Catalog: Estate Jewelry (1615)

A beautiful, delicate Edwardian hinged bangle bracelet in 14K yellow and white gold, set with blue sapphires and pearls. The traditional double knife-edge frame is decorated on the front side with a foliate-design plaque worked in white gold. The plaque is set with an alternating row of blue sapphires and 2.95mm pearls. The sapphires are a lovely bright cornflower blue with a hint of violet (graded as vB5/4) and show no indications of heat or other treatment. They are typical of stones from Ceylon (Sri Lanka). The pearls, though small, are fine quality with ivory body color and rose overtones. The overall effect is very elegant. The clasp is stamped with a variation of the hallmark used by A. J. Hedges & Co., a leading American jeweler of the period.

Origin: America, ca. 1910. Condition: excellent. Size: 3/16” wide; 6-7/8” interior circumference. Weight: 11.2 gr. Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: .73 ct.

An outstanding pair of 18K yellow gold cufflinks, the oval faces set with black harlequin opals (probably doublets) of exceptional quality in simple millegrain borders. The simplicity of the setting allows the opals to display their superb play-of-color. Virtually every color of the spectrum is visible in the opals, but with a preponderance of red, orange, green and violet. The backs are marked "18Ct Britannic", a high-end English maker of gold and platinum cufflinks and watch bands in the 1930s.

Origin: England, ca. 1935. Condition: excellent. Dimensions: 9/16 x 7/16". Weight: 9.9 gr.

A very fine five-piece 14K yellow gold and sapphire dress set by Van Cleef & Arpels. Each piece is fashioned as a reeded baton circled by a collar of channel-set blue sapphires. The sapphires are of superb slightly violetish-blue color, with medium tone and vivid saturation. One baton on each cufflink is hinged for ease in putting them through the cuff. Each shirt stud is signed "VCA NY", and is stamped with the serial number and "14K". The cufflinks are marked only "14K". Van Cleef employed several jewelers to manufacture their designs during this era, and it's not uncommon to find sets in which not every piece is marked by VCA.

Origin: America, ca. 1940. Condition: excellent. Size: cufflinks, large faces, 15/16" long; small faces, 7/8" long; studs, 9/16" long. Weight: 24.8 grams. Approximate Total Sapphire Weight: 2.37 carats.

A very nice 18K yellow gold ring in the Sputnik style. The sphere is collet-set with round amethysts, citrines, pink and green tourmalines, garnets and aquamarines around a central aquamarine set at the top of the dome. This design was originally created by H. Stern in the 1950s to highlight the range of colored gemstones available from the mines of the company’s native Brazil. It later came to be known as “Sputnik” for its resemblance to the spiky Soviet satellite launched in 1957. Each ring has a unique appearance stemming from the specific combination of gemstones used. This example has particularly nice warm tones—reds, pinks and dark oranges. The ring is unsigned, but is most likely by Stern. Tested and guaranteed 18K.

Origin: Brazil, ca. 1955. Condition: excellent; one garnet toward the edge has a small flake visible with 10x magnification. Finger Size: 8. Dimensions: 15/16” diameter. Weight: 6.1 grams. Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: 4.64 carats.

A handsome pair of Victorian 14K yellow gold double-sided cufflinks, the square faces highlighted with a hammered texture and star-set with very good quality antique cushion-cut diamonds, sapphires and rubies. One pair is diamond and ruby and the other is diamond and sapphire. The stones show no indications of heat treatment. The ruby and sapphire are most likely from Burma and Ceylon, respectively. The use of red, white and blue stones was particularly popular around the time of the American Centennial celebration in 1876. Tested and guaranteed 14K.

Origin: America, ca. 1876. Condition: excellent, all original. Size: 1/2” x 1/2”. Weight: 6.7 gr. Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: diamond, .15 ct; ruby, .05 ct; sapphire, .05 ct.

An outstanding pair of modernist 18K yellow gold and blue topaz cufflinks by exclusive Brazilian jewelry designer Haroldo Burle Marx. He is known for his bold use of colorful, large gemstones native to Brazil. His designs for men's jewelry are extremely uncommon. Each cufflink is roughly formed as a highly-polished "c" enclosing a Florentine-finished background. A brilliant oval blue topaz completes each cufflink. The gemstones are fine quality, graded as very slightly bluish-green hue with medium tone and very slightly grayish saturation (vslgB 5/3). Both stones are eye-clean and have good cut. Each cufflink is signed "Burle Marx" and is stamped "18K" and "No Bras".

