TAXCO SILVER

Day of the Dead Pt 3 /// Maria Belen

2011-09-20T23:20:00.000-07:00

Day of the Dead Jewelry Pt 2 /// Maria Belen

2011-09-20T22:56:00.000-07:00

Day of the Dead Jewelry PT 1 /// Artist : Maria Belen

2011-09-20T21:43:00.000-07:00

Set ups for Mezcal Kit made by Claudia Cota

2011-03-24T09:44:00.000-07:00

Yalalag or Oaxaca cross 5.5"

2011-02-20T11:05:00.000-08:00

This cross pendant weighs 37 grams.
It is stamped TAXCO on the back meaning that is was fabricated in Taxco Guerrero but the style was definitely inspired by the Yalag crosses from Oaxaca.

$ 185.00 USD plus sales tax and shipping.
Contact me via email if interested.
I accept paypal and all major credit cards.

Castillo Necklace- Collection Piece

2011-01-27T13:04:00.000-08:00

This beautiful Castillo piece was made between 1942-1948.
It lays quite nicely ...wrapping the neck luxuriously .
It weighs a little over 100 grams and has a secure hidden clasp.
It is stamped 543 on the inside.
Timeless Elegance!

$585.00 USD plus sales tax and shipping
Contact me via email if interested.
I accept paypal and all major credit cards.

Heavy Cross Pendant made and signed by: Katila

2011-01-26T20:26:00.001-08:00

Weighing almost 65 grams this beautiful cross pendant is signed on the back by the artist and was most likely made in the 1950's.
This piece has a lovely textured pattern in the center -
adding even more detail to it's already interesting design.

SOLD

Matilde Eugenia Poulat

2011-01-26T19:33:00.000-08:00

* Matl - Matilde Eugenia Poulat first started “Matl” in 1934 and continued designing some of the most collectible Taxco silver until her death in 1960. Her designs for jewelry and religious figures were part of the new cultural vision among Mexico’s intellectuals after the Revolution when they sought a new Mexican aesthetic. All Matl designs were executed by accomplished silversmiths under her exacting direction. After her death, her nephew, Ricardo Salas, continued the Matl-Salas line until his death in 2006.

*Info taken from :www.silverhuntress.com

This piece is an early Poulat broach.
It measures 1.25" across and has 27 coral and 5 turquoise stones.

SOLD

Twisted Wire Cuff Bracelet

2010-07-18T00:58:00.000-07:00

This twisted wire cuff bracelet weighs 43.9 grams.
It is very well made and looks cool layered with other bracelets as well.

SOLD

Linked Sterling Chain

2009-10-12T20:55:00.000-07:00

Silver Chain made in Taxco, Guerrero Mexico

SOLD

Brooch with Tigers Eye

2009-10-06T02:55:00.001-07:00

This sterling silver brooch weighs 46.1 grams
It has a bezel set tigers eye stone.
I love this design !

SOLD

Cross Pendant

2009-10-05T13:55:00.001-07:00

This sterling pendant weighs 20 grams.
It has inlaid malachite and has a "modern" feel to it.

SOLD

Silver Dangle Pendant

2009-07-13T16:17:00.001-07:00

This pendant weighs in at 12 grams.
The silver dangle shapes make a clinking sound when worn.
It is stamped TAXCO and STERLING on the back.

SOLD

Aztec Calendar

2009-07-10T10:54:00.001-07:00

This Sterling Silver piece weighs 22.6 grams.
It is a representation of the Aztec Calendar but in metal !
It is a very versatile piece and functions as both a pendant or a brooch.
It was made in Taxco Guerrero Mexico by an unidentified silversmith but can be dated back to the late 50's.

SOLD

Beatriz Llamosas

2009-03-31T02:49:00.000-07:00

Beatriz is a jewelry artist from Bilbao ,Spain. She now divides her time between Bilbao and San Miguel De Allende, Mexico. She works in both gold and silver and often uses the lost wax casting technique. Always selecting top grade stones her work is very colorful and has a textured and luxurious feel. You can see more of her work here :
www.beatrizllamosas.blogspot.com

Letter Opener

2009-02-26T20:56:00.000-08:00

This rosewood and sterling letter opener makes a great gift for someone who has it all...with its heavy handle and highly polished blade it looks and feels like pure luxury.

Onyx "Rockstar" Bracelet

2009-02-26T05:45:00.000-08:00

This bracelet is made of gorgeous faceted onyx stones - definitely not for the timid !It is a piece by William Spratling successors and would only be available for purchase by special order.

Gorgeous ! And HEAVY !

2008-11-22T09:33:00.000-08:00

This is one heavy necklace- 261.1 grams to be exact...But definitely worth the neck strain! 92.5 Sterling Silver.

$ 385.00 USD
Contact me by email for purchase.
I accept paypal and all major credit cards.

Maria Belen Nilson

2008-11-07T12:37:00.001-08:00

Maria Belen Nilson, originally from Argentina, has resided in Taxco for a decade- crediting her love of the Mexican culture as the influence for her jewelry designs.

