pre hispanic art

Handcrafted from sterling silver with a shining finish, this band ring is the work of Mexican artisan Angel Ortiz. He finds inspiration in Mexico's pre-Hispanic art and architecture, adapting openwork swirls to evoke flowing waves.

Francisco Sánchez crafts delightful earrings in the style of pre-Hispanic art. Present in Mexico's music and legend, the paloma, or dove comes to life in chic silver hoops.

.925 Sterling silver

Francisco Sánchez crafts delightful earrings in the style of pre-Hispanic art. Present in Mexico's music and legend, the paloma, or dove comes to life in chic silver hoops.

.925 Sterling silver

Adapting sensuous shapes from pre-Hispanic art, Maria Belen Nilson evokes flowing water and whispering wind. A sinuous silver ring swirls around a central circle in this beautiful, hand crafted design.

.925 sterling silver

Francisco Sánchez crafts a delightful necklace in the style of pre-Hispanic art. Present in Mexico's music and legend, the paloma, or dove comes to life in this chic silver pendant.

.925 Sterling silver

Ceneotl was the Mesoamerican goddess of rain and childbirth, often depicted as a frog or with frog-like features. Rosa Rojo shares images form Mexico's folklore, tradition, and pre-Hispanic peoples in her jewellery. Crafted of sterling silver, the frog on this sterling silver ring is inspired by depictions of the animal and the goddess in pre-Hispanic art.

Ceneotl was the Mesoamerican goddess of rain and childbirth, often depicted as a frog or with frog-like features. She was an important part of the pantheon in the Aztec's lake-based world. Rosa Rojo shares images form Mexico's folklore, tradition, and pre-Hispanic peoples in her jewellery. Crafted of sterling silver, the frogs on these sterling silver earrings are inspired by depictions of the animal and the goddess in pre-Hispanic art.

By Roy Nilson, these long sterling silver earrings reveal the influence of pre-Hispanic Aztec art. He creates discs of varying sizes to cascade from slender loops. The topmost disc wears a silver headdress of feather-like textures and is centreed with natural turquoise.

The silver tradition of the Mazahua people dates to pre-Hispanic times when they helped adorn the great Aztec temple of Tenochtitlan. In 1536, these skilled artisans worked in Mexico's first mint. Carrying on an ancient art, Mazahua Family jewelers create traditional earrings in sterling silver. Ornate flowers each host three dancing pendants.

A serpent coils into an elegant pose for a unique brooch pendant. Its presence recalls the legendary art of Mexico's pre-Hispanic cultures. Maria Belen Nilson crafts the serpent of sterling silver featuring a striking copper eye. It features a hidden bale for a chain as well as a pin.

.925 Sterling silver

An ancient Maya legend tells how the gods gave a specific mission to each being they created. But they realized none had been chosen to carry thoughts and desires from one place to another," says Rosa Padillas of Rosa Roja. "So they carved a small piece of jade into a a slender arrowhead, and it became a beautiful hummingbird with iridescent feathers — the x ts'unu'um. Its mission was to carry good thoughts to all human beings, even those who had died.

"Today, if a hummingbird appears in front of you, it is delivering a message of love from someone who is thinking of you. And if we wear the image of a hummingbird, we carry good thoughts and desires to others.

"The hummingbird legend says that we can fly to the six cardinal points of the universe, therefore the hummingbird is the ideal link to transmit thoughts of love, of respect, tolerance and peace to all creatures on the planet."

The talented Mexican artisan reinterprets the legend as a necklace of dramatic beauty. She creates a hummingbird pendant in the pre-Hispanic style, and adds an agate geode representing the hummingbird's nest. It poses on a strand of gray cultured pearls.