How to Identify Sterling Silver Jewelry

The “Mexico Silver” or “Silver Made in Mexico” marks are seen on pieces from the ‘s through mid ‘s, their silver standard varies, but is commonly above. The following number marks indicate silver purity in a percentage of ths. The intaglio “” mark is found on work dating from the turn of the century until the ‘s. The incuse mark “” was the favorite standard of Antonio Pineda. Most work from ca. The “Eagle” form marks to the right were instituted by the Mexican government in The first example delineated was used until ca.

MEXICAN STERLING SILVER MARKS

Signed Sigi Tasco in the back of one earring, and Sterling, Made in Mexico, around an eagle mark on the back of the other. Have great detail, and are mirror images. Screw backs hold securely. Fine condition, have a little tarnish. Very un

Flatware silverware silverplate that he registered a piece of a. Silverplate patterns of sterling silver are marked wm rogers brothers/international silver.

Taxco is located in the north-central part of the state, 36 kilometres 22 miles from the city of Iguala , kilometres 84 miles from the state capital of Chilpancingo and kilometres miles southwest of Mexico City. The city is heavily associated with silver, both with the mining of it and other metals and for the crafting of it into jewelry, silverware and other items.

Today, mining is no longer a mainstay of the city’s economy. The city’s reputation for silverwork, along with its picturesque homes and surrounding landscapes, have made tourism the main economic activity. The name Taxco is most likely derived from the Nahuatl place name Tlachco , which means “place of the ballgame”.

However, one interpretation has the name coming from the word tatzco which means “where the father of the water is,” due to the high waterfall near the town center on Atatzin Mountain. Like many municipalities in central Mexico, the municipality’s coat-of-arms is an Aztec glyph. This glyph is in the shape of a Mesoamerican ballcourt with rings, players and skulls, derived from the most likely source of Taxco’s name. Before the arrival of the Spanish in Mexico, the indigenous community known as “Taxco” was not located where the modern city is now.

The name referred to a village about ten kilometers to the south, which is now referred to as Taxco El Viejo Old Taxco. In pre-Hispanic times, this village was the most important in the area as it was the seat of the Aztec governor who presided over tribute collection in the surrounding seven districts. Mining here began in the pre-Hispanic period with natives extracting a number of stones for decorative and ritual purposes. For most of the colonial period, the area was sparsely populated, including the town of Taxco itself.

For this reason, it was governed as a dependency of Mexico City.

Taxco Silver Jewelry

Artist: Rituu Agarwal. Artist: Sissi Bernal. Artist: Alfredo Inga.

Vintage Mid Century Taxco Stud Earrings Signed by Dulce Plateros Date s TD Vintage s Taxco TD34 Bauhaus Style Jewelry ArtCollector’s Finds!

Log in to get trip updates and message other travelers. Los Castillo 2 Reviews. Sorry, there are no tours or activities available to book online for the date s you selected. Please choose a different date. Is this a place or activity you would suggest for families with kids? Yes No Unsure. Is this a place or activity you would go to on a rainy day? Would you recommend this place or activity to a friend looking for an exciting and thrill-seeking experience?

Are the prices for this place or activity budget-friendly? Would you send a friend who is visiting for the first time to this place or activity? Is this a must-do if you are traveling with a big group greater than 5? Thanks for helping!

Designer Information

For the past 60 years, tourists visiting Mexico have sought distinctive silver jewelry and holloware, crafted by native artisans. Although the designs they find are, for the most part, adapted from pre-Columbian clay seals and executed by Mexican silversmiths, the current industry was actually begun in the s by an American architect, William Spratling.

Spratling combined the geometric abstraction of modern architecture with indigenous Mexican motifs, both Indian and Hispanic, to produce a unique style that was to influence jewelry design both in Mexico and in the United States. Taxco is a small city in the state of Guerrero, where silver mining had been the primary industry since , when Cortez sent envoys there to acquire metal for Spain.

Mining gradually decreased as richer deposits were discovered elsewhere and the Spanish settlers turned to farming. Borda invested much of his money in Taxco, building roads, houses and the magnificent cathedral, Santa Prisca.

