Catalog (2407)

A fine pair of American brilliant cut glass candlesticks signed “Libbey.” The stems and candle sockets are cut in Libbey’s “Plain Flute” pattern. The foot is decorated in an unequal radiant star pattern. The stems are spectacular! Each has not one, but four air bubbles that are twisted about each other in a spiral pattern extending the full length of the stem. Each candlestick is marked with Libbey’s acid signature (Libbey with a break in the tail of the “L” and enclosed in a circle) on the socket.

Origin: America, ca. 1910. Condition: excellent, one stem has a 3/32” fleabite on a flute edge just under the lip of the socket, normal surface wear on underside of feet. Size: 10” tall; 4-7/8” diameter at foot.

A large Edwardian puffed heart pendant/brooch worked in finely pierced platinum and set with nearly six carats of old European cut diamonds. Most Edwardian hearts are somewhat smaller than this generously-sized example. The design depicts a central blossom surrounded by scrolls around the edge of the heart. The center diamond is .60 carat, L color and SI2 clarity. The remaining 36 diamonds, totaling approximately 5.27 carats, are I/J color and SI1-I1 clarity. The back of the heart has a removable 14K yellow gold brooch fitting, as well as a platinum folding bail, so the piece can be worth as either a pendant or brooch. This fitting is very distinctive, and we have see puffed heart brooches of this sort signed Tiffany & Co. Tested and guaranteed platinum.

Origin: America, ca. 1910. Condition: excellent, all original. Dimensions: 35 x 35 mm (1-3/8 x 1-3/8 in). Weight: 21.2 gr. Approximate Total Diamond Weight: 5.87 cts.

A black lacquered papier mâché wine coaster, the sides enhanced with an unusual gilt pattern of stylized grape leaves and tendrils along with thistles. The decoration is in excellent condition, with a nice warm patina.

Origin: England, ca. 1800. Condition: excellent; normal crackling to the interior; no structural problems; gilding intact. Dimensions: diameter, 13.4 cm (5-1/4 in); height, 4.8 cm (1-7/8 in).

A superb pair of French Art Deco 18K gold and tourmaline cufflinks in the Egyptian Revival taste that was spurred by the discovery Tutankhamun's tomb in 1922. Each face is simply set with a bluish-green tourmaline carved into the shape of an ancient Egyptian scarab. The faces are connected with chains to barbell backs. Each cufflink is fully stamped with French 18K gold marks and with an illegible master goldsmith mark.

Origin: France, ca. 1925. Condition: excellent. Dimensions: 16 x 18 mm (5/8 x 23/32 in). Weight: 10.2 gr. Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: 30.7 cts.

A very fine 18K gold brooch/pendant in the form of a mythological basilisk (cockatrice) pierced through with a jeweled sword. This example is entirely handmade and finished with expertly chased scales and feathers. The quality of workmanship is superb. The wings are formed separately and arranged in a manner that gives the piece great dimensionality. The outer wing is set with a round ruby of very fine color and clarity and the eye is set with a tiny cabochon ruby. The hilt of sword is set with seed pearls with a natural oval pearl at the tip. The gold surfaces have a slightly matte Russian finish. The back retains the original clasp, large watch hook and pendant loop. Many would call this creature a griffin, but with its body of a serpent and with head and wings of a bird, it is more properly considered a basilisk or cockatrice. Such creatures were popular in the late Victorian era. There is a possibility that the back is marked with a script signature, but it is far too difficult to be certain. Tested and guaranteed 18K.

Origin: probably America, ca. 1880. Condition: excellent, sharp detail, all original. Dimensions: 40 x 40 mm (1-1/2 x 1-1/2 in). Weight: 13.2 gr. Approximate Total Ruby Weight: .15 ct.

A stunning pair of 18K noble gold and natural fancy-colored diamond earrings from the Snowflake collection by H Stern. Each earring is composed of three snowflakes of graduated size, each set with round brilliant natural fancy-colored diamonds in subtle shades ranging from honey to pale golden brown. The diamonds average VS2 clarity. The earrings are made with 18K noble gold, a color somewhere between white gold and yellow gold that Stern created in 2001. Noble gold has the unique ability to shift color, either toward yellow or toward white, depending on what it’s being worn with. It has a warm tone that looks particularly good with the colored diamonds. The back of each earring, as well as the clutches, are marked for 18K gold and are signed by H Stern. The earrings currently retail for $7500 at H Stern.

Origin: Brazil, ca. 2013. Condition: excellent. Dimensions: length, 48 mm (1-7/8 in); largest snowflake diameter, 21 mm (13/16 in). Weight: 13.3 gr. Approximate Total Diamond Weight: 1.76 ct.

A very handsome pair of 18K yellow gold cufflinks, the square faces set with calibré cut blue sapphires in a raised frame. The sapphires have deep, saturated color that contrasts very nicely the surrounding gold. The surfaces are expertly engraved in what at first appears to be a basketweave pattern, but is in fact a complex plaid pattern. The cufflinks close with an unusual snap mechanism that requires the ends of the back baton face to be pressed in. Each cufflink is fully stamped with French 18K marks and with an unidentified master goldsmith mark.

