Catalog: Estate Jewelry (1639)

A very pretty Art Nouveau honeymoon pin worked in 10K yellow gold enhanced with enamel and seed pearls. The iris blossom is beautifully decorated in translucent shades of purple and greenish-yellow enamel and is centered by a small seed pearl. The flower appears against a crescent moon studded with graduated-size seed pearls. In the Victorian language of flowers, these elements were understood to symbolize “honey” (the flower) and “moon” (the crescent), thus representing “honeymoon”. These small pins were often given by grooms to their new brides as a wedding gift. For some reason, irises are somewhat uncommon in enameled jewelry. Though unsigned, the workmanship and style of this example suggests a Newark maker. The original clasp is marked “10K”.

Origin: America, ca. 1900. Condition: excellent, no enamel damage. Size: 7/8” x 13/16”. Weight: 2.3 grams.

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 pretty Victorian stick pin, the head in the form of an enameled pansy centering a 1-point old mine-cut diamond. The petals are detailed in shades of white, lavender and black. The coloring is applied in a way that makes the petals look ruffled. In the Victorian language of flowers, the pansy represented remembrance. Tested and guaranteed 14K.

Origin: America, ca. 1900. Condition: excellent, no enamel damage, there are some enamel imperfections at the edges of the petals that are original to the making. Size: head, 1/4" x 1/4"; overall length, 2-1/2”. Weight: 1.5 grams.

A superb early Edwardian “style guirlande” platinum, gold, diamond, opal and pearl necklace. The fine platinum chain suspends a platinum and gold pendant centering a beautiful oval opal surrounded by an ornate swagged garland of diamonds punctuated with creamy natural pearls. The opal has strong and even play-of-color with strong flashes of bright green, a bit of blue and pale orange. The single cut and old European diamonds have beautiful color (F-H) and have clarity ranging from SI1 to I1. The center drop is articulated in three places, allowing lots of movement when being worn. The quality of workmanship is very fine, with completely hand-sawed openwork behind the stones, fine millegraining, and precise placement of stones. The back has a heavily worn maker’s mark, but the partial serial number would indicate a quality maker. Tested and guaranteed 14K gold and platinum.

Origin: America, ca. 1890. Condition: excellent, all original except the spring clasp which is 14K white gold instead of platinum. Size: necklace, 18-3/16” long; pendant, 2-7/8”W x 2-1/4”L. Weight: 9.0 gr. Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: opal, 1.01 cts; diamond, 1.61 cts.

An extremely attractive pair of 14K white gold cufflinks by Carrington. Each round face is set with a mother-of-pearl disc engraved in a laurel wreath pattern, surrounding a center round diamond and bordered with 24 rose cut diamonds. The diamonds are very good quality, graded as I/J color and SI2 clarity. The faces are attached by chains to heavy torpedo backs. The back of each face is stamped with Carrington’s hallmark.

Origin: America, ca. 1915. Condition: excellent. Dimensions: faces, 16 mm (5/8 in) diameter. Approximate Total Diamond Weight: 1.0 ct. Weight: 12.0 gr.

NOTE: We also have a set of three shirt studs by Krementz (Item #1233392) that, although not a perfect match to the cufflinks, can easily be worn with them as a dress set. In fact, we originally acquired the cufflinks and studs as a set.

A striking 1950s extra-large bracelet charm by Van Cleef & Arpels. The charm is a fully-functional roulette wheel studded along the edge with collet-set round cut sapphires and emeralds. Under crystal dome, a tiny ruby bead serves as the marble. The moveable handle spins the dial, causing the ruby to skip along until if falls into one of the depressions on the wheel. Instead of numbers, however, the wheel is engraved “Je t’aime” (I love you…)/”Un Peu” (…a little)/”Beacoup” (…a lot)/”Passion” (…passionately)/”A La Folie” (…crazily)/”Pas Du Tout” (…not at all). The gemstones, as would be expected, are of the finest quality. A plain roulette wheel charm, without gemstones and engraved only with numbers, appears in a 1955 VCA print advertisement. The back is marked “Van Cleef et Arpels”, “Made In France” and has the serial number “16V507”. The maker’s mark appears on the bale. This piece can be worn on a heavy bracelet, but would be even more spectacular worn as a necklace.

