Spiral Disc Necklace

This necklace carries the spiral disc unit as a linked collar, turning a simple circular motif into a measured rhythm around the neck. Each silver roundel encloses a darkened coil, so the piece moves between polished rim and recessed line as the discs overlap along the curve. At 17 inches long and 7/8 inch wide, the necklace keeps the motif close to the body rather than enlarging it into a pendant or centerpiece.

The design depends on contrast. The bright outer edges catch light while the niello-darkened spirals give each element depth and direction. The repetition is disciplined rather than mechanical: the necklace gains its arc from individually articulated discs, and the eye follows the spiral from one unit to the next.

The marks reported with the original set place the design within the early Los Castillo vocabulary of the 1940s: Los Castillo, Taxco, in a circle; Sterling; Hecho en Mexico, in a circle; and design number 317. The absence of an eagle assay mark accords with a pre eagle dating. As a necklace, the design shows Los Castillo using an abstract graphic unit with the clarity and control that made the workshop central to the Mexican silver renaissance.