Catalog: Estate Jewelry (1639)

A fine and large pair of 18K yellow gold and multi-stone Sputnik earrings by H Stern. This classic modernist design features goldn domes studded with various colored gemstones including green tourmaline, pink tourmaline, amethyst, aquamarine, citrine and garnet. Each piece of Sputnik jewelry has a unique appearance depending upon the combination and arrangement of the gemstones. The design was created specifically to show off the range of colored gemstones from Stern’s Brazil mines, but it quickly came to be known as “Sputnik” because of its spiky resemblance to the 1960’s Soviet satellite. The clips are marked with an older Stern hallmark. The earrings have their original clips and never had posts. Posts could easily be added. Marked “750” and “18K”.

Origin: Brazil, ca. 1970. Condition: excellent, all original. Size: 15/16” diameter; 1/2” high. Weight: 10.8 grams. Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: 9.79 cts (green tourmaline, 2.67cts; citrine, 2.29cts; aquamarine, 2.09cts; pink tourmaline, 1.58cts; aquamarine, .70cts; amethyst, .46cts).

A pair of high quality 1960s French 18K gold earrings featuring cabochons of ruby, sapphire and emerald nestled in a spiky gold design the resembles chestnuts as they burst from their shells at the peak of ripeness. The gemstones are intensely saturated in pure tones of red, blue and green. The earrings bear French hallmarks for 18K gold and have an unidentified maker's mark "Ste EUR". The earrings have clip backs, but the levers have an opening so posts could be added, if desired.

• France, circa 1960
• Excellent condition
• Dimensions: 1" x 1 3/8"
• 19.2 grams
• Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: ruby, 1.52 carats; sapphire, 1.40 carats; emerald, .82 carat

A handsome pair of mid-century modern 14K gold and malachite cufflinks reminiscent of an Aztec design. The arch cabochons of malachite have very nice color n markings. The gold surfaces are stippled for added textural interest. The toggle backs are stamped "14k."

• Origin: America, ca. 1970.
• Dimensions: faces, 1 1/8" x 23/32"
• Weight: 18.0 grams.
• Condition: excellent

Fabulous 1960's David Webb seven-strand emerald bead torsade necklace finished with an 18K yellow gold clasp featuring a cushion-shaped rock crystal plaque centering a oval cabochon emerald flanked at the top and bottom with round brilliant-cut diamonds. This design is so evocative of the classic chunky Webb style, and the workmanship is of the finest quality. The diamonds are F color, VVS2 clarity. The 305 carats of fully-faceted emerald beads are fully faceted and are beautifully matched to the 27.28-carat cabochon emerald in the clasp. The emeralds, graded as "medium, moderately-strong, slightly yellowish green" (slyG 4/4), have a very pleasing and lively appearance. The clasp is signed "Webb" and is marked "18K".

When worn with the clasp, the necklace can be worn with the clasp at the front, back or to the side (our favorite). The torsade may also be worn without the clasp. For an even simpler, more modern look, the clasp may be threaded on a black silk cord as a pendant.

Origin: America, ca. 1965. Condition: excellent, all original. Size: overall length, 17-5/8"; clasp, 1-3/8" x 1-3/16". Weight: clasp, 26.0 grams. Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: diamond, 1.16 carats; emerald, 332.28 carats.

A handsome pair of French 18K yellow gold cufflinks, the faces comprising white jasper chalcedony carved into quadrants and enhanced with rope-twist gold bindings. The faces are connected by chains to barbell backs. The jasper chalcedony has a very attractive translucent milky white color with a tinge of bluish-gray (the photographs seem to have a more pink tint). Each cufflink is stamped with French 18K gold marks and with an illegible maker's mark.

Origin: France. Dimensions: 9/16" x 9/16". Weight: 11.3 gr.

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 classic late 1960s 14K gold and diamond cocktail ring in a "snowflake" design. The seventeen diamonds are set in white gold to highlight their color. The diamonds are graded as J/I1. The openness of the setting gives the ring a delicate appearance. The yellow gold shank is stamped "14K".

