Spratling in Taxco

William Spratling, a United States born architect went to Taxco, Guerrero, Mexico and fell in love with this quaint colonial town. It is to him we owe that the architectural codes maintained the colonial look to this day. Taxco was a main silver mining town in Mexico, which has been the number one producer of silver in the world for centuries. In 1750 80% of all the silver in the world had come from La Valenciana, a mine in Guanajuato, Mexico. Spratling saw there were many silver-smiths in Taxco. Spratling decided that what the silversmiths of Taxco needed was better design. With his designs, he started a much bigger industry. A few years later, during World War II, because of the allied blockade, Puiforcat (one of the main silver designers and producers in France) and George Jensen (the best producer of silver and design worldwide from Denmark), decided to go to Mexico to continue with their silver manufacturing. The cross fertilization of Spratling with these two design houses, made Mexican silver jewelry design in the late 40's and 50's the best in the world under different silversmith/designers that learned their trade under the influence of these three silver production powerhouses. Pat Areias, for the last thirty-five years has continued this philosophy in her own designs.