Catalog: Estate Jewelry (1605)

A very nice 18K yellow gold ring in the Sputnik style by H Stern. The sphere is bezel-set with round citrines, amethyst, green tourmalines and aquamarines. This design was created in the 1950s to highlight the range of colored gemstones available from the mines of the jeweler’s native Brazil. It later came to be known as “Sputnik” for its resemblance to the spike Soviet satellite launched in 1957. Each ring has a unique appearance stemming from the specific combination of gemstones used. This example has a large number of citrines in a fine, golden honey color. Combined with the green shades of tourmaline, the overall appearance is almost autumnal. The shank is signed by Stern and is marked for 18K gold. This example is on the smaller side and is ideal for wear as a pinky ring or on a smaller hand.

Origin: Brazil, ca. 1955. Condition: excellent, all original. Finger Size: 5-3/4. Dimensions: dome, 5/8” diameter. Weight: 2.8 grams. Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: 1.10 carats.

A very attractive pair of 14K yellow gold Victorian cufflinks, the faces bezel-set with round brilliant cut amethysts. The stones have a beautiful, rich color with nice brilliancy. Amethysts used in cufflinks of the period were more frequently cut en cabochon rather than fully faceted as are these. The gold surfaces have a the soft matte “bloomed” or “Russian” finish sometimes seen on jewels from the Art Nouveau period. Tested and guaranteed 14K gold.

Origin: America, ca. 1900. Condition: excellent. Dimensions: faces, 3/8” diameter. Weight: 4.2 grams. Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: amethyst, 4.58 carats.

A handsome pair of Victorian 14K yellow gold cufflinks, the oval faces set with navette-shaped cabochons of lapis lazuli within surrounding gold borders enhanced with foliate engraving. The lapis is of the finest quality—known as Afghan lapis—with a rich dark violet-blue color. There are very few of the gold-colored flecks of pyrite which actually denote a lower quality of lapis. The faces are attached with arched connectors to bean backs. The connectors are marked for 14K and have the maker's mark for Wordley, Alsopp & Bliss.

Origin: America, ca. 1900. Condition: excellent; one bean back has a very slightly flattened area that would be positioned on the inside of the wrist when the cufflinks are being worn. Dimensions: 3/4" x 7/16". Weight: 5.0 grams.

A classic 14K yellow gold dress set comprising a pair of cufflinks and four shirt studs in a slightly squared knot design. The set is well-made and has substantial weight. Each piece is marked "14K".

Origin: America, ca. 1990. Condition: excellent. Dimensions: cufflink faces, 9/16" diameter; studs, 7/16" diameter. Weight: 19.2 grams.

An attractive pair of mid-20th century cufflinks in 800 silver, the square faces set with faceted plaques of synthetic green spinel in a dark olive green color. The rich color of the gemstones contrasts nicely with the silver borders. Solid bridges connect to the toggle backs enhanced with line engraving. The bridges are marked “800” and have an unidentified maker’s mark.

Origin: Continental Europe, ca. 1960. Condition: excellent. Dimensions: 11/16” x 11/16”. Weight: 13.8 grams.

An elegant pair of silver double-sided cufflinks by David-Andersen featuring Prussian blue guilloche enamel in a sunburst design encircled with opaque white champlevé enamel. Exposed areas of silver are gilt. The backs are stamped with the David-Anderson mark used 1888-1925.

Origin: Norway, ca. 1920. Condition: excellent; no enamel damage. Dimensions: 9/16” diameter. Weight: 6.6 grams.

An important 19th century brooch of carved coral lilies nestled among 18K yellow gold chrysanthemum leaves set with old mine cut diamonds. The lily blossoms are fully three dimensional and are carved from the finest Mediterranean red coral, most likely harvested from the Italian coast near Naples. The heavily detailed gold leaves have a strong sculptural quality with undulating movement. Every surface is set with old mine cut diamonds of exceptional quality, averaging I/J color and SI clarity. Diamonds, collet-set and suspended from knife-edge mountings, also form the flowers' anthers. Diamonds are also set into portions of the stem that can't be seen from the front. Exposed areas of gold are delicately hand-engraved. The back of the brooch retains its original extended pinstem c-clasp. There is also a threaded aperture that was probably originally used to attach the brooch to a comb so it could be worn as a hair ornament. Tested and guaranteed at least 18K (it appears to be a little higher, perhaps 19-20K).

Origin: probably France, ca. 1870. Condition: excellent; one gold stem appears to have an old repair; no breaks in coral; no replacements. Dimensions: 3" x 3-5/8" x 1-1/8". Weight: 54.9 grams. Approximate Total Diamond Weight: 10.0 carats.

A phenomenal dress set comprising a pair of cufflinks and three shirt studs, all worked in 18K yellow gold and set with green cat's-eye tourmalines. The settings are designed in a thistle pattern similar to Jean Schlumberger's designs for Tiffany. All the details are entirely hand-engraved and each piece looks as good from the side or back as it does from the front. The fine tourmalines have strongly bluish-green color, well-placed bright chatoyancy (cat's-eye effect), and very good symmetry and polish. Each cufflink is illegibly signed. The mechanical portion of the shirt studs are marked "14K", but all the other parts of the settings are tested and guaranteed 18K.