Origin: America, ca. 1968. Condition: excellent. Dimensions: crown, 5/8" diameter. Finger Size: 9. Weight: 5.7 gr. Approximate Total Diamond Weight: .50 ct.

A very rare 18K yellow gold ring set with a black pearl designed by Jean Dinh Van for Pierre Cardin. The design has an overall trapezoidal shape. The shank is doubled at the back and then comes together into a single head at the front, where it grasps a single black pearl. The 6mm pearl has nice lustre and even, natural coloring. The back of the shank is fully stamped with the French goldsmith's mark and "18K". The interior is signed "Pierre Cardin".

Jean Dinh Van is one of the most important modernist French jewelers. He apprenticed at Cartier before starting his own studio in 1965. Dinh Van collaborated with most of the avant-garde fashion designers of the era, including Pierre Cardin and Paco Rabanne. The squared-off outline and simple placement of a single pearl is very typical of Dinh Van's work for Cardin, yet this is the first example we've seen of this design. One of his designs for Cardin is included in the permanent collection of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris and is published in numerous books.

Origin: France, ca. 1966. Condition: excellent. Finger Size: 5-1/2. Dimensions: shank, 1/8" wide at front, 1/4" wide at back. Weight: 5.7 grams.

A nice Italian Etruscan style 18K gold lantern-shamed fob charm enhanced with coral cabochons. The midsection of the charm is left open to give it a feeling of lightness and to bring more life to the coral. The gold surfaces are enhanced with twisted wire and rosette decoration. The charm is stamped “750” for 18K.

• Origin: Italy, ca. 1960
• Condition: excellent
• Dimensions: 1” wide, 1-1/4” long (excluding jump ring)

A delightful vintage 18K yellow gold brooch in the form of a leopard by Fred of Paris. The leopard's spots a created of black enamel and his eyes are set with round emeralds flanked by round single-cut diamonds. The gemstones are of superb quality, as expected from one of the world's great jewelry houses. The brooch has a two-prong clip on the back. It bears French 18K gold hallmarks and is signed "Fred-Paris."

Origin: France, ca. 1960. Condition: excellent. Size: 2-3/8" x 1-9/16". Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: diamond, .13 ct; emerald, .04 ct. Weight: 27.8 gr.

A heavy 18K yellow gold egg-shaped fob charm decorated with ornate beading and twisted wirework in the Victorian Etruscan Revival style. The fob is further enhanced with oval and round coral cabochons. The coral is the intense orangey-red shade displayed by coral along the Mediterranean coast. Unlike most fob charms of this type, this example is hinged and opens to serve as a small container. In Victorian times, such a container would have held a small pad soaked in perfume so a lady wouldn't have to endure the smells on the streets. Marked “750” for 18K gold.

Origin: Italy, ca. 1960. Size: 1-3/8” long (excluding jump ring). Weight: 13.6 grams.

A fine vintage Tiffany & Co stylized leaf brooch worked in 18K gold and set with sapphires and diamonds. The elegant form is created from wirework that gives the brooch a light feeling despite its generous size. Tiffany employed this gold wire construction to simulate feathers, animal fur and other natural textures. The gems are prong set above the gold background for added dimension. The diamonds are G color, VS1 clarity; the sapphires have medium-dark, strongly saturated blue violet-blue color. The back has a two-prong fur clip and is marked "Tiffany & Co".

• Origin: America, ca. 1965
• Condition: excellent
• Dimensions: 1-5/8" x 1-3/8"
• Weight: 10.8 grams
• Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: apphire, .56 carat; diamond, .50 carat.

An outstanding 14K yellow gold and pearl ring in a sophisticated modernist the design. The split shank creates a flat crown enclosing a row of three pearls, graduating from 5.3 to 6.6 mm. The quality of the pearls are easily on a par with Mikimoto. The luster is superb, the color is cream with rosé overtones, and the surfaces are smooth. Overall, the quality is estimated at AA. The quality of the mounting itself, is likewise superb. The interior of the shank is marked "14K".