Dating silver flatware – Join the leader in relations services and find a date By gorham coin silver flatware patterns with date letter, art. Dating taxco silver.

DA Mexican vintage sterling silver jewelry, and Taxco vintage sterling silver jewelry, a lovely Taxco silver necklace with beautiful amethyst, Taxco, c. The silverwork is exceptional, and the amethyst is of very high quality. The necklace is very elegant and graceful. Condition is very good. DA Mexican vintage sterling silver jewelry, and Taxco vintage sterling silver jewelry, a lovely and very graceful pair of silver earrings, Taxco, c.

The design is incredibly and the silverwork is exceptional. DA Mexican vintage sterling silver jewelry and Taxco vintage sterling silver jewelry, a beautiful pair of Taxco sterling silver earrings with a lovely spherical design, Taxco, c. The earrings are extremely graceful and elegant. CZ Mexican vintage sterling silver jewelry, and Taxco vintage silver jewelry, a beautiful pair of longer dangling earrings with fine repousse silverwork, Taxco, c.

Jewelry Identification

Hallmarks – What Do They Mean??? New examples of fake hallmarks from the first design period have been added to this section. The hallmark data below is the basic summary information without photos of the verified variations to date on Spratling’s hallmarks. Far more complete hallmark information and easy to follow charts as well as techniques for determining authenticity can be found in our new book Spratling Silver: A Field Guide.

The information here on this website is designed to provide the fundamental knowledge – but only the first step – one needs to determine if the item is possibly a William Spratling treasure. It will also provide information on any new hallmark research, so check back frequently.

We’ve sold a number of mid-century Taxco pieces that easily meet or exceed the quality of Dating Mexican silver can be a bit tricky.

It started with my grandmother, as far as I know, and then it came to my mother. I think it just sat in her drawer for years. I’m not sure she ever used it. And then it was passed down to my wife in a box of costume jewelry, so she wore a piece now and then, but eventually it ended up with my two daughters. They used it for dress-up, along with the rest of the costume jewelry. So, that’s about all I know about it.

Unfortunately, it is not sapphire. But it’s sterling silver, and it’s made by a woman whose name was Margaret van Voorhies Carr Castillo And on the back here, you can see a lovely maker’s mark, Mexican maker’s mark. She worked in her husband’s shop, Mr. Castillo, and then was one of the few women to open her own shop in Mexico, in What’s fantastic here is that you have a suite of jewels and that you have a collection, you have the bracelet, the pin, the pendant, the necklace.

Unfortunately, we have a little bit of damage to the back of the earrings. The earring has been altered.

Mexican vintage m Spratling – Taxco.

There are several Mexican silver jewelry reference books available about hallmarks. Times have changed, and so have the meanings and general guidelines to follow for hallmarking interpretation, but the literature on the market has not. This results in a lot of confusion for avid collectors as well as first-time buyers of Mexican silver jewelry. At one time, jewelry with the famous stamped eagle hallmark would guarantee that a piece was made before or around This fact is widely found in reference books.

There is literally a bin on the wall full of thick nails that have certain hallmark molds on the tip of the nail.

At its most basic, we can usually easily identify the type of jewelry i.e. ring, necklace, and the circa date of manufacturing requires a more specialized type of jewelry Makers Mark Antonio Pineada, Taxco (in the Shape of a Crown) with a.

Also see my ” Shop by Designer ” page for easy access to a clickable list of designers and their items some of which are not on this list. Note: I have researched these designers to the best of my knowledge, but the information is not guaranteed! All images and text are the property of Sharon’s Vintage Jewelry. Bernie, and is still in business.

The company’s jewelry is easily recognized by the swirled pattern etched on the back of each piece. Of special note is the fact that the company holds the license to produce pieces for the Vatican Library Collection. Their signature look is reproductions of Victorian-era jewelry. They recently introduced the “” mark for pieces exclusively sold through Macy’s. The company is one of the few remaining privately held jewelry manufacturers.

Interestingly, in the company was sued by Gerry’s Creations for copyright infringement AAi reportedly copied Gerry’s products and sold them as AAi items. I could not find the outcome of this lawsuit. In business from through the s. Most known for interesting figurals. Often made in Mexico and Peru.

