William Spratling and the History of Taxco Silver

Only a few outside the jewelry-collecting world have heard of Taxco, let alone know about the rich silver history that decorates the beautiful city. Taxco de Alarcón, most commonly referred to as Taxco, is a small town located 106 miles southwest of Mexico City. The name comes from the Nahuatl meaning “place of the ballgame,” which ominously refers to a morbid Aztec game involving rings and skulls.

Taxco Collar Necklace and Statement Ring. Image: The Gemmary

The native Mesoamericans' Taxco was about 6 miles south of the current Taxco. The governor of the Aztecs resided there and oversaw the collection of tributes from the seven districts. However, Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés decided his Taxco would be north, where silver was abundant.

The Spanish began mining the large silver lodes in the 1530s and worked the diggings until the Mexican Independence of 1821. For 100 years, the sleepy town and mines were relatively unknown to the world until an American named William Spratling moved to Taxco in 1929 to write.

William Spratling, 1935.

By Juan Guzman - Original publication: Grafico Mexico D.F. Av. Morelos 89-Dep. 8 Immediate source: Photo provided by Penny C. Morrill. Author of "William Spratling and the Mexican Silver Renaissance." Photo is also included in this book on page 224. Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/inPex.php?curid=37684199.

Spratling was an assistant professor of architecture at Tulane University, a well-established department of Mesoamerican studies. From 1926 to 1929, he spent his summers lecturing on colonial architecture in Mexico City and toured the country in his free time.

Spratling eventually settled in Taxco and wrote a novel titled Little Mexico. When book sales failed to meet expectations, the US ambassador to Mexico encouraged William to create silver jewelry to sell on the thriving tourist market.

Taxco Bypass Cuff, Chain Link Bracelet, and Bypass Ring. Image: The Gemmary

In 1931, Spratling hired two local Plateros, or silversmiths, to teach him the trade techniques. Soon after this, he began crafting his first pieces at his kitchen table with silver from coins.

As luck would have it, that same year, a brand new highway from Mexico City to Acapulco was completed, linking the tiny town of Taxco to the capital city. Tourists flocked to the quaint village, and Spratling’s jewelry exploded in popularity.

Taxco Amethyst Link Bracelet, Rings, and Day/Night Earrings

Spratling’s early influences were native Mexican designs and motifs spurred by recent archaeological significance in Monte Alban. Throughout his career, William incorporated Mayan to Art Deco, Jazz era motifs, astrological and mythological figures, ranch life depictions, and natural elements.

Artemio Navarette and Alfonso Mondragon were the first Plateros hired by Spratling, and they helped him establish his apprenticeship program shortly after. The first apprentices were the Castillo brothers, who learned English daily and hung around the shop to observe the silversmiths.

Taxco Azuremalachine Earrings and Bangle Cuff Bracelets. Image: The Gemmary

Other young men stepped forward to learn the trade, and the program took off. Antonio Pineda, Margot de Taxco, and Hector Aguilar are notable apprentices who formed their own shops.

During World War II, European import and export of refined and luxury goods ground to a halt. As a result, American high-end stores and chains had to find products elsewhere. Taxco silver became highly fashionable, and many of the period’s celebrities were fond of vacationing in Taxco’s colonial charm.

Sombrero Bypass Cuff, Button Earrings, and Scalloped Collar Necklace. Image: The Gemmary

William Spratling, the father of the modern Mexican jewelry movement, produced jewelry until his untimely death in 1967. Spratling’s enduring legacy will no doubt linger in the glistening silver hills of Taxco and in the hands of the Plateros, who still work today.