explore | Grilled Cheese

@loscastillotaxco.bsky.social Oct 13, 2026, 10:51 PM

A lovely set of handmade sterling silver Mexican Art Deco Tropical Bloom design brooch pin and earrings created by Margot for Los Castillo in Taxco c. 1940s.

#loscastillotaxco #margotdesign #mexicansilver #artdecojewelry #floraldesign #sterling #brooch #tropicalbloom #mexicanjewelry #taxco #1940s

A lovely set of vintage 1940s handmade sterling silver Mexican Art Deco floral design brooch pin and earrings by Margot Van Voorhies Carr for Los Castillo in Taxco, Mexico. Very pretty entirely handmade and curvaceous early design by Margot when she was married to Antonio Castillo in the early days of Los Castillo. Margot was the head designer there for most of the 1940s, and this set is a great example of the lushness of her sculptural design in the early days! The brooch measures 2.5" by 2". The earrings measure 1-1/8" by just under 1". Total weight for the set is 1.2 ounce or roughly 34 grams total. Marked as shown, "Los Castillo Taxco Sterling Made in Mexico" with design number "723" on the brooch, and the earrings are marked with design number "721". From a local Tucson estate, and in such great shape after all these years! Excellent vintage condition.

@patrickkapty.bsky.social Oct 9, 2026, 7:05 PM

Two pairs of modernist sterling silver earrings
(left) Eigil Jensen for Anton Michelsen Denmark 1950s
(right) Jem Taxco 1980s

Both pairs available...

www.rubylane.com/shop/califor...

#handmade #modernist #earrings #sterlingsilver #eigiljensen #antonmichelsen #denmark #Jem #taxco #mexicansilver

@loscastillotaxco.bsky.social Oct 8, 2026, 6:05 PM

A magnificent Los Castillo Taxco Margot design sterling silver & amethyst Mexican Art Deco floral Orchid design necklace circa 1940s.

#loscastillotaxco #handmade #mexicansilver #margotdesign #taxco #1940s #sterlingsilver #amethyst #necklace #orchid #design #artdeco #mexico #mexicanjewelry #plata

@patrickkapty.bsky.social Oct 6, 2026, 3:09 PM

An ornate sterling silver & amethyst Mexican Art Deco scroll & bead design ring c. 1930s - measures 7/8" by 7/8" at top, size 5.5 US!

Available...

www.rubylane.com/item/1879775...

#handmade #mexicansilver #artdeco #beadandscroll #design #sterlingsilver #amethyst #ring #ornate #oneofakind #taxco

@patrickkapty.bsky.social Sep 30, 2026, 4:02 PM

A bold sterling silver Mexican Art Deco bracelet designed by Margot van Voorhies for Los Castillo in Taxco c. 1940s.

Available...

www.rubylane.com/item/1879775...

#handmade #sterlingsilver #mexicansilver #LosCastillo #Margotdesign #taxco #mexicanartdeco #plateria #mexicanjewelry #wearableartdeco

@loscastillotaxco.bsky.social Sep 30, 2026, 3:31 PM

A lovely handmade sterling silver and carved coral cameo Mexican Art Deco locket pendant necklace designed by Margot van Voorhies for Los Castillo in Taxco - circa 1940s.

#loscastillotaxco #mexicansilver #margotdesign #carved #coral #locket #pendant #necklace #mexicanjewelry #taxco #artdeco #art

I'm guessing this pendant is from the late 1940s 1946-47, just before the advent of the Eagle mark system in 1948. It's no doubt one of Margots later designs for Los Castillo just before her divorce from Antonio Castillo. A romantic possibly antique carved coral cameo, I'm guessing of Italian origin, overtop a hinged compartment for a photo of a loved one. Remember, this was either at the end of or just after the Second World War, and romantic tokens were all the rage! Probably special-made at a customer's request who more than likely supplied the coral cameo, possibly from an antique necklace or pendant originally.

Measures 2-3/8" tall by 1-1/2" wide by 5/8" at thickest point, and hangs on a later-added sterling chain. Marked "Los Castillo Taxco Sterling Made in Mexico" at back.

@loscastillotaxco.bsky.social Sep 27, 2026, 3:46 PM

A very large handmade sterling silver Mexican Art Deco floral Flower design brooch from Los Castillo circa 1940s.

#handmade #repoussage #sterlingsilver #flower #brooch #pin #LosCastilloTaxco #mexicansilver #mexicanartdeco #artdecodesign #artdecosilver #taxco #jewelrydesign #wearableart #art #plata

@loscastillotaxco.bsky.social Sep 23, 2026, 1:45 PM

A lovely sterling silver and glass necklace and brooch by Los Castillo. The necklace designed by Margot, the fish brooch by Antonio Castillo.

#loscastillotaxco #handmade #margotdesign #mexicansilver #antoniocastillotaxco #taxco #sterlingsilver #glass #necklace #brooch #pin #1940s #wearableart

Antonio Castillo and Margot van Voorhies were an incredible design team as well as a happily married couple! She had great ideas, and he knew how to translate them into actual jewelry pieces. Together they produced the wonderful exotic ornate artworks characteristic of the first decade of Los Castillo.