The Jewelry of Margot de Taxco

Log in to get trip updates and message other travellers. Sergio’s Silver from Taxco Reviews. Sorry, there are no tours or activities available to book online for the date s you selected. Please choose a different date. Quick View. Private cozumel full day adventure.

Taxco Vintage Sterling Silver Stone Inlay Oval Drop Earrings. AquitaineArts Taxco Mexico Sterling Silver Fish Turquoise Inlay Dangle Earrings.

Visit our online Jewelry Shop. Site Map. Signed Vintage Costume Jewelry. Unsigned Vintage Costume Jewelry. Contemporary Pre- owned Costume Jewelry. Sterling Silver and Copper. Shop by Designer. Shop by Theme. Art Nouveau and Edwardian. Art Deco. Plastic Jewelry. Gentleman’s Accessories. Shabby Chic.

Collecting Vintage Mexican Silver Jewelry for Fun and Profit

Having been a silversmith since the early s, I have a great appreciation for the work of those who didn’t have all of the wonderful tools that we have today. Of particular interest for me is the vintage sterling silver jewelry from Mexico, especially some of the modernist pieces that were created in the s through the s. These skilled artisans created fabulous works of art that are still being mimicked today.

These original designs are highly sought after by collectors. Although silver prices have increased dramatically in recent years, you can still find great buys on vintage Mexican jewelry on eBay.

mining dating back to It is located in the Taxco Silver Region km southwest of Mexico City and 25km northwest of the well-known Taxco Silver Mine.

You will be hooked anyway once you set foot in the picturesque little Mexican town, located just over miles southwest of Mexico City. It happened to me, too. No one is immune. The city has stayed loyal to its silver mining past, and today it is a heaven for silver lovers. Known as one of the oldest mining sites in the Americas, Taxco has attracted early conquistadors with its wealth: precious silver.

To celebrate this natural gift, every year, during the last week of November, Taxco honors its treasure with the world famous Silver Fair Feria Nacional de La Plata. You might want to plan your trip accordingly. Frequently, these goods are created on-site by skilled artisans, offering passers-by a feast for the eyes. Mexican silver, one of the best-known exports of the country, has a long and rich hi story which started with the Aztecs. They were the true pioneers of silver mining from the Sierra Madre Mountains and the few Aztec jewels that survived the Spanish conquest are proof of their undeniable craftsmanship.

After the fall of the Aztec Empire, the Spanish arrived in Mexico looking for tin, but instead they discovered silver. Local artisans eagerly bought vast quantities of the metal and created outstanding handmade silver jewelry that became coveted by the royals across Europe.

Margot de Taxco

Mexico has long produced some of the finest Artisan jewelry in the world. We are fans of Mexican silver and buy and sell it on a pretty much daily basis. The Tourist pieces are often figural and usually depict traditional Mexican themes of aboriginal and modern origin.

Taxco de Alarcón is a small city and administrative center of Taxco de Alarcón Municipality They discovered silver ore in , and during the next years, Taxco became an important community for the Spanish mining industry. These commemorations date back to at least when they were begun in the atrium​.

Portuguese Hallmark with Deer and. Solving the intriguing riddle posed by the marks stamped onto a piece of jewelry involves the use of a variety of skills and a wealth of knowledge. At its most basic, we can usually easily identify the type of jewelry i. However, labeling a piece as having originated during a particular era requires an understanding of the style, design attributes, materials available, gemstones and their cutting techniques, manufacturing techniques and a basic knowledge of world politics, events and influences during the time in question.

To take the investigation to the final step of identifying the maker, the country of origin and the circa date of manufacturing requires a more specialized type of jewelry detective work involving all of the aforementioned skills, access to a wealth of research materials and a touch of tenacity. Books specifically listing hallmarks are usually organized by country and further by time period within the country. Forearmed with the basic jewelry era parameters on the item under investigation helps to target further search efforts.

First and foremost it is important to classify the function of the jewelry item. Examining a ring, brooch, bracelet, necklace, etc. Checking to see if the piece has been fundamentally altered is also important. This may make it difficult to identify exactly who made the piece, but the item fundamentally remains a brooch or a ring.

The Sterling Silver Jewelry of Taxco Mexico