High in the hills of southern Mexico is a small town named Taxco, rich in silver deposits with a history of mining and silver smithing, this town has produced some of the world's finest design and workmanship in vintage jewellery. The Mexican Revolution (a long and bloody civil war) ended in the 1930's leaving people and produce able to move freely for the first time in 30 years. American architect William Spratling, enamoured with the towns skills and resources, helps to reinvigorate the silver industry by creating silver design workshops, and exporting the produce, mostly to the United States. This little town became a hive of original design and expert craftsmanship attracting artisans and artists, like few other places and produced some of the worlds finest silver work for a 50 year period.

Chip inlay is a jewellery technique whereby cavities are carved into silver and filled with a mixture of crushed natural stone; typically turquoise, coral or lapis and an epoxy resin. Once the resin has cooled and hardened, it is polished smooth. The technique is popular in both Mexican and Native American jewellery - the colour often vibrant and the layers of crushed stone give a nice depth.