Los Ballesteros Mexican silver and sapphire cat Pendant

One of the very few old Mexican workshops that still remain operational today, the Los Ballesteros taller started its life in 1937 in Iguala before it moved to Taxco in about 1941. When I first started buying and selling vintage Mexican jewelry, I would never have imagined that it would become one of the workshops whose best designs I would avidly search out. Yet looking back now, I can tell with absolute certainty that that is the case indeed. There is hardly a style, form or technique in the galaxy of Mexican silver the Los Ballesteros didn’t try their hand at - most often with great success, at times with acceptable results. I find, however, that they truly excelled in the creation of stunning, monumental hinged bangle bracelets adorned with gemstones, hard stones or carved “masks” and spectacular pin / pendant designs. Minimalist yet easily recognizable as a cat, the pendant at hand is both bold and playful adorned with a large, faceted color-change sapphire. Cartoonish and irreverent, it is shown here with a chain to illustrate how it looks worn as a necklace but the chain is not included in the sale (if you need a vintage silver chain to accompany it, please let me know) …

Size / Weight: 1 3/4” long (without the bail) by 1 7/8” wide; with the bail it adds a 2” drop to the chain; 31.8 grams (pendant only)

Hallmarks / Date: workshop’s logo as shown as well as “STERLING 925” and “HECHO EN MEXICO”; I don’t see an assay mark so I will date it in the pre-1948 period

Condition: excellent vintage, fun and bold at the same time, with a gorgeous gemstone, nice patina and no damage or repairs noted

Inv# 15584