Caroline's Jewelry with a Past is offering a Margot de Taxco (Margot van Voorhies Carr) necklace, bracelet and earring parure in sterling silver in her design #5209 c. 1950. This early style overlaps with many of the works she designed for Los Castillos when she was working with them. The individual sections are swirls placed around a round, royal blue glass cabochon resembling a sapphire. The glass is bezel set and raised above the sterling silver base to catch the maximum amount of light. Each whorl of the necklace is 1" long X 1/2" tall (maximum dimensions) and are attached in the center by a silver loop which is not visible when worn. There are 16 sections to the necklace. It is 15-1/2"- 16" long, has a box and tongue style clasp, and weighs 42.8 grams. The necklace has "Margot de Taxco" + "5209" + "Sterling" + "Made in Mexico" + the older style Eagle number 16 mark. The flexible link bracelet mirrors the necklace with 7 links and a length of 7"- 7-1/2". There is a safety chain which opens the bracelet an additional 4" for sliding over the wrist. It has a box and tongue style clasp and weighs 24.5 grams. It is marked "Sterling" + "Made in Mexico" + the older style Eagle number 16 mark. The earrings are a single plaque of 1" X 1/2" (maximum dimension). They have screw back attachments. The earrings weigh 7.0 grams. One earring is marked “Made in Mexico” + “Sterling” + the older style Eagle 16 mark. The second earring is marked “Margot de Taxco” + “5209”. All pieces together weigh 74.3 grams.

Margot van Voorhies Carr, known as Margot de Taxco , was originally from San Francisco and moved to Taxco Mexico in the 1930's. She was married for a time to Antonio Castillo who was a partner in Los Castillo, a prominent silver manufacturer. She did a number of their designs in the late 30's and early 40's. Los Castillo continued to use her designs for a number of years. When she left the marriage and started her own jewelry production about 1948, she began with many of her basic Los Castillo designs and modified them to her own tastes. Some of Margot's early pieces and Los Castillo designs overlap. Later, her designs became key to her unique style.

The silver content of this piece has been tested using standard accepted testing methods, such as acid testing. The silver is marked "Sterling" on the necklace, bracelet and one earring. The glass cabochons are evenly colored and a dark royal blue.

When you own vintage handmade jewelry, you wear a design that is unique and represents the artist's vision. It is made by a skilled craftsman and can have features which are only found in this piece. The jewelry may exhibit the marks of the craftsman. It will not be perfect.