Marx was chosen by the Brazilian government to create gifts for visiting heads of state and their wives, including the Empress Nagako of Japan, the Empress Farah Diba of Iran, Queen Margrethe of Denmark, and Indira Gandhi. He was also a favored jeweler of Natalie Wood and Merle Oberon. One of his most famous commissions was a gem-set cross for Pope John Paul II.

Origin: America, ca. 1970. Condition: excellent, all original. Size: 1-1/8" x 7/8". Weight: 29.0 grams. Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: 28.5 cts.

An extraordinary pair of 18K yellow gold cufflinks in the shape of thistles. The leaves and choke of the thistle are bead-set with round cut emeralds, while the blossoms are set with pale round cut amethysts. The emeralds, though small, have medium-dark tone, intensely saturated green color. Though the individual stones are small, the strength of color creates a very good appearance, and there is no sign of treatment. The faces are connected by chains to ropetwist baton backs. Tested and guaranteed 18K.

Origin: America, ca. 1900. Condition: excellent, all original. Size: 7/8” x 7/8”. Weight: 13.9 grams. Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: amethyst, .48 ct; emerald, 1.08 cts.

A lovely Victorian tortoise shell pique pendant in a heart shape. The puffed surface is worked with gold and silver inlay in an ornate floral pattern within a scalloped inlaid border. The pattern of two flowers joined together by a ribbon, and of course, the overall heart shape suggest that the pendant would have been given as a love token. The tortoise has very nice markings and translucency when held to the light.

Origin: America or England, ca. 1860. Condition: excellent, no inlay loss, no chipping or cracking, (the line visible in the last image is a surface scratch only--not a crack). Size: 1-1/16” x 1-3/16”.

An attractive pair of Art Nouveau 10K yellow gold bean-back cufflinks, the faces decorated with a repousse design featuring a lion’s head. The great cat’s mouth is open in mid-roar and the edges of the cufflinks are decorated with sinuous grasses that mimic the lion’s flowing mane. The backs are marked “10K H.”

Origin: America, ca. 1900. Condition: excellent, sharp detail. Size: 1/2" x 3/4". Weight: 4.1 grams.

An extremely rare French 18K gold stick pin, the head set with reverse-carved Essex crystal depicting the historic first airplane crossing of the English Channel by Louis Bleriot in 1909. Transportation-themed Essex crystal jewelry is very rare, but those clearly linked to a specific vehicle or event are truly exceptional. The colors of the painting are vibrant and there is no sign of moisture damage. The pinstem is stamped with French 18K hallmarks.

Origin: France, ca. 1909. Condition: excellent. Size: head, 11/16” diameter; overall length, 3”. Weight: 6.8 grams.

An outstanding pair of heavy French Art Deco 18K yellow and white gold cufflinks set with cabochon garnets. Each of the faces comprises a set of three gold discs—two yellow and one white—stacked and offset to one side. The upper discs are pierced by a bright cabochon garnet. The design has a severe, almost industrial modernist, look that was surely very unusual in its time. The backs are stamped with French 18K marks and the master goldsmith’s mark for Paul Marteau. Marteau established his Parisian workshop in 1919, but closed it the following year. Based on the design aesthetic and quality of workmanship in these cufflinks, he was quite accomplished. Unfortunately, there is no additional information available about him. The connectors open for ease in putting the cufflinks through the cuff.

Origin: France, 1919. Condition: excellent. Dimensions: 5/8†diameter. Weight: 17.6 gr. Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: garnet, 2.08 cts.

A terrific pair of French silver cufflinks, one face of each cufflink designed in a classic knot style, and the other end set with a green chalcedony carved to resemble a golf ball. The cufflinks are very versatile and can be worn with either the silver or the green faces showing. They’re very similar in style to the golf ball cufflinks designed by Hermès. The connectors are marked with French silver hallmarks and with the mark of an unidentified maker.

Origin: France, ca. 1950. Condition: excellent. Dimensions: faces, 10mm diameter. Weight: 13.7 gr.

