Catalog (2407)

A beautiful Art Nouveau bracelet worked in 18K yellow gold featuring oval blue sapphire cabochons accented with laurel wreath settings and alternating floral plaque links. The gold is very finely worked. The sapphires have medium dark, strong blue color (B6/5) and eye-clean clarity. They show no indications of heat treatment. The bracelet is completed with a concealed box clasp. The clasp is stamped with French gold hallmarks used outside Paris 1847-1919. The maker’s mark is partly obscured, but we have seen the mark before (the goldsmith must have used a damaged punch, because his marks are always partially missing) on expertly-made heavy gold items with intricate piercing, often set with cabochon gemstones, from around 1880-1900.

Origin: France, ca. 1890. Condition: excellent. Dimensions: 3/8” wide; 7 -1/4” long. Weight: 11.5 gr. Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: 2.6 cts.

A beautiful pair of double-sided 18K yellow gold cufflinks enhanced with Prussian blue guilloche enamel enclosed in a circle of opaque white champlevé enamel surrounded by a border of ornately engine-turned gold. The faces a joined by removable s-shaped connectors. The cufflinks are presented in their original fitted box, the interior gilt-stamped with the logo for Fontenay Smets Successeur. Each of the cufflink faces and the connectors are stamped with the master goldsmith’s mark for René Forget (act 1909-21), who produced the cufflinks for the house.

Eugène Fontenay was one of the most important French jewelers of the 19th century, creating numerous pieces for the Imperial family and for other important jewelry houses such as Boucheron. When he retired in 1882, Fontenay turned his business over to his assistant, Henri Smets and its name was changed to Fontenay Smets Successeur.

Origin: France, ca. 1910. Condition: excellent, no enamel damage. Dimensions: faces, 19/32” diameter. Weight: 8.8 gr.

A rare pair of mid-century haute couture cufflinks by Pierre Cardin. Each face comprises a carved jadeite bead simply mounted on a gold post. The backs are slightly arched gold bars. The jadeite beads are carved in a floral pattern and are done so in a way that they are carved completely through from one side to another. It’s likely that the cufflinks were constructed from an antique strand of jadeite beads. The jade has noticeable mottling in natural, strongly saturated shades of dark, medium and light green. The translucency is fair. Magnification and absorption spectra show no signs of dye. The connectors are signed “Pierre Cardin†and are fully hallmarked with French 18K marks. Pierre Cardin designed a very limited line of fine jewels in the 1950s and 60s. They were sold only at the couturier’s main store and are quite difficult to find now. Origin: Paris, ca. 1960. Condition: excellent, all original, no cracks or chips. Size: 1/2†diameter. Weight: 10.4 grams.

A lovely two-sided 18K gold and crystal photo locket by Parisian jeweler Charles Garnier. This style of locket became popular in the latter half of the 19th century and was revived from time to time up through the Edwardian era. NOTE: The pale green interior is used only for photographic purposes. The lockets were worn with a photograph showing from each side or with a single photograph on the front and a memento of some sort (a lock of hair or a pressed flower) on the back. The crystals are held in place with a gold border decorated in the bound-reed motif in the Louis XVI style. The bail is stamped with the maker’s mark for Garnier.

Origin: France, 1924-28. Condition: excellent, all original. Dimensions: 1-1/16” diameter (excluding bail and jump ring).

A classic pair of Edwardian 14K yellow gold cufflinks, the faces topped with platinum. The rectangular faces have canted corners and are decorated with engine-turned engraving. The solid connectors are marked “PL ON 14K”.

Origin: America, ca. 1915. Condition: excellent. Dimensions: 21/32” x 7/16”. Weight: 4.0 gr.

A lovely 18K yellow gold Sputnik ring by H Stern. The dome is bezel-set with round citrines, amethysts green and pink tourmalines, garnets and aquamarines. This design was created in the 1950s to highlight the range of colored gemstones available from Stern’s Brazilian mines. It came to be called “Sputnik†because of its resemblance to the spike Soviet satellite launched in 1957. Each piece has a unique appearance depending on the particular selection and placement of the gemstones. This particular example has a lot of medium-tone green. The inside of the shank is stamped “18Kâ€.

Origin: Brazil, ca. 1955. Condition: excellent, all original. Dimensions: dome, 7/8†diameter. Finger Size: 5. Weight: 5.3 grams. Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: 4.12 cts.

A lovely 18K yellow gold Sputnik ring by H Stern. The dome is bezel-set with round citrines, amethysts green and pink tourmalines, garnets and aquamarines. This design was created in the 1950s to highlight the range of colored gemstones available from Stern’s Brazilian mines. It came to be called “Sputnik” because of its resemblance to the spike Soviet satellite launched in 1957. Each piece has a unique appearance depending on the particular selection and placement of the gemstones. The inside of the shank is stamped “18K”.

Origin: Brazil, ca. 1955. Condition: excellent, all original. Dimensions: dome, 13/16” diameter. Finger Size: 7-3/4. Weight: 3.7 grams. Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: 3.59 cts.

A wonderful pair of Edwardian 14K yellow gold enameled cufflinks, one face decorated with the image of an eagle and the other with an owl. This eagle and owl were often used in Victorian jewelry to depict day and night, a concept popularized with the rise of Japanese motifs in the 1870s. The faces are worked in the “basse-taille” enamel with detailed engraving of the gold base covered with a layer of enamel in a single grayish-green color. The varying depth of the carving creates complex shading in this single hue. The baton backs are worked in guilloche enamel in the same color. The quality of workmanship is superb. The cufflinks are signed “HC” with an eagle, but we do not know the maker. Tested and guaranteed 18K.