Dia de Los Muertos

2008-11-04T10:37:00.000-08:00

Day of the Dead was celebrated throughout Mexico this past weekend. Claudia Cota really gets into the spirit and makes a street size "ofrenda" every year which the people of Taxco love to come see and take photos. Here are a few images.

Rosewood and Sterling Earrings by Violante Ulrich

2008-09-23T22:02:00.000-07:00

These beauties are made by Violante Ulrich. Her designs reflect the strong influence of Taxco silver pioneer William Spratling - but with a more modern twist !

Sterling "Matchsticks"

2008-09-19T05:30:00.000-07:00

I love this jewelry style and use the technique in many of my designs.

These matchsticks are the basis of my "shinka shinka " jewelry line. If you have been wearing Shayna Jewelry over the years you will know what I am talking about ...If not, no worries - go to my other blog to see photos of my pieces and you will see what I am talking about . Ana and I like to call these balled wires " matchsticks "... but since we only speak in Spanish to each other ...we call them "cerillos".

Who is Ana you might ask ? Ana Celsa Garcia Salgado is my "right hand woman" in Taxco and my friend . We have worked together over many years and I have the honor of being the Godmother to her two children . She is a huge heart and has two extra helping hands that I have come to rely on over the years so that I can provide even more people with unique and handmade jewelry designs. Ana takes care of making the cerillos for me and she does a great job . Plus we have fun together and I get to practice my Spanish when I am around her.

The cerillos are made by first cutting a coil of sterling silver wire into the appropriate length section and then forming the ball on the end of each wire by heating them (individually ) with the torch.

For the "shinka-shinka" jewelry elements , each individual wire is then threaded with a bead of some sort and then used in an earrings, necklace, bracelet (etc ) design

Claudia Cota and the Mexican Kitchen

2008-09-19T03:55:00.000-07:00

Claudia Cota is a native of Mexico City and an architect who designs jewelry influenced by the Mexican kitchen . This line features handcrafted bracelets and necklaces which are adorned with the cooking utensils necessary in the traditional Mexican kitchen

Scorpions

2008-09-19T01:04:00.001-07:00

Aaaay-yay -yay...que Taxco !!!! I love all of the treasures that this Colonial town offers and spend my time designing , producing , buying and selling jewelry (wholesale and retail sales ) Here is a photo of the scorpion belt buckles , key chains and pendants that I find here . They make my neck hair stand on end if I look at them too long but I find them fascinating .They are real scorpions preserved forever in clear resin and definitely fit the "conversation starter " category . People are enamored or repulsed by them . I have yet to meet anyone indifferent !

P.S. I have often heard that it is the smaller, lighter -colored scorpions that are the most poisonous / dangerous - the "guerritos" ... Oh, and that if you see one scorpion -be on the lookout for its mate - they travel in pairs !

Just a note- The metal used to make these is alpacca , sometimes known as nickel silver.

* What is nickel silver?

Nickel Silver is the generic name for any of a range of non-precious bright silvery-grey metal alloys, composed of copper, nickel and zinc. Despite its name it contains no real silver. It is also commonly called German Silver.

Nickel Silver gets its name because its colour matches that of silver reasonably, and because it was used as a low status substitute for silver in the 19th century. (There was then no effective trades description legislation to prevent confusion of this alloy with sterling silver). Nickel Silver was (and still is) widely used for the commercial production of industrial components, housewares, flatware and cutlery, and as the metal substrate for silver-plated goods, hence the term EPNS = Electro-Plated Nickel Silver.

*History
The family of Nickel Silver alloys has been known since the early 18th century and were initially developed in the far east. European traders brought back metal ware goods which were described using the Indian word Tutenag or the Chinese word Paktong. This new alloy with its properties of strength, relatively easy working and silvery colour began to be used for a range of consumer goods, but it was not until the 1840s that the alloy was developed in its modern formulation. By then firms such as Elkington in England and Berndorf in Austria were looking for a stable, cheap, silverish metal as a substrate for the new process of electroplating. Hence EPNS was born, and its German equivalent Alpacca.

* This info is taken from the following website :

http://pages.zoom.co.uk/leveridge/nickel1.html

Santa Prisca (and me )

2008-05-31T04:26:00.000-07:00

Bienvenidos !

2008-04-10T01:04:00.000-07:00

The Taxco Silver Blog begins .

Welcome ! Bienvenidos !

My vision for this website is to share some of the history of Taxco, Guerrero , Mexico as well as my personal history and experiences in this beautiful Colonial town . However the main focus will be on unique pieces of jewelry made in Taxco and the jewelry artists that I buy them from ....I hand pick each piece that you will see on this blog and then import them into the United States to share with interested parties ! You are welcome to contact me with questions you might have . Just make a comment on the blog with your questions and as I check back in I will answer the best that I can.

Taxco is located two and a half hours south of Mexico City . It is known as the silver capital of Mexico . It has an amazing history - So check back because I will be adding more specific info to this section over time .