Catalog: Estate Jewelry (1586)

A handsome pair of Retro 18K yellow gold cufflinks, the faces bordered with an interesting detail that resembles coil springs. The plain gold bar in the middle of each face could be monogrammed, but fortunately, they never were. Each cufflink is fully stamped with French 18K gold hallmarks and an unidentified master goldsmith’s mark.

Origin: France, ca. 1935. Condition: excellent, all original. Size: faces, 7/16” 3/8”. Weight: 6.9 grams.

A nice pair of French Art Deco cufflinks, the faces made from lapidary-cut lapis lazuli simply set in 18K yellow gold. The lapis has nice coloring with small flecks of gold. The faces are connected with chains to torpedo backs. The cufflinks are fully stamped with French 18K gold hallmarks.

Origin: France, ca. 1920. Condition: good; all original; both torpedoes have some small dings that are not particularly distracting. Size: faces, 1/2" diameter. Weight: 6.2 grams.

A beautiful pair of late Victorian 14K yellow gold cufflinks set with cat’s-eye chrysoberyls by M. Nosey Dragon & Co. of Tientsin (now Tianjin), China. Each chrysoberyl is surrounded by a finely detailed gold dragon, complete with scales, claws and whiskers. The chrysoberyls are unusually dark, tending toward a grayish-green instead of the more common golden brown. The cat’s-eye effect is very strong. The faces are connected with chains to torpedo backs signed “Nosey” and marked “K14”. The cufflinks are presented in their original fitted velvet and silk box imprinted with the maker’s name. The port city of Tientsin was opened by treaty with France and England in 1860 and became one of the most important trading and tourism cities in Eastern Asia. Fine jewelry, Chinese antiquities and other goods were readily available to wealthy visitors.

Origin: China, ca. 1895. Condition: excellent, all original. Size: 3/4” X 1/2". Weight: 8.4 grams.

This exceptional verre eglomise rock crystal panel depicts a maiden in classical dress playing with a hound. She sits on a plinth in a clearing with cypress trees in the background. The scene is backed with grayish mother-of-pearl that seems to create a sky of swirling clouds. The reverse of the pendant is simply finished with pale grayish-blue silk. The plaque is simply mounted in an 18K yellow gold frame with a bail at the top. Verre eglomise was most often used in mourning jewelry, but nothing about the composition of this scene suggests it was created for memorial purposes. In fact, the unusually playful interaction of the dog and the maiden, the latter with a delicately painted smiling face, suggests just the opposite. The pendant was found in France, but the absence of a hallmark suggests England as a more likely place of origin. Tested and guaranteed 18K gold.

Origin: England or France, ca. 1800. Condition: excellent, a 1/8" flake on one edge of the front crystal and a couple of 1/8" faded areas to black border, all visible only with strong, raking light. Size: 1-3/8" x 1-3/4" (excluding bail).

A stunning pair of vintage 18K yellow gold and platinum earclips set with diamonds by Cartier. The clips are worked in heavily textured gold that resembles a flame motif that ascends the earlobe when being worn. The recessed parts of the texture are unpolished, creating a strong contrast with the remaining highly-polished surfaces. Each clip features a irregularly shaped cluster of nine platinum-set round brilliant diamonds, graded as E-VVS2. These earrings are a lovely example of Cartier's prevailing style in the early 1960s. The gold shortages that followed World War II were in the past, so jewelry could take on a heavier look; and there was a pronounced fondness for chunkier, daytime jewelry that reflected the modern woman. It was important, however, that the jewelry could be worn in the evening as well. The backs are signed "Cartier France" and bear all the appropriate marks for 18K gold. The clips are original and never had posts, but posts could be added without disturbing any of the signatures or markings.

Origin: France, ca. 1962. Condition: excellent. Size: 5/8" x 1-1/4". Weight: 12.3 grams. Approximate Total Diamond Weight: 1.0 carat.

A heavy, outstanding pair of Victorian figural cufflinks in the form of acorns and oak branches, all worked in 14K yellow gold. The larger front faces are fashioned as highly detailed acorns, while the backs are branches. The quality of engraving is excellent and really brings out the subtlest textural details. In the Victorian "language of flowers", the acorn symbolized life and immortality while the oak tree and its branches represented strength and virility. The faces are joined by their original chain connectors. Tested and guaranteed 14K gold.

Origin: America, ca. 1870. Condition: excellent, sharp detail. Size: acorns, 27/32" x 15/32". Weight: 11.7 grams.

