Mexican silver  Unique Shapes Pendant (MEX_007)
Mexican silver  Unique Shapes Pendant (MEX_007)
Mexican silver  Unique Shapes Pendant (MEX_007)
Mexican silver  Unique Shapes Pendant (MEX_007)

Mexican Silver Sun Pendant (MEX_007)

$80.00

DETAILS

Traditional sun pendant stamped with "925"

72x81x15

Mexican Silver, a very brief history

In the 14th -16th Centuries the Aztecs mined silver and crafted beautiful, ornate jewelry often to pay tribute to their rulers and their deities. Unfortunately, not much of their work survives today as many of these treasures were melted down by Spanish conquistadors. Then in the 19th Century during the War of Independence Spanish Barons chose to destroy the silver mines rather than lose them to the revolutionaries.

Taxco emerged as a center of Mexican silversmithing in the 1920’s. With help from friends at the American embassy, an American architecture professor named William Spratling was able to reopen the mines, establish a silversmithing apprenticeship program, and encourage craftsmen from across Mexico to produce original designs inspired by Aztec and Mayan cultures. Opening workshops in Taxco these craftsmen and women created a flourishing community of artists, shopkeepers and tourists. Today, Mexico is one of the top silver mining countries in the world.