Día de los Muertos



Dancing Couple Taxco Silver Pendant-Brooch

Dia de Los Muertos  - or Day of the Dead – is a popular holiday celebrated throughout Mexico. It is also celebrated by people of Mexican ancestry living in other countries – namely the United States. As a multi-day holiday and festival, Dia de Los Muertos pays homage and respect to friends and family members that have passed away. The holiday unites friends, loved ones, and neighbors in celebrating the passing of relatives – instead of mourning them. In fact, the celebration consists of dancing, extravagant costumes and silver jewelry to keep away evil spirits, and especially great food and drink.  In 2008, UNESCO officially honored this annual Mexican holiday, which helps support the spiritual journeys of the deceased and is marked by nationwide dances, parades, and much more.

Holiday Origins and Traditions



Flirty Catrina Taxco Silver Earrings

Dia de Los Muertos, of course, is a public holiday in Mexico – that dates back to the 16^th century. Before Spanish colonization, the celebration primarily took place in the beginning of summer. However, the holiday became associated with October 31, November 1, and November 2 to correlate with the Western Christian traditions of Halloween and All Saints/Souls Day. Traditions between the Western and Mexican holidays also complimented each other – especially when it came to donning extravagant costumes and even sterling silver jewelry to ward off evil spirits or apparitions. Like in other Mexican cities, Taxco celebrates the holiday with traditional private altars called ofrendas. These are built to honor the deceased using sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods or snacks of the departed.

Like other faiths and religions, Mexicans also mark the holiday by leaving possessions of the deceased at their respective graves. This practice is even observed in other nations where they also leave ornaments and even jewelry to mark the passing of their loved ones and friends. These items are then given to the cemetery staff to keep or to submit as charitable donations.

Celebrated Across the World

According to scholars, the modern Mexican holiday dates back hundreds of years to an Aztec festival. This event was dedicated to the goddess Mictecacihuatl, and was primarily observed by the indigenous people and tribes of Mexico. The holiday has since spread across the word – and many cultures have utilized Dia de Los Muertos as a model for honoring their own relatives and friends that have passed on. In Mexico, the holiday has become a national symbol, which is taught at several schools. The celebration is also intertwined with All Saints Day, which is associated with the Catholic Church.

Holiday Observance Jewelry


Decorated Mexican Silver Skull Ring

Like Mardi gras and other popular holidays, Dia de Los Muertos is observed by wearing vibrant and innovative jewelry. While families gather to honor the dead –they also celebrate with parades, music, foods, drinks, and national festival parties. These events feature people of all ages wearing costumes, along with innovative and creative jewelry to express their feelings and pay respect to fallen loved ones and friends. Some of the more popular jewelry sets and accessories include but are not limited to:

* Colorful Day of the Dead charm bracelets.
* Sugar Skull earrings, anklets, and sparking necklaces.
* Cross Skull charm bracelets, rings, and chains.
* Sterling silver ornaments and lavish jewelry sets.

From Taxco, Mexico, to Spain and America, Dead of the dead jewelry continues to soar in global popularity. With so many styles and designs to choose from, families are truly able to cherish their memories of their love ones with singing, dancing, music and specially jewelry and accessories worn in their honor.
The Mexican Day of the Dead celebration is similar to other culture's observances of a time to honor the dead. The Spanish tradition included festivals and parades, as well as gatherings of families at cemeteries to pray for their deceased loved ones at the end of the day.

 

Organizing your Precious Jewelry

So you are a big fan of jewelry, you may not have anything that cost you a fortune exactly but apart from money value there is often tremendous emotional value attached to these pieces. There is your first pair of sterling silver ear hoops your mother bought you for your 13^th birthday, the exquisite vintage Mexican onyx pendant you saved up for ages to buy so you could wear it to your prom, or perhaps the handcrafted silver bracelet set with Malachite your husband gave you when you were first dating. It doesn’t matter what a broker would give for the trinkets you have. For you it’s a treasure that makes you feel richer than the Queen of England.

The question arises: how do you organize all these pieces so they don’t get damaged and to make sure you have no problem finding them when in a hurry? This is what I am going to help you out with in this article. Read on below for some great tips on how to organize your jewelry:

Tip No. 1: Put all the jewelry on a table and carefully look through it. Are there any pieces that are broken? Anything that is mismatched or belong in a museum? Get rid of it.

Tip No. 2: The pieces that can still be redeemed despite being broken or damaged, fix them!

Tip No. 3: Clean the sterling silver jewelry with a silver polish. Another amazing way of cleaning it is to rub it with toothpaste. Do it the old fashioned way using a toothbrush. Reach into all the cracks and details. When you are satisfied, rinse and dry.