A very fine, beautiful Art Nouveau gold brooch featuring a row of three kittens sitting on a diamond-studded platform. The kittens are finely cast with excellent attention to detail. The cat at the far right appears to be licking his neighbor while the one of the opposite end seems completely aloof from the proceedings. The bar supporting the cats is topped with silver in the traditional style of French Art Nouveau jewelry and is set with antique cushion-cut diamonds of very nice quality. Interlaced gold volutes are suspended below the diamond platform. The back retains the original pinstem and c-clasp, both marked with “tete d’aigle” stamps for 18K gold. The clasp also bears an illegible maker’s mark. The back is also stamped with a serial number, “6044”, indicating it was sold by an exclusive jeweler. While dogs are a relatively common theme in 19th century jewelry, domestic cats are much less so.

Origin: France, ca. 1880. Condition: excellent, all original. Size: 1-1/2” x 1-1/2”. Weight: 16.7 grams. Approximate Total Diamond Weight: .675 carat.

A fine pair of Art Deco 14K yellow gold double-sided cufflinks, the faces set with sugarloaf cabochons of colorful jasper chalcedony. The pattern of inclusions is similar to moss agate, but the greenish wisps appear against a semi-transparent background of deep rust instead of the more typical creamy beige. They’re really quite attractive stones in an unusual pattern. The faces are attached by solid connectors stamped with Larter’s 14K hallmark.

Origin: America, ca. 1925. Condition: excellent. Size: 9/16” x 9/16”. Weight: 9.5 grams.

A superb pair of vintage couture 18K yellow gold and carnelian cufflinks by Pierre Cardin. The square faces, with rounded corners, support round carnelian plaques of very rich color. The gold structure beneath the carnelian shows through the translucent gemstones to create a strong geometric pattern typical of Cardin's aesthetic. Cardin was fascinated by the juxtaposition of squares and circles beginning with his famous "Bubble Dress" in 1954, and he returned to the theme repeatedly over the next two decades. The faces are attached with solid arched connectors to spherical backs.

In the 1960's, Cardin collaborated with a handful of young modernist jewelry designers such as Jean Dinh Van to create fine jewelry items. There were never many of these designs, and they were only sold at Cardin's flagship couture boutique in Paris. Some of these rare designs have now entered the permanent holdings of the French national jewelry collection at the Musee des Arts Decoratifs in Paris.

The cufflinks are signed "P. Cardin" and are fully hallmarked with appropriate French stamps for 18K gold.

Origin: France, ca. 1968. Condition: excellent, all original. Size: 5/8 x 5/8". Weight: 15.1 grams.

A fine pair of vintage 18K yellow gold cufflinks by Van Cleef & Arpels. Each of the faces is designed as seed cluster similar to a thistle or the middle of a black-eyed Susan. During the 1960s, VCA excelled in naturalistic motifs interpreted in finely worked gold. These were a reaction to the glamorous diamond and gemstone-encrusted creations of the 1950s. Understated designs worked in yellow gold, which had not been widely used since the 1940s, were embraced by the leading French joailliers and were considered the height of fashion. The craftsmanship and overall design of these cufflinks is understated, but quite elegant. Even the chain connectors are worked with beveled links instead of the more common and easily-made rounded links. The cufflinks are marked "Van Cleef & Arpels/750/B3231". They also have a copyright mark for 1965 and all the appropriate French hallmarks for 18K.

Origin: France, ca. 1965. Condition: excellent, sharp detail. Size: 7/16 diameter. Weight: 9.6 grams.

An extremely rare and very important 18K yellow gold ring set with a white pearl and a black pearl designed by Jean Dinh Van for Pierre Cardin. The design features a squared shank with a flat open gallery enclosing the two 7.0mm pearls. The pearls are drilled and rotate freely on their axes. The pearls are of very nice quality with superb luster and natural color. The back of the shank is fully stamped with French 18K gold hallmarks and the interior is signed "Pierre Cardin".

Jean Dinh Van is one of the most important modernist French jewelers. He apprenticed at Cartier before starting his own studio in 1965. Dinh Van collaborated with most of the most avant-garde fashion designers of the era, including Pierre Cardin and Paco Rabanne. This design, created in late 1965 or early 1966, was Dinh Van's first independent commission and represented a major milestone in modern French jewelry. The simplicity and squared-off outline that eventually became his signature are already in clear evidence.

An example of the ring is included in France's permanent national jewelry collection housed at the Musee des Arts Decoratifs in Paris. It is also illustrated in "La Collection de Bijoux du Musee des Arts Decoratifs a Paris", "Jewelry & Metalwork in the Arts & Crafts Tradition", "European Designer Jewelry" and "Dictionnaire International Bijou".