Origin: America, ca. 1960. Condition: excellent. Size: cufflink front faces, 5/8" x 7/16"; cufflink back faces, 7/16" diameter; studs, 5/16" diameter. Weight: 22.5 grams. Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: tourmaline, 20.87 cts.

Superb and very rare pair of French Art Deco platinum double-sided cufflinks, the faces fashioned from rock crystal and set with diamonds. The rock crystal is carved into a faceted open-centered square design with canted corners, the opposite sides bisected by platinum bands set with baguette diamonds. The diamonds are of exceptionally good quality with E color and VVS2 to IF clarity. The faces are joined by chain connectors with a spring ring to ease in putting them through a cuff. The cufflinks are fully marked with French hallmarks for platinum and have an illegible maker's mark and an illegible signature (only "France" is visible).

Origin: France, ca. 1920. Condition: very good. Size: faces, 1/2" x 1/2". Weight: 7.4 gr. Approximate Total Diamond Weight: .80 ct.

An uncommon 18K yellow gold pendant in the Sputnik style collet-set with round amethysts, green tourmalines, pink tourmalines, garnets, aquamarines and citrines. This design was originally created by H Stern in the 1950s to showcase 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 piece has a unique appearance resulting from the specific combination of gemstones used. This pendant has rich look with unusually saturated colors. The Sputnik design was most commonly used for rings; pendants are difficult to find. Tested and guaranteed 18K.

Origin: Brazil, ca. 1955. Condition: excellent. Size: 25/32" diameter (excluding bail). Weight: 3.0 grams. Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: 2.81 cts.

A delightful pair of cufflinks worked in 14K yellow, rose and green gold. Each cufflink depicts a woodland scene with an owl in a tree, a rabbit standing on his hind legs, various flowers and plants, and a moonlight starry sky. The combination of an owl along with a rabbit represents the concept of "night" and "day." These cufflinks were originally cuff buttons and were converted to cufflinks using the original parts. Tested and guaranteed 14K.

Origin: America, ca. 1860. Condition: excellent. Size: 13/16" diameter. Weight: 12.4 grams.

A terrific pair of earrings in the form of round shakudo plaques set in 14K yellow gold borders. Each of the matching Meiji-period discs features a Japanese immortal or scholar along with a fearsome dragon. Details of the dragon’s scales and fins and the man’s staff are picked out in gold and copper highlights. The gold borders are simply decorated with a ropetwist motif. The earwires are later additions. Tested and guaranteed 14K gold.

Origin: Japan, ca. 1900. Condition: excellent. Size: 1-1/16” diameter; 1-1/2” from top of wire.

A fine pair of platinum-topped 18K yellow gold cufflinks, each faces ornately pierced and set with three old European and mine-cut diamonds, flanked by a pair of small rose cut diamonds and finished with calibre-cut blue sapphires at the corners. The platinum is accented with millgraining. The I1 diamonds are graded as L/M color, and they appear quite bright in the settings. Tested and guaranteed 18K and platinum.

Ca. 1920. Condition: excellent, all original. Size: front faces, 1/2” x 1/2"; back faces, 13/16” long. Weight: 7.4 grams. Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: diamond, 1.0 ct; sapphire, .53 ct.

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 handsome pair of double-sided 18K yellow gold cufflinks, the round faces featuring an ornate pattern of woven gold “threads”. The faces are joined by chains. Each cufflink is fully hallmarked with French 18K gold marks and with an unidentified maker’s mark.

Origin: France, ca. 1980. Condition: excellent. Size: 17/32” diameter. Weight: 9.0 grams.

An elegant pair of Edwardian 14K yellow gold, platinum and mother-of-pearl cufflinks by Carrington. The round, slightly concave mother-of-pearl faces are centered with small natural pearls and enclosed within engraved platinum borders. Both the mother-of-pearl and the pearls have very nice luster and color overtones. Each face is hallmarked by Carrington, one of the leading American manufacturing jewelers at the turn of the 20th century.

Origin: America, ca. 1900. Condition: excellent. Size: 9/16” diameter. Weight: 9.1 grams.

A fine and very heavy pair of 18K yellow gold cufflinks the in the “stirrup” (“etrier”) style popularized by Cartier in the late Art Deco period. The cufflinks are formed as sharply arched bands of open curb link chain. The hinged closing mechanism is hidden inside the cuff when the cufflinks are being worn. Each cufflink is fully hallmarked with French “tete d’aigle” hallmarks for 18K gold and with a master goldsmith’s mark.

Origin: France, ca. 1950. Condition: excellent, all original. Size: 13/16” x 1”. Weight: 15.8 grams.

A handsome set of 14K yellow gold, platinum, pearl and mother-of-pearl cufflinks and shirt studs in a classic style. Each octagonal face is edged with a platinum border engraved in a floral design. The rich coloring of the mother-of-pearl contrasts beautifully with the platinum. Each piece is marked “14K” and has Larter’s manufacturer’s mark. The dress set is presented in its original fitted box, with the inside of the lid inscribed “J. E. Caldwell & Co./Philadelphia”. Larter was one of the most important American manufacturing jewelers and produced many pieces for elite stores such as Caldwell, Tiffany, and Bailey, Banks & Biddle.

Origin: America, ca. 1910. Condition: excellent, all original. Size: cufflinks, 9/16” diameter; studs, 11/32” diameter. Weight: 9.1 grams.