Online Resources For Vintage Mexican Silver
William Spratling, known as the "father of Taxco silver" (and other variations on that theme), played a key role in the establishment of the Taxco, Mexico silver industry.
A good source to begin your research into Spratling is the Spratling Silver Reference Website.
Be sure to review the brief Spratling biography for a good overview.
William Spratling and the Taxco School is a good overview of Spratling and Taxco silver, as is A Short History of Silver Jewelry Production in Taxco by Carmen Armstrong.
For specific tips on collecting William Spratling silver jewelry and silverware, click here.
Modern Silver is an online magazine about modern silver jewelry, metal arts and objects, and allied decorative arts items. Use its search function to find articles and information about vintage Mexican silver, and join its Silver Forum for discussions about silver. The Forum has a very helpful Numerical List of Mexican "Eagle" Marks.
The Online Encyclopedia of Silver Marks, Hallmarks & Makers’ Marks has a good section on Mexican Silver Marks & Makers’ Marks. Additionally there are separate sections for William Spratling hallmarks, Hector Aguilar hallmarks, Antonio Pineda hallmarks, Los Castillo hallmarks and the hallmarks of other famous designers. And, you can see examples of the beautiful silver pieces created by many of the great silversmiths of Mexico, including Margot de Taxco, Carmen Beckmann, and Salvador Teran.
Hallmarks on the Internet has links to hallmark websites around the world.
You can see a wonderful suite of vintage Mexican jewelry on PBS' Antiques Roadshow. The suite consists of a necklace, pendant, pin, earrings and bracelet by Margot de Taxco and was appraised in a 2005 episode. Watch it here.
Anyone who appreciates fine vintage Mexican jewelry will enjoy seeing rare 14 karat gold jewelry by Antonio Pineda, which was appraised on an episode of Antiques Roadshow in 2006.
If you need information about specific jewelry terminology, visit The American Society of Jewelry Historians' Glossary of Jewelry Terms or All About Jewels: Illustrated Dictionary of Jewelry.
Information about Mexican silver hallmarks and makers' marks, along with tips for caring for your vintage Mexican silver jewelry, can be found here.
Kovels, the publishers of Kovels on Antiques and Collectibles, offers a free price guide search on its web site. You can search by the type of item, or try a search for William Spratling or Frederick Davis, Los Ballesteros, or other famous Mexican jewelry designers. Kovels offers a free weekly ezine too; sign up for it at the web site.
The Amercian Society of Jewelry Historians is a non-profit educational organization dedicated to providing education and information on jewelry history and related topics, including ancient to modern jewelry, cultural influences on jewelry design and wear, famous jewelry designers, jewelry design houses, and jewelry collectors.
The Antiques & Collectibles National Association (ACNA) serves the needs of all individuals (collectors, dealers, show promoters) involved in the various aspects of the antiques and collectibles industry. Membership includes many benefits, including access to insurance.
Large, eclectic mix of antiques, collectibles, antique and vintage jewelry and bakelite, vintage clothing and home furnishings, collector bookstore, reference information, monthly antiques quiz, antique directories, and online museums featuring Art Deco, Art Nouveau, and Arts & Crafts design and Louis Comfort Tiffany lamps and Favrile glass.
SMP Silver Salon Forums - open to anyone with an interest in silver and related metal crafts.
SMP Silver Salon Forums - open to anyone with an interest in silver and related metal crafts.
Researching Costume Jewelry has included a number of Mexican silver marks in RCJ Jewelry Marks. Another site, Mod Baubles, has photographs of maker's marks from Mexican modernist jewelers.
Carole A. Berk is the co-author (with Penny C. Morrill) of Mexican Silver and a well-known expert on vintage Mexican silver. Visit her web site to see beautiful examples of the work of the maestros and to learn more about them.
Must-see: two photo albums of gorgeous vintage Mexican jewelry. One by Erik Yang, the other by Cathy Gordon. There's also a jewelry ring vintage Mexican silver jewelry photo album with some nice pieces to look at.
RetroStart is a website dedicated to vintage mid-century modern design. A number of the designers working in Mexico during the 20th century were influenced by modern design, and a search at RetroStart will turn up interesting results for Mexican silver.
