Vintage Coro silver jewelry from Mexico is sought after by Coro collectors, vintage Mexican jewelry collectors, and, often, those who collect vintage Modernist jewelry.

Photographs and information about Coro and the Coro silver jewelry crafted in Mexico can be found at:

Coro Design Patents and the related Coro Mexico – Unpatented
Coro Costume Jewelry
The Story of Coro
RCJ Jewelry Marks
Silver Jewelry Treasures

Here is a selection of vintage Coro Mexican silver jewelry currently offered for sale (auction or fixed price) on eBay:

1950s Coro Mexico Sterling Silver Heart Brooch US $8.95 (0 Bid) Auction Ends: Sunday Aug-01-2010 23:24:12 PDT   | Watch this Item

VTG CORO MEXICO SILVER RHINESTONE JEWELRY SET STERLING US $49.99 Auction Ends: Monday Aug-02-2010 6:40:25 PDT   | Watch this Item

Vintage Silver Pin Deer Fawn Coro Mexico Mexican US $39.99 Auction Ends: Wednesday Aug-18-2010 13:27:22 PDT   | Watch this Item

Vintage Coro Tulip Bouquet Mexico Mexican Silver Pin US $149.99 Auction Ends: Sunday Aug-22-2010 19:05:03 PDT   | Watch this Item

Vintage Coro Mexican silver jewelry attracts a variety of collectors originally appeared on Vintage Mexican Silver on July 26, 2010. Turn to Vintage Mexican Silver for the latest news about auctions and dealers in vintage Mexican silver jewelry and silverware, including mid-century modern and modernist design, William Spratling, Margot de Taxco, Los Castillo, Sigi and Antonio Pineda, Matl, Hector Aguilar, and other famous Mexican silver designers.

William Spratling (American, 1900-1967). Bracelet, ca. 1935-1940. Silver, 1 1/8 x 7 3/4 in. (2.9 x 19.7 cm).Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Dr. Martin R. and Eve Lebowitz in memory of their parents,Henry and Esther Lebowitz, 2006.7.2. Creative Commons-BY-NC

The Museum provides the following information about Spratling:

Although one of the twentieth century’s most prolific creators of handmade jewelry, William Spratling stood consciously outside the modernist movement thatt flourished during his career. Trained as an architect, he was introduced to the idea of jewelry making during sojourns in Mexico beginning in 1926. In 1929 he moved to Taxco, Mexico, the site of centuries-old silver mines, and set up a company of local artisans to revive the art of silver hollowware and jewelry. His designs were inspired primarily by pre-Columbian motifs. This venture became an enormous success, especially during World War II and immediately after when department stores in the United States were cut off from European suppliers of luxury goods. Unfortunately, Spratling lost control of his company to other investors, and by 1946 Spratling y Artesanos was out of business. Thanks to his apprenticeship system, however, his legacy continues in Mexico today.

William Spratling (American, 1900-1967). Pair of Spurs, before 1952. Silver, 8 1/2 x 3 1/2 in. (21.6 x 8.9 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Museum Collection Fund and the Dick S. Ramsay Fund, 52.166.22. Creative Commons-BY-NC

See larger image Spratling Silver: A Field Guide : Recognizing a William Spratling Treasure (Paperback) By (author) Phyllis M. Goddard List Price: $39.95 USD New From: $44.95 In Stock Used from: $140.26 In Stock

Next time you’re in Brooklyn….. originally appeared on Vintage Mexican Silver on July 24, 2010. Turn to Vintage Mexican Silver for the latest news about auctions and dealers in vintage Mexican silver jewelry and silverware, including mid-century modern and modernist design, William Spratling, Margot de Taxco, Los Castillo, Sigi and Antonio Pineda, Matl, Hector Aguilar, and other famous Mexican silver designers.

