Beautiful Abalone & Sterling silver cut out screw back earrings, 20g. Taxco is a city located in the southern part of Mexico within the state of Guerrero. Silver mining and related activities were a major source of income for centuries for the local residents, with silver & jewelry tourism developing around the early 20thC and continuing to this day. Most silver & jewelry produced in Taxco was either purchased locally by numerous American tourists that visit the area frequently or were heavily exported to the US. The well-known Sanborn's chain of stores, having locations throughout Mexico and catering mostly to American souvenir hunters, has played a very important role in distributing and reselling Taxco Jewelry & Silver for several decades. Mexican Silver & Jewelry is usually clearly marked, but in reality, hallmarking standards in Mexico were not enforced rigorously. The notation "Sterling" (in English) along with the number 925 or 960 as the case may be as to its pure silver content in thousands, is a frequent marking on Jewelry since the early 20thC. In most cases, the place of origin is also marked as in Hecho in Mexico (means Made in Mexico) or simply MEXICO. In the case of Taxco Silver, the word TAXCO was also included, especially after 1930s when the region had by then become famous for its high-quality jewelry. During certain periods starting ca 1950s, we also see the traditional Mexican Eagle mark.