Origin: France, ca. 1960. Condition: excellent, all original, sharp detail. Dimensions: 15 x 15mm (9/16 x 9/16 in). Weight: 16.3 gr. Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: 1.15 ct.

A fine, heavy pair of 18K yellow gold cufflinks in the “mors de filet” or “snaffle bit” style. When the ends are flipped up into their closed position, the entire cufflink has the look of horse bit, especially with the raised diamond patterns on each end. The ends of the connectors are inset with round brilliant cut diamonds. The cufflinks are marked indistinctly with French gold hallmarks.

Origin: France, ca. 1955. Condition: excellent. Dimensions: faces, 13 x 15 mm (1/2 x 9/16 in). Approximate Total Diamond Weight: .20 ct.

A very nice 18K yellow gold Sputnik style ring by H Stern. The dome is bezel-set with round citrines, amethysts, green tourmalines, pink tourmalines, garnets 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 spiky Soviet satellite lanched in 1957. Each ring has a unique appearance that depends on the particular selection and placement of the gemstones. This example tends toward the pastel side with a fairly large number of aquamarines and lighter-toned amethysts. The shank is signed by Stern and is marked for 18K gold.

Origin: Brazil, ca. 1955. Condition: excellent, one amethyst has a small chip on the surface only visible upon careful examination with a 10x loupe. Finger Size: 7-1/2. Dimensions: dome diameter, 19 mm (3/4 in). Weight: 4.0 gr. Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: 1.90 cts.

A classic 19th century French silver tastevin of traditional form by master silversmith Alexandre Vauger. This example is of small size, intended for use in evaluating cognac, Armagnac or calvados instead of wine. Unlike the “perles” and “godrons” found on the walls of a wine taster, a cognac taster more accurately reflects the liquid’s color using a smooth surface. Similarly, cognac tasters are smaller than wine tasters because the alcohol is considerably stronger and a smaller taste is more appropriate. The bottom of the interior features a partial image of Hercules flanked by female figures representing “Liberty” and “Equality” that once appeared on the 5-franc coin of the Third Republic. The back of the coin, dated 1873, is visible on the bottom of the tastevin. The taster is finished with a classic engraved double serpent handle, the heads grasping the apple of temptation.

Accomplished French silversmiths prided themselves on the ability to raise an entire tastevin from a single 5-franc coin, using only hammers and a few other hand tools to thin, spread and shape the flat coin into a finished tastevin. Only a handful of masters were capable of raising the tastevin with the words “DIEU PROTEGE LA FRANCE” (“God protect France”), originally found around the outer edge of the coin, still visible along the top edge of the tastevin. The last silversmith proven to have mastered this skill stopped working in 1968.

This tastevin is stamped with French silver hallmarks and has the master silversmith’s mark for Alexandre Vauger, who worked in Paris 1884-1887.

Origin: France, 1884-87. Condition: excellent. Dimensions: 48 x 66 mm (1-7/8 x 2-5/8 in). Weight: 30.9 grams.

A classic 19th century French silver tastevin of traditional form by master silversmith Alexandre Vauger. This example is of small size, intended for use in evaluating cognac, Armagnac or calvados instead of wine. Unlike the “perles” and “godrons” found on the walls of a wine taster, a cognac taster more accurately reflects the liquid’s color using a smooth surface. Similarly, cognac tasters are smaller than wine tasters because the alcohol is considerably stronger and a smaller taste is more appropriate. The bottom of the interior features a partial image of Hercules flanked by female figures representing “Liberty” and “Equality” that once appeared on the 5-franc coin of the Third Republic. The back of the coin, dated 1873, is visible on the bottom of the tastevin. The taster is finished with a classic engraved double serpent handle, the heads grasping the apple of temptation.

Accomplished French silversmiths prided themselves on the ability to raise an entire tastevin from a single 5-franc coin, using only hammers and a few other hand tools to thin, spread and shape the flat coin into a finished tastevin. Only a handful of masters were capable of raising the tastevin with the words “DIEU PROTEGE LA FRANCE” (“God protect France”), originally found around the outer edge of the coin, still visible along the top edge of the tastevin. The last silversmith proven to have mastered this skill stopped working in 1968.

This tastevin is stamped with French silver hallmarks and has the master silversmith’s mark for Alexandre Vauger, who worked in Paris 1884-1887.

Origin: France, 1884-87. Condition: excellent. Dimensions: 48 x 66 mm (1-7/8 x 2-5/8 in). Weight: 30.5 grams.

A fine modernist pendant designed as an 18K yellow gold frame enclosing a square plaque of smoky quartz with beveled edges. The front side of the gold frame has two geometric insets, a large square that occupies a fourth of the surface and a small quarter-circle at the opposite corner. This asymmetrical use of complimentary symmetrical shapes is reminiscent of the Mondrian paintings that inspired Yves Saint-Laurent’s 1965/66 couture collection. The pendant retains its original jump ring, stamped with the unidentified master goldsmith’s mark “JG.” The frame is also fully hallmarked.