Tip No. 4: If you own any gold or platinum jewelry, clean it by diluting 2 tablets of Alka-Seltzer in approximately 250 ml water (a glassful I should say). Dip the jewelry in this solution for 2 minutes.

Tip No. 5: Again, for gold or platinum jewelry, you can make a solution of warm water and dishwashing liquid and soak it. After several minutes, take out the jewelry and rinse it. Dry with a lint-free cloth.

Tip No. 6: Like items must be stored together. You can keep especially expensive or fragile items in their original packing. It is best to keep silver jewelry in jewelry pouches or in jewelry boxes that have thick felt lining.

Tip No. 7: Invest in a small but nice looking jewelry box that you can store everyday jewelry pieces in. Like your rings and small studs and hoops in. It would also make for an excellent ornament for your dresser.

Tip No. 8: To store your gold, copper, platinum or silver chains run them through a straw ensuring you fasten the clasp. This will prevent any knots from forming.

Tip No. 9: Get a mug tree for hanging your sterling silver necklaces putting the longer ones on the top-most branches.

Tip No. 10:  If you are looking for a really cheap but safe way of storing your  jewelry, specially silver jewelry, since it can be scratched easily, and it can tarnish very quickly, get ziplock bags. Buy really small ones to separate the different pieces and you’ll still be able to see what’s inside giving you easy access.

Jewelry and Clothing - Securing the Perfect Combination

Jewelry and clothing simply go hand in hand. While we define our particular styles through the clothes we don – accessories also play a pivotal role in showcasing our distinct and unique flares. From sterling silver pendants and charm bracelets to necklaces and even anklets – jewelry will always have a place at the fashion table. In fact, jewelry helps us tap into a myriad of fashionable trends – and while part of the overall style equation – how does one secure the perfect combination between apparel and accessories? According to industry experts, it is simply a matter of knowing which jewelry set or pieces works and effectively matches your personal décor.

Each Jewelry Piece Must Match the Occasion – and your particular taste

While there are no rules set in stone, today’s trendier styles tend to be less conventional than decades past. In fact, the digital age has seen a strong resurgence in wild and almost outlandish outfits and jewelry sets. No truer is this then when it comes to the fashion Mecca of the world – New York City. In recent years, the Big Apple has seen a strong return of charm and silver bracelets hanging on many a wrist. These accessories seem to go with practically anything you want to wear, including the sexiest nightclub outfits to conservative business suits.

Another past player has returned in a dramatic way as well. This, of course, is the traditional brooch, which is now being sported by countless men and women across NYC and the world. The brooch represents style and sophistication – while truly capturing the allure and essence of traditional jewelry wear. In a nutshell, no matter which jewelry piece you select, it should reflect your innermost tastes and preferences. However, it should also match your outfit and correlate with the occasion at hand.

Less is more – or is it?

When it comes to syncing your jewelry and wardrobe, the “less is more” approach always seems to work. In fact, you do not need overly large or extravagant jewelry just to make a fashion statement. For example: wearing a thin silver or gold necklace with a black dress is the perfect way to showcase style and class. The same can also be said for men that wear geometric or futuristic watches to enhance their look and appeal. In many ways, the more streamlined, polished, and centralized your look – the easy it is on the eyes.

There are some, however, that completely disagree with the current trends and norms. In fact, many of these individuals – both women and men – love testing the waters of jewelry and clothing combinations. This includes wearing long necklaces over ties for men, along with mix and match sets for women. Another popular constant is to choose jewelry that not only matches your clothes but also your skin tone. In fact, metals and gems can truly illuminate your natural skin tones, while enhancing your inner and outer beauty as well. There are a myriad of jewel stones and gems to select from: sapphire, amethyst, gold, and especially silver.

Handcrafted Mexican Silver and Turquoise Choker

While turquoise can bring out the natural color of your eyes, gold is considered perfect for brunettes. Silver seems to go with anything and everything – including casual apparel, sports attire and even the latest evening and social wear. From lavish and elegant dresses to trendy and fashionable suits, jewelry can truly accentuate and enhance the look of any designer or homemade outfit. It’s simply a matter of finding the right items and accessories that not only looks right – but makes you feel great as well.

Interesting Facts About Amber

Amber is one of the world's most treasures: the transparent substance looks like a gem, but it is not completely of the earth as gems are. Amber began its existence as resin that often trapped insects, then over millions of years, the substance, with the insects still trapped inside, became fossilized. Prized for its beauty as well as its scientific interest, amber enhances its value by preserving an instant in time from millions of years ago.

