Mexican Alpaca Inlay Necklace

This is a very nice Mexican necklace with black enamel and shell inlay in a sectioned design with hook clasp at the back. It measures almost 15" and about 1/2" at the widest at the design front. Easily mistaken for sterling or silver, this is signed Alpaca Mexico indicating the metal is Alpaca, not  silver. Alpaca is an alloy of copper, zinc, nickel and 2% silver. It was used frequently as a silver substitute in the manufacture of jewelry in Mexico and South America. 

Mexican jewelry can be date identified by the various marks required by the government. Between 1946 -1979 an eagle (quinto) was used to identify authentic sterling. Each piece had to be weighed and marked as genuine sterling by the assayer's office. In 1979 another method was devised using a two letter and number system to identify the town where the piece was made and the artists name along with a registration number for that particular artist. (TE-15 = made in Taxco by artist with E as (first or last) name and the 15th to register under the letter E.)  I suggest reading more about vintage Mexican jewelry marks and what they mean in "The Little Book Of Mexican Silver Trade and Hallmarks" by Bille Hougart. 

A number of years ago, we purchased the entire inventory of a southwestern jewelry shop estate. Most of the items were pre-1979 and some older. Much of the stock was new still in old inventory wrappings. We have had some beautiful pieces come out of this inventory and still have more to unwrap and offer to those of you who love Mexican jewelry. The designs and styles are endless and all most of the items need is a good polish and somewhere to be displayed and worn.