Frequently Asked Questions
Our silver
Is your jewelry solid silver? Yes — .925 sterling silver, which is 92.5% pure silver. Not plated, not filled, not alloy dressed up with a name.
What's the difference between .925 sterling and alpaca? Sterling silver is 92.5% real silver and is hallmarked .925. Alpaca — also sold as "nickel silver" or "German silver" — contains no silver at all. It's copper, nickel and zinc. A lot of what gets sold to tourists as Mexican silver is alpaca. If a piece isn't stamped, ask why.
What does "hollow-formed" mean? Is the piece less valuable? No — it's how the piece is built, not what it's made of. Our Lengua pieces are made with cartoneado: sheets of .925 sterling are die-stamped and soldered by hand into a hollow form. The silver is .925 throughout. Hollow construction is what lets a substantial-looking bracelet weigh 40 grams instead of 200, so you can actually wear it all day.
What is gold vermeil? A regulated term, not a description. To qualify, a piece must have a solid sterling silver base and a gold layer of at least 2.5 microns. Our Lengua Silver and Gold Bracelet is 24k gold at exactly that standard over .925 sterling. Ordinary gold plating is often a fraction of a micron over base metal — a different product with a similar name.
How we make things
Where is your jewelry made? Every piece is designed and made by hand in our workshop in Taxco, Guerrero, Mexico — the town that has been the center of Mexican silversmithing since the 1930s. Nothing is mass-produced and nothing is made overseas.
What techniques do you use? Four. Cartoneado — die-stamped sterling sheet soldered into a hollow form, used across our Lengua collection. Calado — pierced openwork, where the negative space is cut out of the sheet by hand, used in our Sol pins. Media caña — a half-round section drawn to a point, which gives our Sol rays their rounded body. And lost wax casting, the oldest metalworking technique there is, which we use only for the Pez Necklace.
Are you related to William Spratling? Yes. Caroline Spratling Nabors is the great-niece of William Spratling, the designer who established the silver workshop in Taxco in the 1930s and trained the generation of silversmiths that made the town what it is. Caroline is the first Spratling to live and create in Taxco in almost sixty years.
The stones
Are the stones natural? Yes. Every stone is natural and cut by hand by our lapidary in Mexico. Because they're natural, color and veining vary from one piece to the next — that variation is the point, not a flaw.
Which stones do you use? Jade, lapis lazuli, malachite, black onyx, obsidian, tiger eye, pyrite and citrine. Not all of them are Mexican, and we say where each one comes from rather than implying otherwise.
Why is the pyrite raw and the other stones polished? Because pyrite is more beautiful uncut. Polishing it would erase the crystalline structure that makes it what it is. Every specimen is different in size and shape, so those pieces are genuinely one of a kind.
Will my piece look exactly like the photograph? Close, but not identical. The photograph shows one piece; yours is another, cut from another stone.
Sizing and fit
How do I choose a bracelet size? Measure your wrist and add about half an inch so the piece moves comfortably. Our bracelets come in 6", 7" and 8".
Can you make a custom size? Usually yes. Everything is made by hand and to order, so write to us before you order and we'll tell you what's possible.
Do necklaces come in different lengths? The Pez is a 16-inch choker and the Lengua Trio is 20 inches. We make both to measure on request.
Orders and shipping
How long does an order take? Four to six weeks from order to delivery. Every piece is made by hand once you order it — we don't hold finished stock waiting for a buyer.
Do you ship internationally? Yes, worldwide. Orders to the United States ship from Houston, Texas. Duties and import taxes outside the US are the buyer's responsibility.
Does the pendant come with a chain? Not yet. The Sol Pendant ships with an integrated bail that fits most chains, so you can hang it on one you already have. We're working on our own and will offer it soon.
Care
Will the silver tarnish? Yes, and that's normal for solid sterling. Tarnish is surface oxidation, not damage, and it polishes off completely. Some people prefer the darker patina and leave it. We like it both ways.
How do I clean it? A silver cloth is all you need. Avoid abrasives, and never use silver polish on gold vermeil — it wears the gold down.
Can I shower or swim with it? Take it off. Chlorine, salt water and soap all shorten the life of both the silver and the stones.