Demitasse & Saucer, Abalone Shell Mosaic Inlay on Alpaca Silver, Vintage

• Pattern:  Espresso Cup & Saucer, Abalone Shell Mosaic Design on Alpaca Silver, Hand Crafted
• Made in: Mexico
• Vintage: 1960's - 1970's (estimated)
• Details:  A gorgeous work of art, this demitasse with matching saucer is hand crafted in Mexico from Abalone and Alpaca Silver.  (See below for more information on these prized materials).  Both pieces have an intricate mosaic style design made from Abalone shells which sparkles with wonderful tones of blue, purple, pink, green and silver.  The saucer is marked:  "Mexico Alpaca".  These little cups are meant to serve Espresso, Turkish, Cuban or Greek coffee and they make great display pieces too!  
• Material:  Abalone Shell & Metal
• Dimensions:  Saucer is 3.25 inches in Diameter. Cup is 1.5 inches Tall, 2.25 inches in Diameter (top opening).
• Condition:  Vintage - Used.  Excellent Condition. No issues noted. Please review all pictures and make sure you love this item before purchasing, we can't accept returns.  Please remember these are ANTIQUE and VINTAGE items, they are NOT new, every effort has been made to show scratches, wear and tear and imperfections. 

Abalone shell is s very rare and supply is limited, there are only few shorelines where it grows, also, the harvesting of abalone is a very hard work which makes it a very expensive material, primarily used in jewelry making.  

Alpaca Silver is neither silver nor made from anything related to Alpacas.  Is is a metal formulation, (also known as Paktong and German Silver).  Paktong is an alloy of copper ores with nickel and zinc. The metal was used by the Chinese for small table and decorative accessories.  It was developed in 1823 as the result of a German competition held with the goal of developing an alloy that had the most visual similarity to silver. Its trademark name Alpacca became widely known in Northern Europe as a source of nickel silver.