This is a stunning Taxco sterling silver necklace featuring onyx, jasper, turquoise and another unidentified polished black striped stone. This piece is in the style of Enrique Ledesma. The silver is impeccably blended with the stones. Clearly, with this level of attention to detail and skill, one may assume this piece was indeed done by a true master.
Taxco silver jewelry has a fascinating and rich history. The indigenous people of Taxco were using silver long before the arrival of the Spanish in the Americas. This indigenous society mined silver and used it to make gifts and offerings to the Aztec gods. The people of Taxco utilized their ingenuity and creativity centuries before the arrival of a man named William Spratling. However, it was indeed this man who put into motion what collectors around the world covet: silver Taxco jewelry.
In the early 1920s, the American architect William Spratling arrived in Mexico. Spratling became friends with Diego Rivera and soon began to work closely with him. As an architect and professor Spatling was fascinated by Aztec jewelry and used it as inspiration for his own designs. As Spratlling’s jewelry became more popular he began teaching local silver designers how to produce his designs. Spratling’s influence on Taxco silver jewelry is undoubtable, however the city’s reputation for stunning jewelry designs has only grown since then. Taxco is now thought of as producing incredible artists and designers such as Enrique Ledesma. Ledesma studied under Spratling and his influence is undeniable. Ledesma is renowned for his seamless blending of stone with silver.
All the links are original and very sturdy. The box clasp is in good working condition. This piece is marked “925 MEXICO” to ensure authenticity. This piece is also marked “TC-92”. After 1980, Mexican silversmiths adopted the “letter and number” system. The letter and number systems utilizes a letter to identify a location (e.g. T for Taxco). The second letter used in the system is meant to identify the first of last name of the maker (in this case the maker’s name began with a C). Finally, the number is the number of the registration of the maker.
All seven of the stones featured in this necklace are in wonderful condition. The onyx is a deep, buttery black while the turquoise features streaks of dusty orange and lapis-like blue. The jasper as well as the unidentified stone are in equally good condition. This necklace is nicely graduated, so naturally the stones range in size. The smallest is approximately 17.07 mm while the largest is approximately 26.66 mm. This piece weighs approximately 102.5 grams or 3.29 troy ounces. Laid flat this necklace is approximately 17 inches long.
This is a truly spectacular necklace and a prime example of the beauty of Taxco silver jewelry!
