LOS BALLESTEROS EARRINGS SIGNED TAXCO STERLING MEXICO
Members of the Los Ballesteros workshop, started out working in small towns in the state of Guerrero, Mexico. They trained in the old apprentice system of the Pre-Conquest times, where the father taught the art of silversmithing to his son. This system was later adapted by William Spratling, who replaced the elder master with a designer, who then passed on their knowledge to their apprentices. Jalil Majul Ballesteros, moved to Taxco in 1937 to start a silversmithing workshop. He was trained by his grandfather and padrino (godfather), Efrén Ballesteros, who was a silversmith in Depecuacuilco. Efrén's padrino, Daniel Fonseca Ballesteros, was a well-known silversmith from Iguala. By 1941, demand for Taxco silver had grown and new techniques were adopted to meet the demand of the tourist market. By the 1950's, they established shops in Acapulco, Mexico City, Puebla and Cuernavaca.