Origin: France, ca. 1955. Condition: excellent, all original. Size: 1-7/16” diameter. Weight: 22.7 grams. Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: sapphire, 1.0 ct; emerald, .35 ct; ruby, .1 ct.

An exceedingly rare Georgian 18K yellow gold pendant locket celebrating the first manned flight by the Montgolfier brothers from Paris in 1783. Hot air balloons were one of the scientific wonders of the late 18th century, and balloon designs were worked into furniture, textiles, clothing and jewels. This locket features a hot air balloon carved from a piece of mother of pearl and then decorated with gilding and realistic painted detail. The balloon is affixed to a pale blue silk background and enclosed behind convex glass in an 18K yellow gold frame bordered by a ropetwist motif worked in gold and natural seed pearls. The edges of the frame are further accented with a beaded ogee design and bright-cut stippling. The back of the locket, also glass covered, features a mother of pearl plaque painted with the initial "F.H.", also affixed to a blue silk background. A piece such as this would most certainly have been made-to-order, so it is not surprising that it is unmarked. Tested and guaranteed 18K.

The rarity of this pendant really cannot be overstated. Very little late 18th century French jewelry survived the Revolution and pieces with a Montgolfier theme are exceptional.

Origin: probably France, ca. 1785. Condition: excellent; a small piece of the balloon carving has become dislodged (probably from the top finial of the balloon) and slipped toward the bottom of the frame (the frame could be opened the the loosened piece reattached). Size: 1-7/8" x 1-5/8".

An extremely rare 18K yellow gold bracelet in the Sputnik design by H Stern. The domes are bezel-set with round amethysts, aquamarines, citrines, green tourmalines, pink tourmalines and garnets. The design was created in the 1950s to showcase the range of colored gemstones available from Stern's mines in Brazil. It later came to be called "Sputnik" because of its resemblance to the spiky Soviet satellite launched in 1957. Each piece has a unique appearance that relies on the particular selection and placement of the gemstones. This bracelet has strong, saturated colors in autumnal hues. This design was made in earrings, pendants, charms, rings, brooches and bracelets; the bracelet is by far the most difficult piece to find. This bracelet is marked for 18K and is also marked with one of Stern's early hallmarks.

Origin: Brazil, ca. 1955. Condition: all excellent except one dome that has a ding around one of the stones (not particularly visible unless you're really looking for it). Dimensions: 27/32" wide; 7-1/2" long. Weight: 23.6 grams. Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: 18.34 carats.

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.

A very fine pair of heavy 18K yellow gold and platinum double-sided cufflinks by David Webb. The round faces are shaped as compressed spheres (imagine an old-fashioned flying saucer) bisected by pairs of parallel raised bars. Each face is centered with a round brilliant blue sapphire bezel-set in platinum. The smaller, back faces are hinged so they can easily be put through a cuff. The gold and platinum have a very elegant brushed texture that contrasts beautifully with the sapphires. The sapphires are of the very finest quality, graded as medium vivid blue (B5/6). The clarity is eye-clean and the stones have not been subjected to heat treatment. The cufflinks are quite heavy. Each is marked "Webb" and "18K".

Origin: America, ca. 1970. Condition: excellent, all original. Dimensions: larger faces, 3/4" diameter. Weight: 25.8 grams. Approximate Total Sapphire Weight: 1.5 carat.

A fine pair of double-faced cufflinks fashioned from large South Sea black pearls set in 18K yellow gold. The pearls, with excellent luster and only very lightly blemished surfaces, are graded as AA quality. Their body color is grayish-silver with rose and faint green overtones. South Sea pearls of this dark color are especially attractive for men’s jewelry and look good with a wide range of shirt colors. Tested and guaranteed 18K.

Origin: America, ca. 1990. Condition: excellent. Weight: 9.1 gr.

