Catalog: Estate Jewelry (1615)

A pretty shell cameo of a young woman set in a particularly nice 10K yellow gold frame. The carving is well done, making good use of the color subtleties in the shell. The rose motif of the frame echoes the flowers carved into the cameo. The back retains the original folding bail, pinstem and clasp. The reverse is stamped with the “ESEMCO” mark for Shiman Jewelry Co. and also "10K".

Origin: America, ca. 1920. Condition: excellent, no cracking. Dimensions: 1-3/8” x 1-15/16” (excluding bail). Weight: 8.5 gr.

A handsome pair of silver double-sided cufflinks in the form of horseshoes. The faces are nicely detailed and the cufflinks have good weight. The connectors are marked "935", indicating a purity slightly higher than sterling silver, and also have an unidentified maker's mark "MV."

• Origin: Continental Europe, probably Switzerland, ca 1950.
• Condition: excellent
• Dimensions: faces, 5/8" x 5/8".
• Weight: 8.5 grams.

A fun Victorian 14K yellow gold stickpin in the form of an oyster, complete with a small natural pearl resting on the lip of the oyster's shell. The surface is hand engraved to mimic the roughness of an oyster shell. The reverse is stamped "14K" and has an indistinct maker's mark.

Origin: America, ca. 1900. Condition: excellent. Dimensions: head, 1/2" x 13/16"; overall length, 2-1/2". Weight: 1.6 grams.

A lovely, delicate 10K white gold filigree ring set with a buff-cut amethyst. Buff-cut stones are somewhat uncommon with their smooth domed tops and faceted bottoms, but were popular in the Edwardian era. The shank is marked "10K."

Origin: America, ca. 1900. Condition: excellent, minute surface wear to stone visible under 10x magnification; sharp details on setting. Dimensions: crown, 1/2" x 7/8". Finger Size: 5-1/2. Weight: 2.3 gr. Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: 3.0 cts.

A dainty Victorian pendant or bracelet charm designed as a spray of flowers against a woven background. The flowers are worked in rose and green gold, while the background is in yellow gold. A pendant of this size could easily be worn on a charm bracelet but would look even lovelier on a simple gold chain. Tested and guaranteed 12K gold.

• Origin: England, ca. 1850.
• Dimensions: 11/16” corner-to-corner.
• Weight: 2.1 grams.
• Condition: excellent; all original.

A handsome, inventive pair of modernist silver cufflinks with opaque black champleve enamel faces by Meka Reklamegaver (1951-89). The black enamel is pierced with overlapping elongated silver teardrops. The connectors are marked “Meka Sterling Denmark”.

Origin: Holte, Denmark, ca. 1960. Condition: excellent, no enamel damage. Size: 7/8” x 9/16”. Weight: 11.4 grams.

A lovely Georgian mourning pin worked in 9K yellow gold, the center crystal-covered compartment bordered in faceted jet. Lighter-colored hair is somewhat less common that dark hair, and it contrasts particularly nicely with the black border. The reverse is engraved "Wm Dumelow/ob. 16 Mar/1811 At 42." Tested and guaranteed 9K.

Origin: England, 1811. Condition: excellent, all original. Dimensions: 1" x 9/16". Weight: 3.3 grams.

A delightful and very rare Victorian pin depicting a woman's "safety bicycle". With a chain drive connected to the back wheels and structural supports that left room for petticoats, these bicycles gave women unexpected freedom. Susan B. Anthony claimed that bicycling "had done more to emancipate women than anything else in the world." This pin is worked in silver gilt and set with rose cut Bohemian garnets. The detailing is very nice. The back of the pin retains its original clasp and extended pinstem.

Ca. 1890. Condition: excellent. Dimensions: 1-5/16" x 13/16". Weight: 2.9 gr.

A nice silver pendant depicting the solar system and the attributes of the sign Scorpio—a scorpion a depiction of the god Mars representing the planet that rules those born into Scorpio. The pendant is signed “AC” and is stamped with French silver hallmarks.

