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Silver Marks925 in an international designation for sterling silver indicating 92.5% silver content. Stamps of 925, Sterling, TAXCO indicate sterling silver. TAXCO, in Mexico, is one of the largest silver mining areas in the world. Alpaca is a term that is often stamped on Mexican (and German) pieces. it is sometimes called Alpaca Silver but it contains no silver at all. Alpaca is usually composed of 65% copper, 18% nickel and 17% zinc. It is similar to German Silver and Nickel Silver. |
About Mexican SilverworkAlthough Mexican silversmiths (plateros) have been making items, including jewelry, out of silver for centuries, it was only after the Mexican Revolution in 1910-1920, that Mexican silverwork began to flourish. Because of government mandated hallmarks on silver pieces, most jewelry pieces that we see today can be dated to one of 3 periods:
Southwest Native American Indians learned their craft from Mexican plateros. You can read more about that here: Where did Navajo silversmiths learn their craft? Our Mexican Shop contains contemporary and new items, sometimes with materials, date and origin unknown. Most of the pieces have been previously owned but some are New Old Stock (NOS) that were never used. Many pieces have signs of wear and use such as darkened patina on silver and gold. Some may have damage. We will describe the condition of each item on its individual page. Paula, Manager
For vintage Native American items visit our vintage Shop. For bargain items visit ouir Bargain Barn. |
MEXICAN SHOP DIRECTORY |