Origin: France, ca. 1965. Condition: the quartz has small flakes at its corners (they are only visible upon very close inspection and could be removed by having the quartz re-beveled); all original. Dimensions: 32mm x 32mm (1-1/4 x 1-1/4 in) (excluding bail and jump ring). Weight: 18.8 gr.

A beautiful dress set comprising two double-sided cufflinks and three shirt studs, the round faces set with abalone disks encircled by platinum borders. The abalone has fine guilloche carving in a chrysanthemum pattern and the platinum borders are decorated with an engraved laurel wreath design. The abalone has very nice luster with overtones of rose and green. Abalone cufflinks are richer looking and much more uncommon than mother-of-pearl. The backs of each piece are stamped with the Larter hallmark.

Origin: America, ca. 1900. Condition: excellent, all original. Dimensions: cufflinks, 14 mm (9/16 in) diameter; studs, 8 mm (5/16 in) diameter. Weight: 8.7 gr.

A very heavy pair of 18K yellow gold stirrup (étrier) cufflinks retailed by famed New York jeweler Olga Tritt. Stirrup (étrier) cufflinks were popularized by Cartier in the 1940s and have appeared in many variations since. This pair is unusual because of the gold mesh sides and the unusual decorative shape of the crossbar. The cufflinks are marked with indistinct French master goldsmith’s marks. We have had an identical pair once before, in their original fitted Olga Tritt box. As a French émigré, Tritt manufactured her own line of jewelry and retailed high-quality French jewelry at her Park Avenue boutique.

Origin: France, ca. 1950. Condition: excellent, all original. Dimensions: 21 x 24 mm (13/16 x 31/32 in). Weight: 17.9 gr.

A classic Baccarat cut crystal perfume bottle in a blue-cut-to-clear cane pattern. While several American and European companies cut this pattern, the stopper of this bottle is a known Baccarat design. It appeared in a Baccarat pattern book under the name “Stella.” The stopper has a blown teardrop in the interior and is accented with a star pattern at the top. Baccarat products were marked only with a paper label until logo until around 1930.

Origin: France, ca. 1890. Condition: very good; a few very minor nicks along the bottom edge (obscured by the design). Size: 4-15/16” tall.

A classic 19th century French silver tastevin of traditional form by master silversmith Alexandre Vauger. This example is of small size, intended for use in evaluating cognac, Armagnac or calvados instead of wine. Unlike the “perles” and “godrons” found on the walls of a wine taster, a cognac taster more accurately reflects the liquid’s color using a smooth surface. Similarly, cognac tasters are smaller than wine tasters because the alcohol is considerably stronger and a smaller taste is more appropriate. The bottom of the interior features a partial image of Hercules flanked by female figures representing “Liberty” and “Equality” that once appeared on the 5-franc coin of the Third Republic. The back of the coin, dated 1876, is visible on the bottom of the tastevin. The taster is finished with a classic engraved double serpent handle, the heads grasping the apple of temptation.

Accomplished French silversmiths prided themselves on the ability to raise an entire tastevin from a single 5-franc coin, using only hammers and a few other hand tools to thin, spread and shape the flat coin into a finished tastevin. Only a handful of masters were capable of raising the tastevin with the words “DIEU PROTÉGÉ LA FRANCE” (“God protect France”), originally found around the outer edge of the coin, still visible along the top edge of the tastevin. The last silversmith proven to have mastered this skill stopped working in 1968.

This tastevin is stamped with French silver hallmarks and has the master silversmith’s mark for Alexandre Vauger, who worked in Paris 1884-1887.

Origin: France, 1884-87. Condition: excellent. Dimensions: 48 x 66 mm (1-7/8 x 2-5/8 in). Weight: 30.9 grams.

A fine pair of Edwardian 18K yellow gold cufflinks, the faces designed as pairs of coiled snakes. Two of the snakes have an old European cut diamond set into its head, while the other two have a round emerald. In Victorian symbology, the coiled snake represented eternity, and a pair of snakes coiled together suggested “eternal love.” The snaked as attached by chains to baton backs worked in a twisted motif, itself suggestive of the coiled snakes. The backs are marked “750” for 18K gold.

Origin: Continental Europe, ca. 1910. Condition: excellent; all original. Dimensions: faces, 17 x 15 mm (5/8 x 9/16 in). Weight: 10.3 gr. Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: diamond, .05 ct; emerald, .035 ct.

A handsome pair f 18K yellow gold cufflinks, the rectangular faces enhanced with an engraved waffle pattern and featuring a line of rectangular cut blue sapphires. The sapphires have strong blue coloring and eye-clean clarity. The faces are connected to hinged backs decorated in a matching waffle pattern. The bridges are fully stamped with French master goldsmith’s marks.

Origin: France, ca. 1980. Condition: excellent, all original. Dimensions: front faces, 12 x 20 mm (1/2 x 13/16 in). Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: .72 ct. Weight: 12.9 gr.