Click on the links to read or download these articles (free, PDF format):

William Spratling and the Taxco School: Mexican Silver Jewelry 1930-1970 by Christie Romero, JCK, March 1993

William Spratling and the Taxco School by Monica Clare McLaughlin, JCK, June 2004

SPRATLING MORRILL GODDARD MEXICAN SILVER RENAISSANCE US $75.00 Auction Ends: Sunday Aug-08-2010 14:16:17 PDT   | Watch this Item

Mexican Silver by Carole A. Berk, Penny MorrILL 1994 US $95.00 Auction Ends: Friday Aug-13-2010 0:57:46 PDT   | Watch this Item

Mexican Silver by Carole A. Berk, Penny C. Morrill, ... US $56.95 Auction Ends: Saturday Aug-14-2010 16:48:36 PDT   | Watch this Item

Articles for collectors of vintage Mexican silver originally appeared on Vintage Mexican Silver on July 11, 2010. Turn to Vintage Mexican Silver for the latest news about auctions and dealers in vintage Mexican silver jewelry and silverware, including mid-century modern and modernist design, William Spratling, Margot de Taxco, Los Castillo, Sigi and Antonio Pineda, Matl, Hector Aguilar, and other famous Mexican silver designers.

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Art Nouveau movement sought to remove the barriers between the fine and applied arts. Traditionally art had been separated into the distinct categories of fine art (painting and sculpture) and applied arts (ceramics, furniture, and other utilitarian objects). Propenents believed that art should be part of everyday life, and that even the most practical objects should not be overlooked by art. This was a radically new approach to art, and thus the name New Art.

As noted in Wikipedia, Art Nouveau is “characterized by organic, especially floral and other plant-inspired motifs, as well as highly stylized, flowing curvilinear forms.”

One of the most successful expressions of the Art Nouveau style was jewelry. Using the sensuous organic forms of Art Nouveau, jewelers such as Louis Comfort Tiffany, Karl Fabergé, René Lalique, Georges Fouquet (to name a few) created extraordinarily beautiful and original jewels inspired by nature and mythology.

Art Nouveau was on the wane by the time Fred Davis arrived in Mexico City and after World War I gave way to more rational styles such as Art Deco. Still, a number of the famous designers of Mexican silver jewelry working in Taxco and other parts of Mexico during the 20th century (including Margot de Taxco and Los Castillo) were inspired by the elegance, sensuality, flamboyance of Art Nouveau and created magnificent pieces of jewelry reflecting the best attributes of Art Nouveau.

A few pieces of vintage Mexican silver jewelry in the Art Nouveau style are currently up for auction on eBay:

For more information about Art Nouveau, a good place to start is the Art Nouveau section of the Google Directory.

Art nouveau design in vintage Mexican silver jewelry originally appeared on Vintage Mexican Silver on June 4, 2010. Turn to Vintage Mexican Silver for the latest news about auctions and dealers in vintage Mexican silver jewelry and silverware, including mid-century modern and modernist design, William Spratling, Margot de Taxco, Los Castillo, Sigi and Antonio Pineda, Matl, Hector Aguilar, and other famous Mexican silver designers.

Photo: Braswell Galleries

 Auctioneer’s description:

Sale 1049 Lot 471
MEXICAN STERLING AND MIXED METAL BOWL ON STAND: By Chato. The ring based bowl with inlaid mixed metal Maya style figures. The stand with inlaid key motif. Bowl H. 4.75, Diam. 11.” The stand H. 2.25, Diam. base 5.” Approx. 30.85 Troy ozs. Note: Scratches iniside the bowl. Minimum bid $ 2,000. Estimate $ 4,000-6,000

More information at Braswell Galleries or Artfact.
Read more about Chato Castillo and Los Castillo at Carole A. Berk, Ltd.

See larger image Mexican Silver: Modern Handwrought Jewelry & Metalwork (Schiffer Book for Collectors) (Hardcover) By (author) Penny C. Morrill, Carole A. Berk List Price: $59.95 USD New From: $38.00 In Stock Used from: $43.99 In Stock

Auction tomorrow – vintage Chato Castillo mixed metals bowl on stand originally appeared on Vintage Mexican Silver on May 15, 2010. Turn to Vintage Mexican Silver for the latest news about auctions and dealers in vintage Mexican silver jewelry and silverware, including mid-century modern and modernist design, William Spratling, Margot de Taxco, Los Castillo, Sigi and Antonio Pineda, Matl, Hector Aguilar, and other famous Mexican silver designers.

Intended for the Popular Mechanics audience that wants to know how things are made, the article explores techniques such as metales casados and mosaic inlay, and it’s accompanied by photographs of the silversmiths at work.  Thanks to Google Books, we can see the original in all of its 1950s glory.  Highly recommended!

Sterling Taxco Vintage Abalone Screw On Earrings US $20.00 Auction Ends: Friday Jul-30-2010 7:03:20 PDT   | Watch this Item

VINTAGE TAXCO 980 STERLING SILVER PIN BROOCH US $45.00 (1 Bid) Auction Ends: Friday Jul-30-2010 7:03:29 PDT   | Watch this Item

VINTAGE TAXCO MEXICO 980 STERLING DONKEY BURRO PIN US $24.00 (0 Bid) Auction Ends: Friday Jul-30-2010 7:05:53 PDT   | Watch this Item

VINTAGE TAXCO 980 STERLING SILVER AND AMETHYST PIN US $38.00 (0 Bid) Auction Ends: Friday Jul-30-2010 7:09:18 PDT   | Watch this Item

RETRO VINTAGE TAXCO BRACELET 925 SILVER TURQUOISE INLAY US $40.00 Auction Ends: Friday Jul-30-2010 7:10:57 PDT   | Watch this Item

Read “Mexico’s City of Silver” in Popular Mechanics 1952 originally appeared on Vintage Mexican Silver on May 10, 2010. Turn to Vintage Mexican Silver for the latest news about auctions and dealers in vintage Mexican silver jewelry and silverware, including mid-century modern and modernist design, William Spratling, Margot de Taxco, Los Castillo, Sigi and Antonio Pineda, Matl, Hector Aguilar, and other famous Mexican silver designers.

As noted in Wikipedia, from about 1925 and on into the 1940s, the art deco influence could be seen in the decorative and visual arts throughout the world.

One top-rated seller on eBay, ogeantiques (eBay store Earthly Adornments) has a nice selection of vintage Mexican silver jewelry designed in the Deco style. Shown below are some of the pieces this seller has for sale:

If you’d like to learn more about Art Deco jewelry, a good place to start is with Art Deco Jewelry by Sylvie Raulet.  As Library Journal notes:

Explosion of color, drama of form, and juxtaposition of texture and contour best describe the jewelry of the Art Deco period, and Raulet has captured it all. Beginning with the “Birth of Art Deco,” jewelry is put in context with early 20th-century art movements and its development traced along with its renowned creators. Abundant illustrations of fine examples of various popular motifs from the African, Egyptian, and Oriental to themes of fantasy and the world of the machine makes it easy to see the quality craftsmanship that prevailed. Included are eight chapters on topics ranging from influences on jewelry to haute joaillerie and costume jewelry. Brief biographies of eminent designers conclude the volume. Highly recommended.

See larger image Art Deco Jewelry (Paperback) By (author) Sylvie Raulet List Price: $44.95 USD New From: $991.74 In Stock Used from: $44.26 In Stock

Deco designs in vintage Mexican silver jewelry originally appeared on Vintage Mexican Silver on May 8, 2010. Turn to Vintage Mexican Silver for the latest news about auctions and dealers in vintage Mexican silver jewelry and silverware, including mid-century modern and modernist design, William Spratling, Margot de Taxco, Los Castillo, Sigi and Antonio Pineda, Matl, Hector Aguilar, and other famous Mexican silver designers.