 

 

Simojovel, Chiapas, is one of the world's top three sites for the most sought amber (the other two are Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic, and, broadly, the coast of the Baltic sea). Chiapas is the southernmost state in Mexico and runs along the border with Guatemala. Simojovel amber is clear with colors ranging from a bright golden color to blood-red. Simojovel amber is well known for the primeval insects found locked within it. The amber and its insects date from the late Oligocene to Early Miocene epochs, 23 to 30 million years ago. Mayan artifacts often include amber, and in the latter days of the Mayan culture, many of these artifacts were paid to the Aztecs in tribute.

Scientists say amber is the petrified resin of trees. Resin should not be confused with sap, which is "the blood" of trees that circulates through the a tree to circulate the nutrients derived from the soil by the roots as well as the sweet products of photosynthesis from the leaves. Resin, meanwhile, serves no purpose in the distribution of nutrition through trees. It seeps out the  surfaces of certain trees like pine trees. Yet even scientists do not know what purpose these divine tears of  solar godesses serve.

On rare occasion, resin falls into a place in nature deep in the earth. High pressure and temperatures modify the resin molecularly so they form long chains or polymers—in other words fossilized amber becomes a substance much like a hard and enduring plastic.

It's important to remember that although amber is a fossil, it doesn't have the durability of stone fossils. Amber will dissolve in in alcohol, ether and chloroform, and heated above 200 degrees C., it will produce an oil of amber and a black residue called amber pitch. It can also be dissolved in turpentine or linseed oil to produce amber varnish.

The oldest amber dates from the Upper Carboniferous period, 320 million years ago, and the more common forms date from the Cretaceous period, 150 million years ago. This latter form often contains insects and preserves soft parts that would not be preserved by ordinary fossilization. In terms of market value, scientific interest, intellectual curiosity, and simple adornment purposes, amber with insects has the greatest value.

For the past 13,000 years—since cave man days—amber has been used as jewelry. Polished stones made from amber are often mounted in sterling silver to produce beautiful pieces. Those with insects visible in the amber have especially good financial as well as conversation-starting value, so they have settings of corresponding value as well.

The ancient Greeks concocted a delightful but sad myth to explain amber. Phaeton was the son of Helios, the Sun. One day ambitious Phaeton persuades doting Helios to allow him to drive the chariot of the sun across the sky. But Phaeton is too young to control the solar chariot, and he loses control of the powerful horses pulling the chariot, and before he can crash into the earth and cause great damage, Zeus zaps him with a thunderbolt. The mourning of Phaeton's sisters transforms them into poplar trees, and their tears become the precious substance electrum, meaning "beaming sun," which was the Greek phrase for what we call amber—the joy of sunlight wrought, through tears of pain, as a precious substance.

 
Yet beyond its scientific, social, and adornment value, amber might well have a spiritual value as well. You might not believe in Helios, spoiled Phaeton, and the tears that Phaeton's sisters cried, but that beautiful piece of jewelry around your neck links you to over a hundred million years of the history of life on earth. Or perhaps you will simply take great pleasure in owning a piece of beautiful and valuable amber.

If you'd like to see some samples of this amazing fossils, visit Mexico Sterling where Taxco silver and Simojovel amber jewelry is displayed with the most unique and artistic artisan designs.

The Importance Cufflinks Today, many men overlook the importance of owning a nice pair of cufflinks. A pair of stunning cufflinks can become the focal point of any formal look and they allow you to differentiate yourself from the masses. Unique cufflinks can be used to show some personality and creativity. Generally, nice cufflinks are considered prestigious, much like an expensive watch, but the difference is that cufflinks are more reasonably priced. An Extraordinary pair of cufflinks will not go unnoticed! If you are interested in purchasing sterling silver cufflinks or other sterling silver accessories for men and women visit http://mexicosterling.com/

By Geseell Grant - mexicosterlingsilver@gmail.com

Rings – An Everlasting Expression for Love!

It is often said that love has no language, but it sure can be expressed with words, emotions, chocolates, flowers and promising jewelry such as rings. Rings have been in existence for thousands of years now. The circular band around one’s finger can be a symbol of an eternal love. Rings can be made of gold, platinum, silver and gemstones.

Mexico is famous for its unique and artistic sterling silver jewelry and some of the exquisite products are 925 sterling silver rings, silver earrings and necklaces. Rings go way back in the history with different significance in various cultures.

During the excavations of Hittite civilization from ancient east, rings along with signet rings were discovered. Many rings designs from ancient Egypt have also been found, most popular being the scarab design. It is believed that rings were used as New Year exchange gifts and also as parting gifts to the dead. The rings and other ornaments were buried with the dead, and were believed to be used by the dead in the afterlife. Then over the period of time there were different ring designs from Roman and Greek fashion. While these cultures observed rings as something pure and eternal, around 18th century, an English writer, Samuel Johnson described ring as a circular object put on women’s finger and hogs noses to subject and restrain them.