A fascinating pair of Edwardian 14K yellow gold cufflinks, the faces set with square rock crystals. The crystals have concave circles in the center and the edges are finished with an oxidized surface that gives the impression of hematite. The clear circles reveal quirky, almost cartoon-like portraits of dogs that have very rigid demeanors like those often seen in 19th century portraits of people. These are not to be confused with reverse-carved Essex crystals. These cufflinks are made in an entirely different way and we’ve never seen a pair like them. The square faces are linked with chains to gold baton backs. Tested and guaranteed 14K.

Origin: probably America, ca. 1910. Condition: excellent, one dog is turned slightly sideways, but it appears to have always been that way. Size: 5/8” x 5/8”. Weight: 8.9 grams.

A very nice pair of Retro 18K yellow gold cufflinks in the stirrup (“etrier”) popularized by Cartier. During the war years, even the most exclusive European jewelers frequently used synthetic rubies and sapphires because natural material simply wasn’t available. The square cut stones are channel set along the sides of the cufflinks, and a single stone is collet-set at either end of the closing mechanism. When being worn, the band of rubies goes fully around the outsides of the shirt cuff. The cufflinks are stamped with French 18K gold hallmarks.

Origin: France, ca. 1940. Condition: excellent. Size: 1-1/16” x 11/16”. Weight: 10.2 grams. Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: 2.52 cts.

A superb Art Deco platinum ring set with a cat’s-eye chrysoberyl cabochon flanked at each shoulder by a row of square step-cut diamonds. The chrysoberyl is of the finest quality, with a strong well-centered white eye against a strongly greenish-yellow background—precisely the combination that yields the desirable “milk and honey” effect. The cabochon is nicely cut and has very good symmetry. The diamonds are of exceptional quality, with D/E color and VS2 to SI1 clarity. The platinum mounting has a matte finish that nicely accents the stones. The interior of the shank is marked “Irid Plat”.

Origin: America, ca. 1925. Condition: excellent. Size: crown, 9/16” wide. Finger Size: 6-1/2. Weight: 9.0 grams. Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: chrysoberyl, 4.00 cts; diamond, .468 ct.

A very rare pair of 18K yellow gold “Sputnik” earrings by H. Stern. This classic design features a golden dome studded with various colored gemstones including green tourmaline, pink tourmaline, almandite garnet, aquamarine, amethyst and citrine. Each piece of Sputnik jewelry has a unique appearance depending on the combination of gemstones used and even how they are arranged in relation to one another. This pair of earrings has brightly-colored stones in a very pleasing arrangement. Sputnik jewelry was created by H. Stern, Brazil’s largest dealer in colored gemstones, and was quite popular in the early years of the space race because of its perceived resemblance to the famed Soviet satellite. The earrings originally had posts which have been removed, leaving only the clips. Posts could be added again quite easily. The backs are signed by Stern and are marked “750” and “18K”.

Origin: Brazil, ca. 1960. Condition: excellent. Size: 1-1/16” diameter. Weight: 12.0 grams. Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: 12.37 carats (tourmaline, 4.25 cts; almandite garnet 2.87 cts; citrine, 2.75 cts; aquamarine, 1.40 cts; amethyst, 1.10 cts).

A very attractive 18K yellow gold ring in the Retro Moderne style set with an emerald cut synthetic pink sapphire enclosed at either end with a pair of square cut synthetic rubies and a natural round brilliant cut diamond. The stones are set in an ornate scrolling mount. The colorful design, with its strong contrasts, makes for a very attractive, fun ring. Synthetic rubies and sapphires were frequently used during the Retro period, even by the most exclusive jewelers, because many stones were unavailable to World War II. Tested and guaranteed 18K.

Origin: America, ca. 1940. Condition: excellent; the ring has been sized up. Dimensions: crown, 20mm x 10mm; back of shank, 5mm. Finger Size: 6-1/2. Weight: 9.2 gr. Approximate Gemstone Weight: diamond, .10 ct; synthetic ruby, .66 ct; synthetic pink sapphire, 6.18 cts.

A superb and witty pair of 14K yellow and rose gold cufflinks in the shape of a cocktail glass. The bowl and foot are worked in yellow gold and the stem in pink gold. Looking inside the bowls, there's a little surprise--bright coral cherries with rose gold stems! These are possibly the most unique Deco figural cufflinks we have found. Each cufflink is stamped with a variation of the Carter, Gough & Howe hallmark.

Origin: America, ca. 1925. Condition: excellent, all original. Dimensions: bowl, 9/16" diam; foot, 3/8" diam; 11/16" tall. Weight: 7.9 gr.