The original silver thread belts or bundles for men are a Mexican tradition that symbolize the highest expression of the art of Mexican saddlery and charreria.
Also known as silver belts or silver sashes in Mexican culture, silver thread belts are handcrafted from piteado-style leather belts made of genuine silver thread and hand-stitched by Mexican artisans. For hundreds of years, this technique requires each stitch to be carefully executed to create intricate designs that represent various sections of Mexican history. Belts are typically 2 inches wide, and the silver thread is 925 sterling silver.
Originally, most silver thread belts have their roots in the city of Jerez, Zacatecas, Mexico, where the art of silversmithing is highly developed. However, over the last few decades, this art has spread to other regions of Mexico in various locations scattered throughout the Mexican states of Hidalgo, Guerrero, the State of Mexico, Jalisco, Durango, and Michoacán. More recently, the city of Tonala, Jalisco, has proclaimed itself the "Silver Thread Belt Capital of the World."
The artisans who create these true works of art call themselves "Piteadores," which comes from the art of embroidering on the original pita fiber. It is very important not to confuse silver thread belts with pita belts. Silver thread belts are embroidered with genuine 925 silver thread on leather belts, not pita.
The time it takes a Piteador artisan to create an original silver thread belt ranges from three weeks to a month. This is why silver thread belts are labor-intensive, and each belt is unique. There are a wide variety of designs. The manufacturing process begins with the bundle or belt of vaqueta (cowhide) on which the Piteador draws the design to be embroidered with fine silver thread.
In addition to silver thread belts or sashes, the art of silver thread embroidery has extended to silver thread purses, silver thread huaraches, silver thread caps, silver thread cell phone cases, and many other accessories.