Description
16" Los Castillo Modernist sterling and turquoise choker necklace. 16" long 14mm<br>wide, no issues, likely simulated or block turquoise 53 grams, rare design.<br><br>Los Castillo Jewelry - History<br>Antonio Castillo and his brothers Jorge, Miguel, and Justo began Los Castillo in<br>1939. They had all apprenticed in William Spratling’s taller before starting<br>their own business in Taxco, Mexico. Antonio Castillo rose to the level of<br>master silversmith during his time working with Spratling.<br><br>The Los Castillo workshop trained and employed many skilled silversmiths over<br>its decades in the business, including the Castillo brothers’ cousin Salvador<br>Teran, Sigi Pineda, Antonio Pineda, and Antonio Castillo’s wife, Margot van<br>Voorhies Carr. All these artists went on to open their own successful workshops,<br>including van Voorhies Carr who founded Margot de Taxco after she and Antonio<br>Castillo divorced.<br><br>Los Castillo is known for its quality silver wares as well as mixed metals that<br>incorporated copper and/or brass with sterling silver. Other decorative home<br>accessories can be found with silver plating and inlaid stone embellishments.<br><br>Chato (Jorge) Castillo was one of the Castillo brothers who worked in the 1930s<br>for William Spratling. He is known for his technical expertise and his design<br>talent. He developed the techniques for married metals, feathers with silver,<br>Aztec mosaic or stone inlay, concha or abalone inlay,...(Mexican Silver: Modern<br>Hand-wrought Jewelry & Metalwork by Morrill and Berk (Schiffer: 2007, 4th<br>Edition), p. 86.
