How to spot real Taxco silver
Taxco, Mexico has been turning out some of the world's most beautiful silver jewelry for nearly a century. It is also one of the most faked origins in vintage jewelry. Here is how I check a piece before it goes on my shelf.
1. Look for 925
Real Taxco silver is sterling silver, which means 92.5% pure silver. The piece should be stamped 925, Sterling, or .925 somewhere — usually on the back, inside a band, or on a clasp. No silver-content mark at all? That is your first warning.
2. Look for MEXICO
Genuine export pieces are stamped with their country of origin. You will see MEXICO spelled out, sometimes right alongside the silver mark.
This bracelet from my own collection carries the full trio: a maker's registry mark (TA-84), the country (MEXICO), and the silver content (925). When all three are present, you can buy with confidence.
3. Read the maker's mark
Since 1979, Mexican silversmiths have used alphanumeric registry codes. The earliest ones start with TA for Taxco followed by a number — like the TA-84 stamped above. Later the system switched to two-letter codes, which you will see stamped something like MC next to the 925.
Post-1979 pieces use two-letter maker codes. This pair of hoops is stamped MC - 925 MEXICO — a textbook example.
Older pieces, roughly 1940s through 1970s, often carry the Mexican eagle assay mark — a small eagle silhouette with a number inside, showing the silver content was officially assayed. No eagle does not mean fake on newer pieces, but on something claimed to be mid-century, its absence is worth a question.
Red flags
- "Mexico Silver" with no 925. The word "silver" in a stamp means nothing without a purity number behind it.
- Alpaca, German silver, or nickel silver. None of these contain any silver at all — they are copper-nickel alloys wearing a fancy name.
- Suspiciously light. Sterling has heft. If a chunky cuff feels like aluminum, trust your hand.
- A magnet sticks. Silver is not magnetic. If a magnet grabs the main body of the piece, walk away. (Clasps and pin stems can have steel parts, so test the body itself.)
The short version
925 + MEXICO + a maker's mark = buy with confidence. Missing all three = keep your wallet closed.
From the shelf: I hunt for Taxco pieces at every estate sale I hit — see what is in the shop now.