Taxco Silver Jewelry Maker Erika Hult de Corral

Erika Hult de Corral, whose jewelry is commonly signed “Ric,” was a mid-century modernist silver designer associated with Taxco silver, vintage Mexican silver, and the later development of Mexican studio jewelry. Some sources state that she was born in Colombia in or around 1929. Her work is admired for its refined use of sterling silver, clean sculptural lines, and elegant modernist forms.

After design training associated with Parsons and Paris, Hult de Corral worked in Taxco, Mexico during the 1960s, where she is connected with important Mexican silver designers Sigi Pineda and Enrique Ledesma. Taxco was one of the most influential centers of twentieth-century silver design, and her work belongs to the later modernist chapter of that tradition. Rather than following only the more ornate repousse, folkloric, or heavily decorative styles associated with earlier Taxco jewelry, Hult de Corral developed a sleek and highly wearable design language.

By 1966, she is reported to have opened her own shop in Puerto Vallarta, where she continued creating the distinctive modernist jewelry now associated with her Ric signature. Her designs often feature smooth contours, geometric forms, bold silhouettes, and carefully balanced proportions. Many pieces have a quiet architectural quality, sometimes described as Danish Modern or Scandinavian-influenced, while still remaining firmly rooted in the history of vintage Mexican silver jewelry.

Collectors value Erika Hult de Corral’s Ric jewelry for its combination of simplicity, craftsmanship, and strong design identity. Her bracelets, earrings, brooches, pendants, and necklaces are often understated but visually powerful, making them especially appealing to collectors who appreciate Mexican modernist jewelry, Taxco jewelry, vintage sterling silver, and vintage silver with a refined mid-century aesthetic.

Today, signed Ric pieces are increasingly recognized as part of the broader story of Mexican silver design. Erika Hult de Corral’s jewelry represents a sophisticated modern chapter within the Taxco tradition: sculptural, elegant, wearable, and distinctively mid-century in spirit.