Vintage Sterling Silver Taxco Wide-Link Collar Necklace

This is a very intricate, completely handmade Taxco sterling silver collar necklace with wide links and a beautiful presence on the neck. Each link is a flattened oval shape that has been hinged and stacked to create the width of the necklace. When looked at from the side, the necklace’s graceful design is evident, with each hinge stacked in rows that allow for perfect fluidity. The necklace has flexibility and can stretch out flat but then curve to lay against the neck. It has a great presence on the neck and is beautifully handmade. The necklace has a nice box clasp that pushes open and close. 

Taxco silver jewelry has a fascinating and rich history. The indigenous people of Taxco were using silver long before the arrival of the Spanish in the Americas. This indigenous society mined silver and used it to make gifts and offerings to the Aztec gods. The people of Taxco utilized their ingenuity and creativity centuries before the arrival of architect William Spratling in the 1920’s, but it was Spratling who put into motion what collectors around the world covet: silver Taxco jewelry. Spratling, a friend of Diego Rivera’s, was fascinated by Aztec jewelry and used it as inspiration for his own designs. As Spratling’s jewelry became more popular he began teaching local silver designers how to produce his designs, and the city’s reputation for stunning jewelry continued to grow ever since. 

The necklace is 18” long, but due to the way it curves, fits more like a 17” necklace and rests against the collarbone. It is 1” wide and has a depth of 4.5 mm. It weighs 156 grams or 5 troy ounces. Marked as 925, Taxco, Mexican, and with an L and 60 for the silversmith.