Antonio Pineda was a Taxco, Mexico native, and is considered one the most prominent of the many silversmiths to emerge from the mountain mining town beginning in the 1930s.  He was born in 1919 and died at the age of 90 in 2009

The works of Pineda are the focus of a current exhibit at the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico, called "Silver Seduction: The Art of Mexican Modernist Antonio Pineda. The exhibit traces his work through the 1970s. For more information on the exhibit, please visit the Museum of International Folk Art's website, moifa.org.

 

It has been said that no other Taxco jeweler used as many costly semiprecious stones or set them with as much ingenuity, skill, and variety as did Pineda. Only the most talented of silversmiths could master the unique challenges posed by setting gemstones in silver at the high temperature necessary to work the metal. Pineda, however, managed to set gems with as little metal touching them as possible, giving them a free or floating look while still holding them firmly in place.

 

The works of Pineda were individually crafted, and individually designed. It is often said that a Pineda jewelry piece fits the body perfectly - that it just feels right when it is worn. For example, a thick geometric necklace that might at first glance seem too weighty or rigid to wear comfortably is, in fact, faceted, hinged, or hollowed in such a way that it gracefully encircles the neck or drapes seductively down the décolletage.  One of Pineda's favorite sayings was: "The richness of silver is immortal. It doesn't die."

 

For more information on the works of Pineda, there is a paperback book, also called Silver Seduction: The Art of Mexican Modernist Antonio Pineda. It is available from Amazon.com or leading book retailers nationwide.

Here are some photos of his work:

All Jewelry Photos credit Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico