"Hecho en Mexico" (Made in Mexico) sterling silver jewelry is varied, innovative and very wearable.  Mexico has a long history of beautiful and inventive jewelry designs in sterling silver.  All types of jewelry- bracelets, necklaces, earrings, pins and brooches, and rings- are produced, as well as belt buckles, cufflinks and other men's items.

The center of the Mexican silver industry is Taxco, in the state of Guerrero.  While beautiful silver jewelry is also produced in other areas, such as Mexico City, Guadalajara and Cuernavaca, Taxco is the most noted.  As many Mexican jewelry makers do not sign their work, or use only initials, the designation "Taxco" is often treated as a hallmark of quality.

Beginning in the 1930's, a number of designers established shops in Taxco, became well-known for the innovative silver designs, and revitalized the industry.  William Spratling is probably the best-know of these artists.  Other noted designers of the times were Hector Aguilar, Los Castillo, Margot de Taxco and others.  Today, original pieces by these designers are extremely rare and valuable.

Mexican silver jewelry draws from both Spanish style and the pre-Hispanic cultures such as the Mayans and the Mixtecs-Zapotecs.  The pre-Hispanic influences are particularly evident in certain pieces, and in the work of certain silversmiths, such as Bernice Goodspeed.

To this day the Aztec calendar and similar pre-Hispanic motifs, as well as abstract designs based on pre-Hispanic art, are commonly found in Mexican jewelry.

Birds and animals of all kinds are a favorite subject of Mexican jewelry.  Brooches, necklaces, bracelets and earrings depict butterflies, horses, lizards, fish and many others.  The depiction of these creatures ranges from hyper-realistic, to fantastical, to cute and whimsical.   Flowers, leaves and other objects from nature are also often found.

Mexican jewelry often incorporates precious and semi-precious stones and shells, either inlaid or set as cabochons in plain bezels.  Green and black onyx, abalone shell, turquoise and amethyst are frequently used.

Also characteristic of Mexican jewelry is the use of gold or brass over the silver to create a striking gold and silver design.

The overlay technique is also often used.  This is where a top layer is cut out and soldered to the lower layer.  This forms a negative design, which is then often darkened by oxidizing.

Most, but not all,  Mexican silver jewelry is marked for silver content.  Early pieces were marked "Silver Mexico" or "Sterling Mexico".  Currently, the designation "925", meaning 92.5% purity, is most often used to indicate that a piece is sterling silver.  Sometimes a piece will bear the designation "950" or "980", indicating a purity greater than that of sterling.

How can you tell the quality of a piece of Mexican sterling silver jewelry?

- Is the work detailed and well put together, or does the piece look crudely done?

- Does the piece have heft to it?  Currently, Mexican silver jewelry is often sold by weight, reflecting the high value of silver.

- Is the piece marked "alpaca"?  Alpaca is actually an alloy with no silver in it at all.  Some alpaca jewelry is beautiful, but it lacks the quality of sterling silver.

-For older pieces, is the condition good?

With the wide variety of Mexican sterling silver jewelry, it's easy to find a quality piece that you will love to wear.

See Our Mexican Sterling

The Lodestar Group