It was also believed that rings reserved good and bad spirits. Till today there are rings with different gemstones that are believed to have protective and curative power. The stones are placed in the bands made from gold, silver and bronze. There are various other kinds of rings that signify different occasions. Let us take a quick look at different rings and their significance.

 

1.      Birthstone rings: This ring is set with the owner’s birthstone in is made out of gold, silver or bronze. It is usually simple in design.
2.      Sports rings: Usually such rings are presented to the members of the winning team as a mark of victory. World Series ring and Super Bowl ring are the most famous ones in this category.
3.      Cocktail rings: It is usually a ladies ring with a huge stone set in the center with smaller stones surrounding the larger one. It is also known as dinner ring.
4.      Engagement rings: It is worn by a woman and symbolizes that she is engaged to be married.
5.      Eternity rings: This ring signifies eternal love for the partner. It is usually a band with small stones set around the band.
6.      Five Metal rings: It is made up of five metals lead, gold, copper, silver and tin. It was considered as a source of good luck by the Talmud.
7.      Friendship ring: It can be exchanged as a symbol of friendship both platonic and romantic.
8.      Mother’s ring: Such rings are worn by the mother with birthstones of her children as well as her husband and her own.
9.      Mourning ring: This ring is worn to honor someone’s death during funerals.
10.     Wedding rings: These rings are exchanged between the partners as a symbol of their undying love for each other on the wedding day. With so many options and occasions to wear the pretty and wonderful rings, who wouldn’t want to buy one. Mexico is famous for 925 sterling silver jewelry. You can find all sorts exquisite and unique silver rings online that are available at discounted price. Online you can avail all the offers that are worth every single penny.

With so many options and occasions to wear the pretty and wonderful rings, who wouldn’t want to buy one. Mexico is famous for 925 sterling silver jewelry. You can find all sorts exquisite and unique silver rings online that are available at discounted price. Online you can avail all the offers that are worth every single penny.

By Geseell Grant - mexicosterlingsilver@gmail.com

History of Wholesale Silver Suppliers in Mexico

Taxco, Mexico claims to be the foundation of sterling silver. Mexican sterling silver has been traced to the days of Cortez who trekked across the Mexican peninsula in the 16^th century. In Taxco Cortex staked his claim on the silver mines that were prevalent in the hills surrounding a very small village.  Silver was quickly found to be perfect for jewelry making and by the17th century Taxco’s sterling silver adorned the royals of England, France, Spain and Germany. Unfortunately the mining industry of Taxco lapsed into obscurity by the 18^th century.

Don Jose De La Borda rediscovered Taxco’s rich silver and hacked his way to a rich vein of silver in the local rocks. Jose De La Borda became extremely wealthy and built up the town of Taxco. The famous Santa Prisca Cathedral of Taxco was funded by the silver from the mines around Taxco.

In the 1930s William Spratling arrived in Taxco and began encouraging the locals to develop silversmithing talents. This was the beginning of modern Taxco silver and Spratling’s designs are still copied because of their authenticity and uniqueness.

Where to Order Mexican Jewelry

Buying Mexican jewelry from wholesale silver suppliers or in the streets of Taxco you will find that fine silver jewelry from Mexico is highly regarded because of elegant designs and the fine quality of the silver. Purchase unique rings or wholesale silver charms from online retails that specialize in Taxco silver. Taxco silver is the metal of history and Mexican kings; European royalty and international fashion designers wear Taxco jewelry. Look for fine Mexican sterling silver on the internet and through high quality websites that sell through online catalogs.

Wholesale silver jewelry suppliers carry fine handmade jewelry and offer quality products at reasonable prices. There are fashion designers who work exclusively with certain artisans from Guerrero, Chiapas, Jalisco, and specifically Taxco. These jewelry designers create unique silver rings that are made only once. If you want wholesale silver chains for day or evening wear, look at premier jewelry websites.

If it is your dream to make custom jewelry, you an order from wholesale silver jewelry suppliers who will help you with the bits and pieces you need to make your one of a kind jewelry piece. Looking for high quality silver chains?  Look no farther than Mexican wholesale silver chains. You cannot go wrong with wholesale .925 silver jewelry pieces.

You may find that wholesale silver jewelry suppliers carry modern Mexican pieces as well as traditional and oxidized silver pieces that resemble antiques. It is impossible to shop online at a Mexican sterling silver shop and not be able to find something that will appeal to your style.

If you’re familiar with the history of Taxco sterling silver and want to find vintage pieces, search through the onlinesilver catalogues of Avila. You will discover that vintage sterling silver from the 1290s to the 1940s are highly sought after by collectors. These period pieces have high historical value and many of these pieces reputed to be investment value.
Geseell Grant -  Geseell@avilasterling.com