Some of the vintage modernist design jewelry from Mexico currently available on eBay includes the pieces shown below:

Modernist design in vintage Mexican silver jewelry originally appeared on Vintage Mexican Silver on May 7, 2010. Turn to Vintage Mexican Silver for the latest news about auctions and dealers in vintage Mexican silver jewelry and silverware, including mid-century modern and modernist design, William Spratling, Margot de Taxco, Los Castillo, Sigi and Antonio Pineda, Matl, Hector Aguilar, and other famous Mexican silver designers.

The article mentions Spratling’s association with the American company, Silson Inc. – he provided designs that were produced in Rhode Island and New York. I came across one such piece on Bonanzle, a sterling silver pin:

Photographs by Bonanzle member AuntVal

Click here to learn more about this pin.

VINTAGE-SPRATLING-SILVER PLATED-COPPER-RHINESTONE PIN US $49.99 Auction Ends: Sunday Aug-01-2010 10:06:59 PDT   | Watch this Item

WILLIAM SPRATLING MEXICO VINTAGE STERLING SILVER PIN US $475.00 Auction Ends: Tuesday Aug-03-2010 17:46:14 PDT   | Watch this Item

Wm Spratling Vintage Sterling Silver Earrings Taxco US $246.49 Auction Ends: Wednesday Aug-04-2010 15:45:09 PDT   | Watch this Item

VINTAGE SPRATLING STERLING SILVER EARRINGS US $119.00 Auction Ends: Tuesday Aug-10-2010 22:46:16 PDT   | Watch this Item

VTG SPRATLING TAXCO MEXICAN SILVER STERLING 2 BUTTONS US $100.00 Auction Ends: Friday Aug-13-2010 18:47:19 PDT   | Watch this Item

William Spratling and the Taxco School, vintage Silson originally appeared on Vintage Mexican Silver on March 5, 2010. Turn to Vintage Mexican Silver for the latest news about auctions and dealers in vintage Mexican silver jewelry and silverware, including mid-century modern and modernist design, William Spratling, Margot de Taxco, Los Castillo, Sigi and Antonio Pineda, Matl, Hector Aguilar, and other famous Mexican silver designers.

Domed silver cuff with amethyst cabochon set in shadow box, photo: Don Cole

Pineda is lauded for his bold designs and ingenious use of gemstones. Silver Seduction traces the evolution of his work from the 1930s–70s, and includes more than a hundred necklaces and bracelets, as well as numerous rings, earrings, and diverse examples of his hollowware and tableware. All of the works feature Pineda’s hard-to-achieve combination of highly refined execution and hand-wrought appeal.

Necklace with layered feather design, silver, onyx inlay, photo: Don Cole

Pineda’s jewelry is especially known for its elegant acknowledgment of the human form. It is often said that a Pineda fits the body perfectly, that it feels right when it is worn. For example, a thick geometric necklace that might at first glance seem too weighty or rigid to wear comfortably is, in fact, faceted, hinged, or hollowed in such a way that it gracefully encircles the neck or drapes seductively down the décolletage.

Silver Seduction: The Art of Mexican Modernist Antonio Pineda and its publication are made possible through the generosity of the Donald B. Cordry Memorial Fund and Jill and Barry Kitnick. The exhibition was developed by the curatorial team of the Fowler Museum with consulting curator Gobi Stromberg. All works presented are either from the collections of Cindy Tietze and Stuart Hodosh or the Fowler Museum at UCLA. The exhibition runs through January 2, 2011. For more information, visit the Museum of International Folk Art’s Web site, MOIFA.org.

See larger image Silver Seduction: The Art of Mexican Modernist Antonio Pineda (Paperback) By (author) Gobi Stromberg List Price: $35.00 USD New From: $25.19 In Stock Used from: $28.67 In Stock

Silver Seduction celebrating Antonio Pineda heading to New Mexico originally appeared on Vintage Mexican Silver on February 27, 2010. Turn to Vintage Mexican Silver for the latest news about auctions and dealers in vintage Mexican silver jewelry and silverware, including mid-century modern and modernist design, William Spratling, Margot de Taxco, Los Castillo, Sigi and Antonio Pineda, Matl, Hector Aguilar, and other famous Mexican silver designers.