1930s Retro Taxco 980 Silver Graduated Opal Cabochon Necklace

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This 980 silver piece was made in the 1930’s or 1940’s, in the early days of Taxco, with locally sourced … Read more This 980 silver piece was made in the 1930’s or 1940’s, in the early days of Taxco, with locally sourced Mexican white opals. The necklace has five opals, bezel set with a beaded motif around the border. They are all oval in shape, graduating in size to the largest center stone, with slight variations to their shape—some slightly more elongated while others are more rounded, each bezel constructed specifically for each individual opal. Mexican white opal is known for its translucent, milky-white color with flashes of light play, that is sometimes jelly-like in nature. We love that each opal in this piece is unique. Most are milky with embedded colored flecks that appear almost gelatinous; one is a little darker in color with flashes of blue and green and purple. The variety is striking and makes this necklace very beautiful to look at. The opal bezels are each connected by a jump ring, and then attach to a hand-made chain with lovely hand-soldered paper clip links.

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 a man named William Spratling. However, it was indeed this man who put into motion what collectors around the world covet: silver Taxco jewelry.

In the early 1920s, the American architect William Spratling arrived in Mexico. Spratling became friends with Diego Rivera and soon began to work closely with him. As an architect and professor Spatling 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. Spratling’s influence on Taxco silver jewelry is undoubtable, however the city’s reputation for stunning jewelry designs has only grown since then.

The necklace contains approximately 42 caters of opals, that range in size from 11.2 x 9.5 mm to 20 x 15.5 mm. The largest opal has a bit of crazing in it, just across the top surface,(see photos) that is appropriate to the age of this piece. It is not structural.

The necklace measures 16”. Each paper clip link is approximately 3.4 x 9.8 mm. The necklace weighs 35 grams. It is marked as Taxco and 980 silver, which is the marking for Taxco jewelry dating to the 1930’s and 1940’s. The lobster clasp is a replacement, and is marked 925 for sterling silver. See less