The examples shown are a necklace design number 456 by Margot, and a brooch design number 514 by Antonio. Both pieces have 1940s Los Castillo marks ie "Los Castillo Sterling Made in Mexico Taxco" along with their respective design numbers.

These items sold June last year at Heritage Auctions in Texas for $1500 including the buyers premium. The new owner is a very lucky person! A rare and absolutely stunning necklace that I've only seen once before! I've seen the brooch a number of times, but this lovely shade of turquoise blue glass in Los Castillo jewelry isn't common.

@loscastillotaxco.bsky.social Sep 20, 2026, 4:05 PM

A huge one of a kind Chato Castillo sterling silver and carved jade Olmec Warrior design pin brooch c. 1940s - measures 4-3/8" tall by 3-1/8" wide!

Available...

www.rubylane.com/item/1879775...

#handmade #OlmecWarrior #precolumbianjade #ChatoCastilloTaxco #mexicansilver #wearableart #brooch #pin

A one of a kind vintage 1940s handmade sterling silver and carved pre-Columbian jade Olmec Warrior design brooch by Chato Castillo of Los Castillo from early in his career in Taxco. Entirely handmade hammered from behind, the sterling silver has been shaped using the repoussage technique to form the dimensional design, then hand etched at front, and with applied silver balls and a dangling fringe at the bottom. No doubt Chato, who was a long time collector of pre-Columbian artifacts like his brother Antonio, and his former employer, William Spratling, created this brooch to house this amazing ancient artifact in hand-carved jade object. Most likely originally worn by a pre-Columbian ball player as a badge of honor or rank. (See my last photo for a similar ceremonial 'hacha' from Veracruz circa 600 CE.) A beautiful pale yellow-green colored jade with slight color variations, and what the Chinese call 黃玉 (Huángyù), meaning "yellow jade". A very rare design that I haven't seen before or since, and according to the classic, "Mexican Jewelry" (1963) by Mary Davis and Greta Pack, speaking about Chato and his jewelry, "...In the few jewelry pieces that he makes...his pieces are all one of a kind..." (p.195). Measures 4-3/8" tall by 3-1/8" wide at front, and weighs a substantial 81.2 grams or nearly three ounces total weight! Marked at back as shown, "Sterling Chato Mexico" and design number "2", which makes this one of his earliest numbered designs. Tested and guaranteed to be as described. Could be easily converted to be worn as a pendant with a slip-on pendant converter that slips over the pin stem. Excellent vintage condition.

@patrickkapty.bsky.social Sep 14, 2026, 6:05 PM

A stylized set of handmade ‘metales casados’ Mexican modernist Eagle Moon Shooting Star pin pendant and earrings by Ana Nunez de Brilanti for her shop Victoria in Taxco.

Available...

www.rubylane.com/item/1879775...

#handmade #metalescasados #AnaNunezdeBrilanti #VictoriaTaxco #mexicansilver #pin

Chato Castillo and Ana Nunez de Brilanti were close friends, and she asked him to train her silversmiths in his ‘metales casados’ technique, which he did, and afterwards she designed jewelry and objects employing the technique, of which this is set is one example.
Brilanti called her ‘metales casados’ line ‘metales’.

A figurative modernist design of a silver Eagle with an incised Crescent Moon for its eye, and a shooting star in copper at center. The eagle is the national animal of Mexico, and was also the symbol of the God of the Sun and War in the ancient Aztec Empire. This design draws on both the current (then) national figure, and the historical symbolism of centuries before in this intrinsically Mexican set of art jewelry!

@patrickkapty.bsky.social Sep 14, 2026, 5:42 PM

A gorgeous pair ‘metales casados’ Mexican modernist geometric hair combs pins by Ana Nunez de Brilanti for her shop Victoria in Taxco - measure 4" tall!

Available..

www.rubylane.com/item/1879775...

#handmade #metalescasados #ananunezdebrilanti #VictoriaTaxco #mexicansilver #taxco #haircombs #art

A gorgeous pair handmade ‘metales casados’ Mexican modernist geometric hair combs pins designed by Ana Nunez de Brilanti for her shop Victoria in Taxco - each measures 4" tall!
Chato Castillo and Ana Nunez de Brilanti were close friends, and she asked him to train her silversmiths in his ‘metales casados’ technique, which he did, and afterwards she designed jewelry and objects employing the technique, of which this is set is one example.
Brilanti called her ‘metales casados’ line ‘metales’.

A delightful abstract modernist design pair of hair combs that are easy to wear, and a rare design that you won’t see anywhere else!

@patrickkapty.bsky.social Sep 11, 2026, 4:01 PM

An interlocking rings sterling silver Mexican modernist necklace by Eligio Contreras of Taxco c. 1980s.

Available...

www.rubylane.com/item/1879775...

#handmade #sterlingsilver #EligioContreras #taxco #mexicansilver #necklace #mexicanmodernism #biomorphic #wearableart #art #1980s #sculpturetowear

@patrickkapty.bsky.social Sep 11, 2026, 3:50 PM

A sculptural Los Ballesteros Taxco sterling silver Mexican modernist necklace c. 1980s - will fit up to a 16" neck!

Available...

www.rubylane.com/item/1879775...

#handmade #sterlingsilver #LosBallesteros #taxco #mexicansilver #necklace #mexicanmodernism #modernistjewelry #sculptural #silver #art