Buying jewelry in Taxco
From my experience buying Mexican silver jewelry in Taxco Mexico, I have
a few tips on visiting the "silver capital":
- Ask your travel agent for the best roads to drive on. Banditos
are a real threat on many of Mexico's roadways. Be prepared for
a long ride, as you must drive slowly to avoid stray animals, farm animals,
and people on the roads.
- Bring lots of bottled water. Don't drink the
water, brush your teeth with the water, put ice cubes in your drink that
were made with the water, or eat fruits or vegetables that have been
washed in the water. Two out of four of the people I traveled with got
sick from the water, even though they were careful not to drink it.
- Don't plan on driving a car when you get there. You
may need to drive to get to there, but go down main street and park in
the first lot you see. The streets are extremely steep and narrow. Only
very experienced drivers brave the streets - mostly taxis - and
only VW Beetles are driven because they are small enough to fit between
buildings.
- Stay in a hotel near the Zocalo. The zocalo is the
town square and the heart of the city and the perfect place to set up
"camp". It is bordered with Mexican silver jewelry
stores and rooftop restaurants with panoramic views of
the town. Santa Prisca, a very impressive baroque style church, stands
at one of the four sides of the square. It is a must see.
- Bring a jacket. Taxco has a mild sunny climate, but
since it is so high in the mountains, it can get chilly. Don't
plan on the hot humid weather that consumes a lot of the rest of the
country.
- Bring a translator. You can get by without knowing
Spanish, but it would be very difficult. Hardly any of the people I met
in Taxco could speak a word of English, and it would have been impossible
to make Mexican jewelry purchases with my friend, Jessie, as our trusted
translator.
- Try making your Mexican jewelry purchases in the markets. The
zocalo has many beautiful Mexican silver jewelry stores, but the square
is the main tourist attraction of the city, and thus, they have slightly
inflated prices. Venture out to find the best deals.
- Examine your Taxco silver jewelry selections. Mexican
jewelry should be stamped to indicate that it is sterling silver. Stamps
such as "925", "Taxco", "Mexico",
or "Sterling" are common. Very often you will also find a
symbol or initials stamped into the silver. This is the way an artisan
signs
his or her work. This is desirable to some, but not a necessary characteristic,
however, of fine quality sterling silver jewelry. Be aware of pieces
that look like silver and are stamped "Alpaca". These are made
of cheaper metals and do not contain silver at all.
- Be courteous and respectful when purchasing Mexican
jewelry. The
local townspeople are almost always very friendly and modest, and their
culture calls for respect and kindness. You will not hear loud haggling
at the markets as you may expect in other countries.
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