Origin: America, ca. 1960. Condition: excellent, all original. Size: crown, 3/4" x 7/16". Finger Size: 4-3/4 (could easily be enlarged). Weight: 9.5 grams.

A fine 18K yellow gold and multi-stone Sputnik ring by H. Stern. This classic modernist design features a golden dome studded with 19 variously colored gemstones including green tourmaline, citrine, amethyst, aquamarine and spessartite garnet. Each piece of Sputnik jewelry has a unique appearance depending on the color combinations and arrangement of the gemstones. This particular example is a little less haphazard than some and has a more symmetrical appearance (notice the alternating light and dark colored stones in the first ring out from the center stone and the placement of the citrines and orangy spessartite garnets always at an angle from each other in the outer rows). The design was created specifically to show off the range of colored stones mined in Stern’s native Brazil, but it quickly came to be known as “Sputnik” because of its resemblance to the 1960’s soviet satellite. The inside of the shank is marked with a Stern mark and “750” for 18K.

Origin: Brazil, ca. 1965. Condition: excellent. Finger Size: 8-1/4. Size: 7/8” diameter; 1/2" high. Weight: 4.9 gr. Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: 4.18 cts (amethyst, .59; aquamarine, 1.2; citrine, .78; green tourmaline, .68; spessartite garnet, .93).

A stunning pair of 18K yellow gold cufflinks by one of Italy's greatest 20th century jewelry artists, Nino D'Antonio Germano. Germano was born into an important family of Roman jewelers in 1926 and came of age during World War II. He was inspired by designs from antiquity, and his pieces often feature ancient Greek, Roman and Etruscan grotesques, masks and other elements. He was principally a sculptor, but made a very small amount of jewelry using the lost wax method of casting. This process is self-destructive and assures that every piece is nearly unique. Original pencil sketches of his jewelry designs are included in the artist's catalogue raisonne "Nino D'Antonio Germano Studio Catalogue Book" (transl, S. Brecker). The quality of the design and its execution is first-rate. The gold surfaces are acid washed to achieve the softly bloomed texture found in ancient jewels. The backs are signed "Germano" and are marked "750" for 18K gold.

Origin: Italy, ca. 1960s. Condition: excellent. Size: 3/4" diameter. Weight: 11.8 grams.

A nice pair of 14K yellow gold cufflinks set with 1-point diamonds. The faces are formed from entwined double tubular arches, and the diamonds are bead-set in a white gold swirl nestled between the arches. T he toggle backs are marked “14K”. The diamonds are nice quality, and their smaller size provides a little sparkle without being too flashy.

Origin: America, ca. 1965. Condition: excellent, all original. Size: 13/16” x 3/8”. Weight: 7.0 grams. Approximate Total Diamond Weight: .08 carat.

A wonderfully heavy vintage silver bracelet by Hermès. The bracelet has a triangular profile that stands well out from the surface of the wrist and a masterfully constructed so that it is flexible, but appears rigid when being worn. The inside edges of each link are parcel gilt, so the bracelet sometimes shows the slightest gold hue. This is probably the heaviest Hermès bracelet we have seen. The bracelet is presented in its original vintage fitted Hermès gray box. The bracelet is fully hallmarked with French first standard (950/1000 pure) silver marks and Hermès maker’s mark indicating it was made in the company’s own ateliers instead of being farmed out to other makers as was sometimes the case. The clasp is also signed “Hermès.”

• Origin: France, ca. 1960
• Condition: excellent
• Dimensions: 11/16” wide; 3/8” high; 8-1/4” long
• Weight: 148.0 grams.

Very stylish vintage 14K yellow gold brooch by Tiffany & Co. The simple flowing design will nicely accent a business suit or a little black dress. The back is marked "Tiffany & Co. 14K Germany". Ca. 1960. Condition: excellent, all original. Size: 2-5/16" x 5/8". Weight: 4.0 grams.