How To

How to Shop for Vintage Mexican Silver Jewelry

Member
By JasneJ
User-Submitted Article
(12 Ratings)
Mexican Sterling Rope Necklace
Mexican Sterling Rope Necklace

Vintage Mexican silver jewelry has gained popularity recently with prices ranging from $50 to $5000.Beautiful handcrafted sterling silver, sometimes set with gemstones - it is addicting! Here are some tips to help you shop smarter when looking at Mexican silver.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Instructions

Things You'll Need:

  • Your eyes
  • A loupe or 10X magnification glass
  1. Step 1
    Inside: Early Mexican Sterling Silver Bracelet/Cuff
    Inside: Early Mexican Sterling Silver Bracelet/Cuff

    First, judge the overall appearance of the handcrafted Mexican silver jewelry. Feel the weight of the silver. Check for any splits in the silver. Make sure the back is smooth and shows no signs of repair. Check stones to make sure they match. Make sure the clasp is secure. If shopping online, ask questions regarding condition & their return policy.

  2. Step 2
    Early Mexican Bracelet Marked 925 (Sterling)
    Early Mexican Bracelet Marked 925 (Sterling)

    Beginning in the 1930's , most Mexican silver jewelry is stamped with several marks. Look inside the silver bracelet, necklace or ring. The first mark to look for is "925" - sterling silver. Sometimes, you see marks of 950, 970, 980 indicating a higher fineness of silver certain silver artists chose to create their designs. William Spratling was famous for his 980 silver jewelry.

  3. Step 3
    Bring the Loupe to Your Eye & the Jewelry Close to The Loupe
    Bring the Loupe to Your Eye & the Jewelry Close to The Loupe

    With a magnifying glass, hold the item and examine the markings. Many pieces say "Taxco".Taxco is the primary silver jewelry city in Mexico for almost 100 years. If you have a loupe, hold the loupe to your eye, and bring the jewelry to within 2 inches to view.

  4. Step 4
    Back Image of 980 Mexican Bolo Eagle 2 Artists Initials
    Back Image of 980 Mexican Bolo Eagle 2 Artists Initials

    Look for an eagle (bird) mark. This was a national registration used from 1948 - 1980 for guaranteed sterling silver jewelry. Different eagle numbers were used from 1948 - 1980.Many Mexican silver makers signed under the first eagle numbers 1, 2, 3.

    After 1980, a letter and number system was used. Typically, all numbers start with "T" for Taxco.The next letter represents the first letter of the last name of the person. "TR-114"- stands for Melecio Rodrigues, the 114th artist to register.

  5. Step 5
    Spratling / Silson Bracelet
    Spratling / Silson Bracelet

    There were many famous silver designers like William Spratling, Hector Aguilar and Antonio Pineda in Mexican silver jewelry whose works bring thousands of dollars. Unfortunately, there are also faked marks, often seen in William Spratling jewelry. Also, there are authorized reproductions of famous Mexican jewelers. When in doubt, ask questions.

  6. Step 6
    An vintage Mexican Silver Bracelet with a Falsely Welded on Plate
    An vintage Mexican Silver Bracelet with a Falsely Welded on Plate

    If you purchased Mexican vintage silver on eBay, be cautious. There is a seller with over 4000 transactions falsely marking Mexican silver jewelry, often creating jewelry from junked silver jewelry. How can you tell? Look for new welded plates and complaints on other sites like mythreecents.com.

Tips & Warnings
  • Buy what you like, not the name
  • Purchase additional books to learn more about this fascinating and beautiful jewelry
  • Clean your jewelry with a jewelers polishing cloth
  • Avoid using silver paste polish. It lodges in the crevices.
  • NEVER dip your jewelry in silver cleaners, por favor!
  • This is the tip of the iceberg on Mexican silver jewelry.
  • Have fun shopping!

Comments  

angelanyc said

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on 2/21/2009 Great video and article about antique Mexican silver jewelry! Thank you for stating to never dip your silver jewelry into the silver cleaners. I learned something new about vintage Mexican silver jewelry. You put this together very well!

writeitout said

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on 2/18/2009 Great tips, 5*

NuttyMomma said

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on 2/5/2009 wow!!! this jewelry is awesome!!! it is so unique. 5*

LilacGirl said

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on 5/22/2008 This is such a great video and article!

pianistic said

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on 5/3/2008 Great information.

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