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 very fine 18K yellow gold fob charm set with coral cameos. The faces are similar to comedy and tragedy masks, with one frowning, one smiling and one somewhere in between. The cameos are very nicely carved and have the strong coloration typical of Mediterranean coral from the Italian coast. The gold surfaces are ornately decorated with beading and twisted wirework. This is one of the nicer and more unusual large fob charms we’ve seen over the years. The fob is marked “750” for 18K gold and bears an Italian maker’s mark.

Origin: Italy, ca. 1955. Condition: excellent, sharp detail, all original. Size: 1-9/16” long (excluding jump ring). Weight: 18.1 grams.

A nice pair of 18K yellow gold cufflinks in the stirrup (”étrier”) style popularized by Cartier in the late Art Deco period. The cufflinks are formed as a sharply arched pierced flat band. The hinged closure is decorated with engraved concentric circles at each end. The closure is hidden inside the cuff when the cufflinks are being worn. Each cufflink is fully stamped with French 18K gold hallmarks and with an unidentified master goldsmith’s mark.

Origin: France, ca. 1950. Condition: excellent. Size: 31/32” x 13/16”. Weight: 9.8 grams.

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 wonderful Art Deco 14K yellow gold baton-link long chain, studded at intervals with oval moss agate cabochons. The long chain was a traditional Victorian style, but in this case was updated by replacing the usual small links with long baton-style links. The resulting linear look would have been considered much more modern and stylish. The links are interrupted by nine 7.5x9.0mm moss agate cabochons. The gemstones have very nice medium- to dark-green lacy moss-like inclusions against the colorless transparent background. Notice that the stones are set closer together toward the middle of the chain, and farther apart toward the ends. The clasp is marked “14K”.

Origin: America, ca. 1920. Condition: excellent. Size: 28” long. Weight: 18.9 grams.

An exquisite Edwardian pendant and brooch featuring a large oval rubellite (pinkish-red tourmaline) cabochon surrounded by old European cut diamonds mounted in elegant buttercup settings. The diamond flower buds are mounted in an intricately interlaced knife-edge platinum setting. The back has a removable mounting so the piece can be worn as either a brooch or a pendant. Removable mountings of this type are very complex and appear on only the finest pieces from the period. The rubellite has fine color. Rubellites are usually very included, but this stone has far better clarity than most, graded as Type III slightly included. The diamonds range I-J in color and SI1-SI2 in clarity. Tested and guaranteed platinum.

Origin: probably France, ca. 1905. Condition: excellent, all original. Size: Weight: 6.6 grams. Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: diamond, 1.6 cts; rubellite, 5.08 cts.

A really beautiful pair of double-sided Edwardian 14K white gold cufflinks, the round faces ornately pierced in design reminiscent of the rose windows in Gothic cathedrals. One face of each pair is centered with a pale blue sapphire that contrasts nicely with the surrounding white metal. The cufflinks take on a wide range of appearance depending on the color of shirt fabric showing through the piercing. The connectors are hallmarked by Taylor & Co.

Origin: America, ca. 1915. Condition: excellent. Dimensions: 9/16" diameter. Weight: 5.3 grams.

A delightful vintage 14K yellow gold disc charm or pendant by Tiffany & Co. The center features an intricately cast "Tree of Life" bedecked with gemstone flowers. Starting with the diamond and spiraling outward in a counterclockwise direction, the first letter of each gemstone’s name—Diamond, Emerald, Amethyst, Ruby, Emerald, Sapphire and Topaz—spells “DEAREST”. The tree is enclosed in an open twist border, in turn enclosed in a broad “pleated” border. The back is marked “Tiffany & Co. 14K”.

Acrostic jewelry spelling out such sentiments was very popular in the Victorian era. The gemstones are 19th century antique cuts and Tiffany apparently custom-set them in this piece at a client’s request. The nature of the clarity characteristics suggests that the ruby is Burmese in origin, while the sapphire is Kashmir. Neither shows evidence of treatment, nor are the emeralds filled. The “Tree of Life” pattern was often set with birthstones representing the owner’s children or grandchildren, but the acrostic “DEAREST” is most unusual.

Origin: America, ca. 1950. Condition: excellent. Size: 1-5/8” diameter. Weight: 17.8 grams. Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: .35 ct.