Don Pascual de León Avilés

Don Pascual, born in 1943 in Taxco de Alarcón, Mexico, was immersed in the jewellery world by his uncle Chon. He started with simple tasks and, together with his uncle, impressed Jalil Majul Ballesteros by reproducing a necklace. This ensured them constant work.

His autonomy as a jeweller was consolidated when he repaired a complicated ring that was difficult to repair due to the complexity of the work. He learned to work metals without formal training by observing and repeating how his uncle did it. 

After his uncle died in 2013, Don Pascual worked alone, from choosing stones to polishing his jewellery. Concerned about the quality and complexity of his work, he prefers not to have apprentices.

Don Pascual considers himself one of only 15 jewellers left in Mexico who creates these pieces, excelling in techniques such as filigree, hammering, cardboard and inlaying stones.

Don Pascual’s precious jewellery is made from sterling silver, a fusion of 92.5% silver and 7.5% other metals, commonly copper and inlaid with stone. Don Pascual sources its silver directly from Taxco, Mexico.

Want to learn more about silver? Read this article to learn more about how to buy silver ethically.

Don Pascual’s jewellery, made with sterling silver and stone inlays, offers the possibility of separating its elements. Silver is a material that can be remelted into new designs without loss of value, which makes them more circular. The effectiveness of this remelting process is related to the quality and purity of the metal used.

Don Pascual makes his pieces in his workshop, located on the open-air rooftop of his house on the outskirts of Taxco (Mexico). This town is his place of origin and where he has dedicated his whole life to work and craftsmanship. 

Taxco is a town known for the production of silver jewellery. In this setting, Don Pascual creates his pieces with silver from the large local market and supply of Taxco.

Don Pascual does not use animal materials in his creations. His pieces are made of hammered and antiqued sterling silver inlaid with various stones.

Don Pascual’s pieces are authentic works of craftsmanship made by hand. Unlike the casting technique, which uses moulds, this process dispenses with moulds altogether. Each element, even avoiding laminating machines, is moulded by hand, with the polishing phase being the only one in which machinery is used.

The uniqueness of each of its pieces is evident since, being handmade, the jewels are slightly different from each other. This is precisely the characteristic that makes the jewellery in the ​“Endangered” collection unique.

It is often difficult to determine the origin of the silver and stones. On the other hand, Don Pascual procures these items locally, specifically from the renowned market of Taxco de Alarcón, Mexico, famous for the excellence of its silver jewellery.