This gorgeous Taxco onyx & abalone shell pendant/brooch necklace came from an estate sale down the memory lane, and we list new items frequently, so please save us in your favorites.
NB: ****Display items are not always life size and are not included in the sale. Please check measurements carefully.****
A wonderful necklace for someone special or for your own collection!
These are estate sale pieces, so we do not always know the carat or clarity.
PLEASE NOTE: Because items are from estate sales and could be in vintage condition (see photos/notes),
deep cleaning is left up to the buyer.
****Stone colors/shades in the photographs are not always exact, due to photography lighting and/or the buyer's computer monitor settings. The stone colors may look different and/or the shades appear darker or lighter in real life.****
TAXCO HISTORY: The history of silver in Taxco is a fascinating combination of legend and fact. Located in the hills about 100 miles Southwest of Mexico City, Taxco is the silver capitol of Mexico. It's natural wealth of silver attracted early Conquistadors. Herman Cortes arrived and the Spanish conquered the Aztecs in 1521. A year afterwards Cortes staked his mining claim in Taxco. By the end of the century, Taxco had become a busy mining area and Spain's primary source of precious metals in the New World. Silver from Taxco steadily spread across Europe.
During Mexico's 19th century war for Independence the Spanish barons destroyed their mines rather than lose them to the revolutionaries, and the art of silver work died out in Taxco for quite some time. In 1926, after the highway from Mexico City finally reached Taxco, William Spratling who was a U.S. citizen and associate professor of architecture at Tulane University, arrived in Taxco to study Mexico and its culture. In 1929 he moved to Mexico and was welcomed into several influential artistic circles. In 1931 he created an apprenticeship program that used his own designs to train young silversmiths with artistic talent, then gave them the opportunity to develop their own skills. He brought in a highly regarded goldsmith from Igula to teach the art of working with precious metals. As a result, the great beauty and craftsmanship that again came out of Taxco has earned worldwide recognition and fame for this region of Mexico.
