Designer revitalizes Mexican jewelry: south of the border style gets sexy.(Daniel Espinosa)

Jewelers Circular Keystone, July, 2006 by Heebner, Jennifer

Though designer Daniel Espinosa hails from the Mexican town of Taxco, home to the silversmith studio founded by William Spratling, you wouldn't know it by looking at his jewelry: Espinosa's oversize and sexy styles for women in silver, gold, and colored stones depart from Spratling's chunky silver pieces featuring animal and plant forms. Spratling was the founder of the Mexican silver industry, and his pieces are prized by collectors. Spratling also inspired Espinosa's interest--but not his style--in jewelry. "Spratling is the Georg Jensen of Mexico--minus the style," Espinosa says.

Espinosa posed a new challenge to the skilled jewelry workers of Taxco, who had spent years exporting Spratling-inspired jewelry: Exercise their underutilized talents by making a...