Origin: France, ca. 1965. Condition: excellent, all original. Finger Size: 5. Dimensions: shank, 1/8" thick; 3/4" wide. Weight: 5.25 grams.

A very attractive pair of Art Deco 14K white gold cufflinks, the rectangular faces set with plaques of rich translucent green chalcedony. The white gold borders are enhanced with engraving. Art Deco cufflinks set with green stones are difficult to find. The connectors are marked "14K".

Origin: America, ca. 1920. Condition: excellent, all original. Size: 1/2" X 13/32". Weight: 3.9 grams.

A beautiful pair of French 18K yellow gold double-faced cufflinks, the round faces decorated with deep green guilloche enamel bordered in opaque white champleve enamel. The gold surfaces under the translucent enamel are decorated with engine-turned engraving in a pattern of concentric circles studded with small dots in a starburst or snowflake arrangement. The faces are joined with the original chain connectors. The backs are stamped with French “tete d’aigle” hallmarks for 18K gold.

Origin: France, ca. 1910. Condition: excellent, very slight surface wear to enamel visible under 10x magnification. Size: 5/8” diameter. Weight: 11.0 grams.

A superb dress set, comprising a pair of cufflinks and three shirt studs, by Tiffany & Co. Each face is fashioned from a disc of abalone centering a old European cut diamond collet-set in platinum. The borders of the faces are worked in platinum enhanced with bright-cut engraving. The diamonds are G-H color, VS clarity. The abalone has deep luster with strong overtones of iridescent red, green and orange. Cufflinks made from abablone are much less common than those made from gray or white mother-of-pearl. The added sparkle from the engraved platinum contrasts nicely. The backs and findings are worked in 14K yellow gold, but only the platinum shows when being worn. The backs are marked “Tiffany & Co./14K” and “Plat. & Gold”.

Origin: America, ca. 1910. Condition: excellent. Size: cufflinks, 9/16” diameter; studs, 5/16” diameter. Weight: 13.3 grams. Approximate Total Diamond Weight: .32 ct.

An attractive pair of Scandinavian .835 silver cufflinks, the oval faces set with amber cabochons with silver ropework borders. The amber is a light orangey-honey color with excellent clarity. The solid connectors are marked only “835” for the silver content and “3” for a pattern number.

Origin: Scandinavian or Baltic region, ca. 1970. Condition: excellent. Size: 3/4” x 19/32”. Weight: 10.5 grams.

A fine pair of modernist sterling silver cufflinks featuring South Sea black pearls by Ted Lowy. The pearls have dark gray body color with very pronounced and desirable peacock overtones in rose, green and purple. The backs are marked “Sterling/Ted Lowy”. Lowy was active in South Orange, NJ during the 1960’s and 70’s. He is still living, now aged 93. He was not especially prolific and his pieces rarely come on the market. He exhibited at New York’s Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum in 1961, but little else is known about his career.

Origin: America, ca. 1970. Condition: excellent. Size: 3/4" diameter. Weight: 11.4 grams.

A lovely Retro necklace worked in 14K rose and yellow gold and set with moonstones and amethysts. The necklace descends from a rose gold paperclip link chain toward a pair of openwork yellow gold plaques, each set with a round amethyst accented with a rose gold stylized flower, and flanking a central triangular plaque designed in the same manner. A pair of oval cabochon moonstones is set at either side. The central plaque suspends a larger oval moonstone with a nearly invisible setting. The moonstones have very nice bluish adularescence and the amethysts have rich purple color. The interplay of gemstone and gold colors and the unusual design mixing Victorian, Art Nouveau and Retro elements creates a very striking effect. Tested and guaranteed 14K.

Origin: America, ca. 1935. Condition: ecellent, all original. Size: 17-5/8” long; central plaque and pendant, 1-3/8” long. Weight: 14.7 grams. Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: moonstone, 7.43 cts; amethyst, .32 ct.

A rare pair of World War II era 14K yellow gold double-sided figural cufflinks, the faces in the form of airplane propellers. The front faces have three blades, while the back faces have two. Cufflinks with an airplane theme would have been considered a patriotic statement in gentleman’s jewelry at the time. The connectors are marked “14K” and have the hallmark for Richardson Manufacturing Company, a Newark jeweler.

Origin: America, ca. 1940. Condition: excellent. Size: front faces, 3/4" diameter. Weight: 4.7 grams.

NOTE: We are also offering a matching tie bar.