There is no silver in Alpaca, but it is quite lovely in its own right.
We will be doing a post on Alpaca in the coming weeks.
They may be on the screw of a screw-back earring, or on the backside under the screw.
Determine the era during which the piece was crafted.
Newer marks have two letters followed by a dash and a number — for example, TC-902. It's not uncommon to encounter Mexican silver with marks of .950, .970 and even .980. The new marking system — TC-902 and similar — is simple to read.
These marks are found on necklaces, bracelets, rings and even tiny earrings; they appear on antique and vintage jewelry, as well as on newer pieces.HECTOR AGUILARHector Aguilar was the manager of Spratling's Taller de las Delicias in 1936. In 1943 he entered into a business arrangement with New York Jewelry firm Coro. It is very ductile and malleable below gold and palladium (one of the platinum metals).These pieces are usually crafted from Sterling Silver and often incorporate semi-precious mosaic work (turquoise and coral) as well as carved stones (quartz, obsidian, turquoise etc).Many of the more modern tourist piece rely heavily on dyed turquoise and fabricated coral. Some of them (especially pieces from the 70’s) are so kitschy that they are irresistible. The quality ranges from student work to master crafted and everything in-between.