Catalog: Estate Jewelry (1615)

A classic pair of Mid-Century “around the cuff” mesh cufflinks set with square cut sapphires and round diamonds. This classic style securely holds the cuff and is heavy enough to know you’re wearing them. At the same time, the flexible mesh makes them very comfortable. The gemstones have excellent color and clarity. The overall look is clean and streamlined. Each cufflink is fully hallmarked by Gubelin and bears a serial number.

• Origin: Switzerland, ca. 1950.
• Condition: excellent.
• Dimensions: 3/8” (10mm) wide.
• Weight: 22.7 grams.
• Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: diamond, .05 carat; sapphire, 1.45 carats.

A delightful vintage 18K yellow gold bird pin, the body formed from a oval cabochon turquoise, and the head and wings from textured gold. The eye set with a cabochon sapphire surrounded by small single-cut diamonds. The tail feathers are accented diamonds set in white gold feathers. The branch has a single turquoise and diamond flower. The design is clearly a nod to Van Cleef & Arpels' "La Boutique" collection which was inspired by early animated cartoon characters. Tested and guaranteed 18K gold.

• Origin: America, ca. 1955
• Condition: excellent, all original
• Dimensions: 1-5/8” x 1-1/4”: Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: diamond, .75 carat; sapphire, .13 carat; turquoise, 9.10 carats.
• Weight: 18.5 grams.

A striking pair of 18K yellow gold mid-century earrings fashioned as knots of rope-motif gold. Each earring is finished at the top with three round brilliant diamonds and at the bottom with free-hanging tassels ending in round brilliant blue sapphires. The knot design has a very sculptural quality, typical of French jewelry from the early 1950s, while the tassels provide a sense of movement. The diamonds are graded as I/J, SI1 and the sapphires are a nice medium violetish-blue. The omega backs are stamped with French 18K marks.

Ca. 1950. Condition: excellent. Dimensions: 2-3/16” x 7/8”. Weight: 28.0 gr. Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: sapphire, 1.44 cts.; diamond, .30 ct.

A heavy pair of mid-century double-sided cufflinks, the faces woven from gold rope. The overall look is similar to the Parisian work of Georges Lenfant. The back faces are smaller for ease in putting them through the cuff. The faces are joined by figure-8 connectors stamped “14K.”

• Origin: America, ca. 1965
• Condition: excellent
• Dimensions: larger faces, 1/2” x 1/2" x 1/2”; smaller faces 3/8” x 3/8” x 3/8”
• Weight: 23.4 grams

A nice pair of 14K yellow gold and ruby cufflinks, the round faces accented with engraved lines and a stippled finish that suggests a quilted design. The intersections of the engraved lines are set with round brilliant-cut rubies. The backs are marked "14K". We have seen matching cufflinks, set with rubies or with sapphires, stamped with Tiffany's retailer mark, so it's likely they were made by one of the higher-level Newark jewelers.

Origin: America, ca. 1955. Condition: excellent. Dimensions: 5/8" diameter. Weight: 10.2 gr. Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: .14 ct.

A pretty 14K yellow gold brooch designed as a cluster of leaves, each accented with a collet-set round ruby. The leaf surfaces have stippled and Florentine finishes for nice contrast. The back is marked “14K” and also has an illegible maker’s mark.

• Origin: America, ca. 1960
• Condition: excellent, all original
• Dimensions: 1-7/8” x –1-1/8”
• Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: .15 carat
• Weight: 6.0 grams

A pretty 10K yellow and rose gold half-hoop wedding band, the front decorated with finely engraved roses. The flower petals are worked in rose gold for added contrast and the entire design is recessed to prevent wear to the carving. The interior of the shank is marked "10K" and also has an unidentified maker's mark.

• Origin: America, ca. 1950
• Condition:excellent
• Dimensions: 7/32" wide tapering to 1/8" at the back
• Finger Size: 7-1/4
• Weight: 2.9 grams

A stunning pair of 18K yellow gold earrings in the "Heliocoidal" pattern by lauded designed Michael Good. The earrings are constructed in the anticlastic raising technique in with the piece is formed from a sheet of gold and then twisted along all three dimensions to create an organic shape that Good refers to as "molten energy." Each piece is created entirely by hand and does not employ any machine made parts such as earwires or clasps. Older examples of Good's jewelry is difficult to find. Each earring is marked "750 M Good".

Origin: America, ca. 1987. Size: 2-7/8" long. Weight: 8.2 gr.

A nice pair of mid-century Mexican sterling silver cufflinks, the triangular faces set with amethysts carved to depict an ancient Aztec mask. The style of carving suggests either Abraham Paz or Fred Davis as the likely maker. The backs are marked "Plata Sterling 925".

