Los Castillo signature in circle at top, then Azteca Mosaica, Hecho in Mexico. Eagle mark is on left but his signature 3 is illegible. I believe that the 208 is an inventory number.
7 Los Castillo wide bracelet and matching pin of sterling hollowware and blue glass. Dates to around 1950.
8 Los Castillo sterling hollowware pin, 2 3/4" across and marked Los Castillo sterling with a 15 in the eagle mark.
9 Los Castillo holloware bracelet, measuring 2 1/4" wide.
10 Signature area for Los Castillo bracelet, showing his mark, but also epitomizing how difficult it is to read these stamped areas!
11 Pre-eagle Los Castillo repousee sterling cuff bracelet.
12 Black enamel and sterling necklace, bracelet and earrings by Los Ballesteros.
13 Los Ballesteros signature shown at top. None of the pieces have an eagle mark.
14 Floral link bracelet by Ana Nunez Brilanti who designed under the name Victoria.
15 Two sterling bangle bracelets by Victoria.
16 Top bracelet is blue enamel and sterling designed by Margot de Taxco. Middle bracelet is enamel and sterling with a fish motif (anonymous Taxco designer). Bottom bracelet is heavy sterling and unsigned.
17 Two pairs of married metals earrings, those on right by Los Castillo. This technique is extremely complex with 7 possible metals used: nickel, gold, silver, copper, brass, alpaca, rex (5% silver, 45% brass, 50% copper) and monel (iron with copper and brass). "The design is first drawn on the background metal and cut out. Various metals are chosen according to color and are cut to fill the spaces made in the background metal. The metals are soldered so carefully that the soldering is completely invisible." Morrill and Berk, Mexican Silver. pg 86.
Unsigned stone and metal brooch.
Bracelet of stone and metal by Enrique Ledesma.
18 Unsigned Taxco bracelet and earrings of sterling and jade.
19 A wonderful Margot necklace, with a scrolling, overlapping pattern that has a sculptural 3-dimensional quality, looking like ribbons of silver that are woven over and under each other. The piercing, along with the deeply incised and oxidized lines, contributes to the effect, adding contrast, depth and interest. Measures about 15-1/4" long, extended, and 3/4" wide.
20 Back of necklace. Signed "Margot de Taxco", the number "5345" and with the eagle stamp with her number "16" in it and the words "Sterling Made in Mexico" around it. It must date from the earlier years of Margot's shop because her silver line began with number 5100 in 1948 and ended with 5790 when the shop closed in the 70's.
21 Los Ballesteros bracelet.
22 Los Ballesteros repousee necklace and bracelet in a swirl pattern. Signed Ballesteros Sterling Hand Made Taxco.
23 Ruopoli sterling necklace and earrings in a leaf and berry pattern. Signed By C. Ruopoli and Sterling.
24 NECKLACE, BRACELET, and EARRINGS. 1940s, pre-Eagle mark. Lovely Old Handmade Los Castillo Parure. Circles of Spirals with Niello Highlights and Nice Weight. Marked Los Castillo, Taxco, in a circle; Sterling, Hecho en Mexico, in a circle; Design # 317. Measures; necklace 17" x 7/8", bracelet 7-1/2" with box clasp closures, and screwback earrings 7/8".
25 Los Castillo bracelet.
26 Enamel on sterling necklace and bracelet Margot de Taxco
Geometric patterned links
27
28 Sterling Rabbit pin
Marked 925 Mexico and an incomprehensible signature.
29 Sterling brooch with undersea theme Los Castillo C. 1955
Concave elongated irregular oval sterling plaque with two small metales casados copper fish shapes flanking a large carved amethyst fish at center surmounted by two copper "coral" branches. See Romero pg 227 for a smaller version.
30 Back of Los Castillo pin showing additional fish shapes and signature.
