The clay is mixed with water, and kneaded until a paste with a workable consistency is obtained.

The clay is placed in 3 molds, necessary to make a 3-piece clay bottle. Plaster molds are used for pressure casting, and the molds must be opened at precisely the right moment, otherwise the pieces will shatter if left in the molds too long. Weather also plays a role, as rain or humidity will slow the process. After molding, each piece is immediately moved to a space suitable for drying.

Each piece is fired in a brick and ceramic fiber kiln at a temperature of 1562°F. After firing, each piece is carved with a diamond blade saw (used for fine cuts). Once fired and cut, the pieces have taken the shape of armor plates of about 2.5 mm.

Each glass bottle is paired with an armor plate, and they are bound together with stucco (a paste of lime and sand, initially soft and malleable which gradually hardens. Stucco was used by the Maya and Aztecs.) Once assembled, you now have a clay bottle.

Then, the clay is burnished. Burnishing is rubbing the clay with a flat, hard, smooth piece of quartz, which seals the pores and sets the colors. The technique of burnishing clay has been used since before the Spanish arrived in Mexico. Burnishing evens out the exterior surface, not only giving it a beautiful luster, but also making it somewhat waterproof.

Finally, the silver armor plate is mounted on the clay bottle. The silver armor plate is made with a “lost wax” casting technique. It is 2.5mm to 3mm thick. The center of each bottle boasts a silver sculpture created by Carlos Bustos. The silver bottle weighs 8.00 lbs.

Per international standards on precious metals, silver is graded based on the parts per 1000 of pure silver in an alloy. The technical term for purity is “millesimal fineness,” expressed as a 3-digit number. The grades of purity accepted in international silver markets are 999, 950, 925 and 800.