Origin: Mexico, ca. 1950. Condition: excellent, all original. Dimensions: faces, 11/16" x 11/16". Weight: 8.1 gr.

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.

An outstanding pair of 18K yellow gold mesh cufflinks, the faces set with large amethysts cut into sugarloaf cabochons. Mesh cufflinks, intended to wrap around the outside edge of the cuff were quite popular in the 1950s and it was a style favored by Meister—one of Switzerland’s most exclusive jewelers. The amethysts are of very fine quality, graded as dark vivid Purple in color (P7/6) with eye-clean clarity and excellent symmetry and polish. The faces are backed by snap mechanisms that hold the cufflinks in place. The mesh is constructed of very fine links for a smooth, flexible feel. Each cufflink is marked “Meister” and “EM 750”.

Origin: Switzerland, ca. 1955. Condition: excellent. Size: faces, 11 x 14 mm. Weight: 24.29 grams. Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: 27.72 cts.

Very nice Victorian shakudo pin featuring a wonderful scene of Mt. Fuji. The foreground shows two quail, worked in gold, foraging amidst incredibly detailed wildflowers. The snow on the peak of Mt. Fuji is picked out in silver. The entire pin is beautifully patinated. After the samurai system in Japan ended, highly skilled swordmakers turned to jewelry as a way of continuing their centuries-old skills. The pin retains its original pinstem and clasp.

Origin: Japan, ca. 1870. Condition: excellent, all original. Size: 2-1/8" x 5/8".

A delightful Japanese silver and patinated steel short watch fob suspending a heart shaped locket decorated with gold and silver shakudo style inlay. One side of the locket is decorated with a beautifully worked iris and foliage, while the other side has a pair of inlaid swallows. The interior is engraved, either with the maker’s name or with an affectionate inscription. This is a most unusual adaptation of the Western imagery of the heart as a love token with the late 19th century Japanese aesthetic.

Origin: Japan, ca. 1900. Condition: excellent, all original, patination intact. Size: overall, 5-5/8” long; heart, 11/16” x 21/32”. Weight: 17.5 grams.

A very pretty pair of Shakudo earrings in the form of partially folded fans. The dark metal surfaces are delicately enhanced with silver cranes amid gold plum blossoms, rocks and tree stumps. The crane was used in Japanese art to symbolize longevity. The fans are suspended from 18K rose gold wires. After the collapse of the feudal system in Japan, the artists who created elaborately decorated swords turned to jewelry as a way to express their creativity. Sometimes shakudo pieces were turned into jewelry with the addition of later mountings, but in this case the earring fittings appear to be original. It is also rather unusual for shakudo jewelry to have gold findings rather than silver.

Origin: Japan, ca. 1890. Condition: excellent, all original. Size: maximum width 11/16”; 1-11/16” long to top of earwire.

A magnificent bracelet comprising seven gold coins spanning the reigns of six Medieval and Renaissance French kings from 1429 to 1610. L to R: (1) écu d’or au soleil from the reign of Henri III, dated 1587; (2) écu d’or au soleil from the reign of Charles IX, dated 1566; (3) écu d’or au soleil du dauphiné from the reign of François I, issued 1515-1528; (4) royal d’or from the reign of Charles VII le Victorieux, issued 1429-1431; (5) écu d’or au soleil from the reign of François I, issued 1515-1519; (6) écu d’or au soleil from the reign of Henri IV, issued 1590-1610; and (7) henri d’or from the reign of Henri II, dated 1559. The larger center coin is 24K gold and the other six are 23K. The coins are mounted, probably around 1900, in simple 18K gold collet settings that do not detract from the beauty of the coins. All of the coins are very near the top rarity ratings for coin collectors, and had they not been set into the bracelet, their current numismatic value would be around $22,000. The pendant came from the family that owned the Medieval French coin pendant in our collection.

Henri III (r 1575-1589) was the last king from the House of Valois. He was bullied by his mother, Catherine de Médicis, tried to marry Queen Elizabeth I despite being openly gay, and was eventually assassinated by a Catholic zealot.

Charles IX (r 1562-1589) was Henri III’s older brother and was also bullied by their mother Catherine with whom he orchestrated the Saint Bartholomew’s Day Massacre that killed 70,000 French Protestants.

François I (r 1515-1547) was France’s Renaissance king, known for building projects such as the Châteaux at Fontainebleau, Amboise, and Chambord, and for bringing Leonardo da Vinci (and the Mona Lisa) to France in the artist’s later years.

