What "Handmade" Sterling Silver Jewellery Really Means at Palenque

At Palenque Jewellery, we have worked directly with skilled Mexican silversmiths and artisans to bring our designs to life since 1992. Every piece of sterling silver jewellery in our collections begins as raw silver, which is transformed by hand using traditional techniques into something designed to last a lifetime.

How it starts 

Most of our handcrafted sterling silver jewellery begins with small pellets of pure silver. Pure silver is beautiful, but it is too soft for everyday jewellery. To create 925 sterling silver, artisans carefully melt the silver and alloy it with a precise amount of copper, creating the perfect balance of strength and beauty.

From there, the metal is shaped into sheets or drawn into wire for jewellery making. 

From sheets of metal to intricate designs 

Once the silver has been transformed into sheet or wire, the real craftsmanship begins.

Templates are created for individual designs. Silver wire is hand-formed around steel mandrels and shaped to precise dimensions. Components are hand-cut, filed, shaped and assembled one at a time.

Unlike mass-produced jewellery stamped out by machines, every handcrafted piece passes through multiple pairs of skilled hands.

The Monet Collection: unique gemstones carefully hand-set

into Sterling silver 

Each piece begins with a rough sketch, and stones are then selected one by one for their unique markings and shapes. Templates are designed and cut for each piece, and the silver is then shaped, soldered and refined by hand to fit each individual cabochon, making every piece one of a kind, like the wearer. 

The Allegra Collection: Intricate Detail in Every Piece 

The Allegra Collection is one of our most labour-intensive collections, requiring extraordinary patience, precision, and attention to detail.

Each design begins with a sterling silver framework that is carefully formed and finished by hand. Once the setting is prepared, artisans meticulously place each gemstone and crystal with fine tweezers and specialised setting tools. The stones are arranged one by one to ensure perfect placement, symmetry, and balance throughout the design.

Many Allegra pieces feature dozens, or even hundreds, of individual stones. Each stone must be carefully chosen and positioned. 

Artisans often spend hours working on a single section, checking alignment and ensuring every crystal catches the light beautifully.

The Human Touch 

One of the beautiful things about handmade jewellery is that it retains evidence of the maker. No two pieces are ever perfectly identical. Tiny variations in shape, texture, or finish are not flaws; they are signs that a skilled artisan lovingly created the piece by hand. We have been working with our artisans for decades, and we trust them to bring our designs to life and to create unique handcrafted jewellery you’ll love.