Vintage Mexican Silver Jewelry

Collectors seek vintage Mexican silver items such as jewelry, tableware and religious objects because of their design and high quality. Mexico is a well-known silver producing country.

Many of the best-known artists who produced vintage Mexican silver objects came from Taxco.

Collectors of vintage Mexican silver have many items to choose from. They can specialize in silver tableware, religious symbols or jewelry.

Vintage Mexican silver jewelry pieces made by well-known artists sell for up to 10 times the value of their silver content. Collectors can start with lesser-known or anonymous silver artists. Most vintage silver pieces are 92.5 percent silver, but works by artists such as Spratling are known for being 98 percent silver.

Identifying Hallmarks on Sterling Vintage Mexican Silver Jewelry

Identification

Prior to 1948, Mexican silver hallmarks were fairly straightforward. These hallmarks would indicate the purity of the silver, followed by the place of origin.

In 1980, a system was put in place to register silversmiths. The first letter indicates the city and the second letter stands for the first letter of the silversmith's last name.

Vintage Mexican Silver Jewelry - How to Shop

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!

First, judge the overall appearance of the handcrafted Mexican silver jewelry. Feel the weight of the silver. Check for any splits in the silver.

Beginning in the 1930’s, most Mexican silver jewelry is stamped with several marks. The first mark to look for is "925" - sterling silver. William Spratling was famous for his 980 silver jewelry.

Taxco is the primary silver jewelry city in Mexico for almost 100 years. Different eagle numbers were used from 1948 - 1980.Many Mexican silver makers signed under the first eagle numbers 1, 2, and 3.

There were many famous silver designers like William Spratling, Hector Aguilar and Antonio Pineda in Mexican silver jewelry whose works bring thousands of dollars. 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.

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