Charles VII “le Victorieux” or "le Bien Servi (“the Victorious” or “the Well-Served”) (r 1422-1461) was put on the throne through the efforts of Jeanne d’Arc who helped him win the Hundred Years’ War. The coin was minted right around the same year Jeanne was burned at the stake for witchcraft.

Henri IV “le Grand,” “le Bon Roi,” or “le Vert Galant” (“the Great,” “the Good King,” or “the Green Gallant”) (r 1590-1610) was the first king from the House of Bourbon. Though he was originally a Protestant, he converted to Catholicism to claim the throne, famously remarking “Paris is worth a Mass.” He pardoned all Protestants with the Edict of Nantes and was promptly assassinated by yet another Catholic zealot. He was called “le Vert Galant” because of his prowess with numerous simultaneous mistresses even at what was considered the very advanced age of 56.

Henri II (r 1547-1559) was responsible for bringing the previously mentioned notorious Catherine de Médicis to France as his bride. He created the world’s first patent system for new inventions but spent much of the rest of his time cutting out the tongues of Protestant ministers or burning them at the stake. All three of his sons became Kings of France, including one that Henri married off to Mary, Queen of Scots. He was struck in the eye with a lance during a jousting tournament and died of sepsis and brain damage.

• Origin: France, 1429-1610
• Condition: excellent; sharp detail on coins
• Dimensions: 8” long, 1-3/16” maximum width
• Weight: 37.8 grams.

A classic coin pendant in a simple 18K gold frame, but featuring a spectacularly rare and beautiful “Franc a cheval” coin from the reign of Jean II “le Bon” (“the Good.”) The coin was minted in Paris for just a little more than three years, December 1360-April 64. The front of the coin depicts the king charging on horseback, wearing full armor and a fleur-de-lis crown and with his broadsword raised. The horse, too, is decked out in armor decorated with fleurs-de-lis. The image is surrounded by a Latin inscription translated as “Jean, by grace of God, King of the Franks.” The obverse features a cross surrounded by fleurs-de-lis, in turn surrounded by the Latin motto, “Christ vanquishes, Christ reigns, Christ commands.” The coin is 24K gold and is mounted in a non-invasive 18K frame. The frame probably dates to the mid-20th century and bears French 18K gold hallmarks. The pendant came from the family that owned the Medieval and Renaissance French coin bracelet in our collection.

Jean ascended to the throne in 1350 at a time when France was suffering from the Black Death and was thirteen years into the Hundred Years’ War with England. He was captured by the Black Prince at the Battle of Poitiers in 1356 and taken to the Tower of London. A treaty with King Edward III promised Jean his freedom if he could pay a ransom equal to three times France’s entire annual revenue. He was granted freedom in exchange for offering his son as a captive while he returned to France to raise the ransom. On December 5, 1360, he issued an order to create an entirely new gold coin to be used for the ransom. The word “franc” meant “freedom,” and thereafter French currency has always been known as the franc. Jean’s son escaped captivity in England in 1363, but in chivalric gesture, the King volunteered to take his place, saying “If good faith were banned from the Earth, it ought to find asylum in the hearts of kings.” He returned to England, where he died the following year.

• Origin: France, 1350-54
• Condition: excellent, sharp detail
• Dimensions: 1-1/4” diameter (excluding bail and jump ring)
• Weight: 8.2 grams

A fine Art Deco sterling silver pendant necklace by famed illustrator and jewelry designer McClelland Barclay. The square pendant shows a water lily and lily pad along with several buds in a stylized form. The pendant is suspended from its original silver chain. The reverse is marked "Sterling Silver" and is signed "McClelland Barclay".

Barclay was a noted illustrator, famous for his pin-up style advertisements for General Motors and for Hollywood movies. At the onset of World War II, he volunteered to join the Navy and painted many of the most important recruiting and propaganda images. In 1942, he started designing silver jewelry. He was stationed on ships in the South Pacific and sent his designs via mail to the manufacturing company, Rice-Weiner. He was killed when his ship was torpedoed in 1943.

Origin: America, 1942-43. Condition: excellent. Dimensions: pendant, 2" x 2-1/4"; chain length, 24-1/2". Weight: 35.5 gr.

A fine and very early pair of silver cufflinks in the “Maya” pattern by Margot de Taxco. Margot established her own studio in 1948. The “Maya” pattern, displaying a strongly-featured native Mexican man in profile, became one of her iconic designs. The cufflinks are generously sized and retain a nice patina. The backs of the faces are stamped with marks used before the introduction of the eagle system in 1948, so the cufflinks can be dated to a very early date for Margot.

Origin: Mexico, ca. 1948. Condition: excellent; sharp detail. Size: 1” x 3/4”. Weight: 13.6 grams.