• Origin: France, ca. 1970
• Condition: excellent
• Dimensions: 15/16” x 1-3/8”
• Weight: 8.6 grams

An elegant Art Nouveau silver brooch depicting a maiden smelling a rose. She is surrounded in a bower of climbing roses and enclosed in a frame of whiplash curves typical of French Art Nouveau. The clasp is marked for silver and bears the maker's mark of Fernand Boursot, who opened shop in Paris in 1894. THe brooch could be converted to a pendant with the addition of a bail at the top or a pair of bails and a split chain at the upper corners.

• France, ca 1895.
• Excellent condition; sharp detail.
• 1" x 15/16".
• 5.1 grams.

A nice 1950's 14K yellow gold tie bar set with rectangular step-cut synthetic rubies. The tie bar is quite short, dating it to the mid-century period when ties were very narrow. Narrow ties are once again in fashion, so this is still the perfect gentleman's accessory. Marked "14K".

Origin: America, ca. 1955. Excellent condition. Size: 1-1/4" long. Weight: 3.4 grams.

An interesting silver pendant depicting the solar system and the attributes of the sign Leo—a lion and a depiction of the sun representing the heavenly body that rules those born into Leo. The pendant is signed “AC” and is stamped with French silver hallmarks.

• Origin: France, ca. 1970
• Condition: excellent
• Dimensions: 3/4” x 1-1/4”
• Weight: 5.2 grams

A classic pair of Art Deco 10K yellow gold cufflinks, the oval faces simply decorated with engraved parallel lines behind a diamond-shaped reserve for a monogram (never used). The connectors have an unidentified maker’s mark and are stamped “10K”.

Origin: America, ca. 1930. Condition: excellent, no monogram. Dimensions: 11/16” x 15/32”. Weight: 3.5 grams.

An elegant gilt sterling silver oval brooch by Kirk in the "Repousse" pattern. Kirk made a range of jewelry in this pattern but only a few were then gilt. With the addition of a bail to the back, this pin would make a very striking vertical pendant. The back is stamped with Kirk's hallmark from the 1932-61 period.

Origin: America, ca 1950. Condition: excellent, no wear to gilding. Dimensions: 2-7/16" x 15/16". Weight: 18.5 grams.

A very cute and heavy 14K yellow gold dachshund pin, the gold body accented with small emerald eyes and a white gold collar studded with small diamonds. The pin is very finely modeled with clear definitions of musculature and the Florentine engraving nicely mimics the short hairs of a dachshund’s coat. Tested and guaranteed 14K.

Origin: America, ca. 1950. Condition: excellent, sharp detail. Size: 1” x 1-3/4”. Weight: 12.7 grams.

A handsome man’s ring featuring a large lapis lazuli cabochon set in a 10K yellow gold mounting decorated at either side of the crown with a sword, shield and victor’s laurel wreath. The lapis has very good color with a bright smattering of attractive pyrite inclusions. The inside of the shank is marked “10K”.

Origin: America, ca. 1900. Condition: excellent, sharp detail. Dimensions: 3/4" wide at crown. Finger Size: 10. Weight: 9.8 gr.

A very handsome and heavy pair of 18K yellow gold cufflinks, the faces comprising deep violet-blue spheres of lapis lazuli joined by gold collars worked with beaded and zigzag decoration. The lapis has the fine even color often called Afghan. The faces are joined with chains to plain gold baton backs. The batons are fully stamped with 18K hallmarks for London, 1992.

Origin: England, 1992. Condition: excellent. Size: faces, 7/8” long. Weight: 14.4 grams.

A handsome pair of vintage 14K yellow gold double-sided cufflinks by Larter. The square faces have slightly rounded edges and feature almandite garnet cabochons. The garnets have strong red coloring without too much of the brown overtones that can make garnets dark. The connectors are marked with Larter’s hallmark and “14K”.

Origin: America, ca. 1950. Condition: excellent. Size: 9/16” x 9/16”. Weight: 8.5 grams. Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: 4.04 cts.