Origin: Europe, ca. 1905. Condition: excellent; very light wear to enamel surface visible at 10x magnification; no cracks or chips. Dimensions: faces, 3/4” x 1/2". Weight: 10.2 gr.

A wonderful pair of Art Deco 18K yellow gold cufflinks by Ravinet d Enfert, probably retailed by Hermès. Each of the faces is crafted as a different suite in a deck of cards and is finished with red or black opaque enamel. The faces are connected with chains. Each cufflink is marked for 18K and with the maker’s mark for Ravinet d’Enfert. Like most other luxury houses, Hermès did not make their own jewelry, but retailed pieces designed and manufactured by Ravinet d’Enfert to their specifications. This pair of cufflinks is not signed Hermès, but was mostly likely sold through the Paris shop.

Origin: France, ca. 1930. Condition: excellent, no enamel damage, all original. Dimensions: 1/2" x 1/2” Weight: 7.1 gr.

A handsome pair of double-faced cufflinks set with turquoise in 14K yellow gold. The turquoise stones have fine color and nicely arranged matrix. The bar connectors are marked “14K” and have an unidentified maker’s mark “D”.

Origin: America, ca. 1910. Condition: excellent, all original. Dimensions: 5/8” x 3/8”. Weight: 8.3 gr.

A classic pair of Art Deco chrysoprase cufflinks set in 14K yellow gold. The chrysoprase have very good yellowish-green color and are cut in high-domed cabochons. The faces are connected by chains. Tested and guaranteed 14K.

Origin: America, ca. 1930. Condition: excellent, all original. Dimensions: 3/8” diameter. Weight: 7.1 gr.

An outstanding Victorian 14K yellow gold hinged bangle bracelet worked with a double buckle motif enhanced with opaque royal blue enamel and seed pearls. The buckle is further set off with a corset-lacing motif. The gold of the buckles is polished, but the bangle has the softer semi-matte finish of bloomed gold. The overall design is stately, yet not oversized. The interior is stamped "14K".

Origin: America, ca 1860. Condition: excellent, all original, one small pinpoint ding. Dimensions: bangle, 9/16" wide; buckle 1" wide; interior circumference, 6-3/4". Weight: 36.9 grams.

A very good set of sterling silver cocktail picks, the tops decorated with colorful enameled roosters. The use of the rooster (“cock”) motif in Art Deco barware was a play on the word “cocktail”. Each of the roosters is enameled in a slightly different colorway. The picks are presented in their original fitted case. Each is marked "Sterling Silver".

Origin: America, ca. 1925. Condition: all original, no enamel damage, box has significant wear. Size: 3” long. Weight: 10.8 grams.

An elegant pair of 1st standard (950/1000 pure) silver jiggers by Hermes in the form of tankards. Each is fully hallmarked by Ravinet D'Enfert, the company responsible for most of Hermès silver creations in the Deco era. The bottom of each is marked "Hermès Paris". The jiggers are accompanied by an Hermès drawstring pouch.

Origin: France, ca. 1930. Condition: excellent, no dings, no monograms. Dimensions: larger jigger, 3" tall; smaller jigger, 2-5/16" tall. Weight: 132.0 gr.

A sterling silver wine funnel in a classic Georgian design by the luxury English silversmith Asprey & Co. The upper rim is simply decorated in a beaded pattern. The strainer bottom is pierced in a starburst design. The piercing will strain out the larger sediments, and the funnel opens so a piece of muslin or a screen can be inserted to filter even the smallest sediments during decanting. The funnel is fully hallmarked by Asprey and bears the date letter for 1984.

Origin: England, 1984. Condition: excellent, no dings, no monograms. Dimensions: 3-7/16" diameter; 4-3/4" tall. Weight: 104.8 gr.

A very large and heavy sterling silver double jigger with a turned ebony handle by Quaker Silver Co. The cups are decorated with an ornate acanthus leaf and bead design reminiscent of Jensen and other Nordic designers of the early 20th century. The jigger is stamped with Quaker's hallmark.

Origin: America, ca. 1925. Condition: excellent, a couple of very tiny pinpoints along the rim of the smaller cup. Dimensions: 4-15/16" tall; 10-3/4"long. Weight: the silver portion is approximately 150.00 gr.

An Art Deco sterling silver handled double jigger by silversmith John Hasselbring (Brooklyn, NY). The angularity of the handle contrasts nicely with the traditional shape of the cups. Stamped with Hasselbring's hallmark.

Origin: America, ca. 1930. Condition: very good, a few pinpoints on handle and cups visible in strong, raking light; no monograms. Dimensions: 5-3/8" x 4-1/8". Weight: 78.7 gr.

A silver jigger engraved with the pennant of the Norwegian-American Lines and the name of the passenger liner SS Stavangerfjord. The ship was commissioned in 1917 and sailed until 1963. In 1964, it was anchored in Tokyo Bay for use a hotel during the Tokyo Olympics. This jigger is engraved "Olympiske Leker", indicating that it comes from the short time the liner was used during the games. The bottom is marked "S830". Origin: Norway, 1964. Condition: excellent, two tiny dings on the bottom edge (only visible from the bottom). Dimensions: 1-13/16" tall. Weight: 13.0 gr.