Catalog: Estate Jewelry: Cufflinks and Accessories (503)

A heavy and finely made pair of 18K yellow gold cufflinks in the doorknocker style. The faces are attached with solid curved connectors to flip backs in a Moorish-inspired openwork arabesque pattern. The curved connectors cause the cufflinks to lie very flat against the cuff (despite their weight) for a really elegant appearance. The doorknocker motif has been a recurring element in French jewelry since Cartier introduced it during the Art Deco era. The early 1970s saw a resurgence of the motif in pieces by Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels and other important houses. The cufflinks are fully stamped with French 18K gold hallmarks and bear an unidentified master goldsmith’s mark.

Origin: France, ca. 1970. Condition: excellent, all original. Size: front faces, 11/16” x 11/16”; back faces, 1/2" x 1/2”. Weight: 18.7 grams.

A very attractive pair of 18K yellow gold cufflinks in the stirrup (“etrier”) style originally popularized by Cartier in the Art Deco era. The solid hinged bar passes through the cuff holes and the angled legs surround the outside of the cuffs to hold them securely together. The legs are decorated in an elegant herringbone weave pattern that creates just a little soft sparkle. The cufflinks are fully stamped with French 18K gold hallmarks and have an unidentified maker’s mark.

Origin: France, ca. 1960. Condition: excellent, all original. Size: 1” x 3/4". Weight: 13.0 grams.

A classic pair of 18K yellow gold cufflinks in the snaffle bit (“mors de filet”) or flip-up style modeled on a horse bit. The circular faces are simply enhanced with tubular concentric rings. The design is elegant, but casual enough to wear with a sport coat or event jeans. The cufflinks are fully stamped with French 18K gold hallmarks and have an unidentified maker’s mark.

Origin: France, ca. 1980. Condition: excellent, all original. Size: faces, 19/32” diameter. Weight: 8.5 grams.

A handsome pair of 18K yellow gold cufflinks in the stirrup (“etrier”) style originally popularized by Cartier in the Art Deco era. The solid hinged bar passes through the cuff holes and the angled legs surround the outside of the cuffs to hold them securely together. The legs of this pair are accented in a severely geometric ridged pattern and their slight tapering prevents the appearance of being overly heavy. The cufflinks are fully stamped with French 18K gold hallmarks.

Origin: France, ca. 1955. Condition: excellent, all original. Size: 1” x 3/4”. Weight: 10.8 grams.

A superb pair of late Victorian or Edwardian 14K yellow gold double-sided cufflinks, the faces set with reverse-carved and painted Essex crystals depicting a cockfight. Cufflinks depicting a cockfight are quite rare. The workmanship in this pair is outstanding. The carving is deep and the painting is expertly done. The mother-of-pearl backing is particularly lustrous with fine iridescence. The crystals are simply set in gold frames attached with bar connectors marked "14K".

At the turn of the century, cockfighting was considered a gentleman's sport and images from fights appeared on a variety of gentlemen's accessories and barware. The images tell the story of the whole match. One crystal shows the roosters meeting for the first time; the second shows one rooster attacking; the third shows the counter-attack; and the final crystal shows the winning rooster crowing over his vanquished enemy.

Origin: America, ca. 1900. Condition: excellent; one face has very faint moisture marks on the mother-of-pearl, but no paint loss. Size: faces, 11/16" x 9/16". Weight: 13.3 grams.

A handsome, heavy pair of 18K yellow gold and onyx cufflinks, each fashioned as two spheres joined by chain-like connectors. The design is a play on positive/negative space. The larger spheres are constructed in gold decorated with concentric rings and inset at the equator with a recessed band of black onyx. The smaller spheres are the opposite—onyx spheres inset with a slightly protruding band of gold at the equator. The gold mountings on the onyx spheres and the middle of each connector are decorated with concentric rings to echo the larger spheres. Altogether, this is an understated, but very sophisticated design. Each cufflink is fully stamped with French hallmarks for 18K gold and with a master goldsmith’s mark.

Origin: France, ca. 1950. Size: large spheres, 1/2" diameter; small spheres, 11/32” diameter. Weight: 13.7 grams.

A handsome pair of Retro 18K yellow gold cufflinks, the faces bordered with an interesting detail that resembles coil springs. The plain gold bar in the middle of each face could be monogrammed, but fortunately, they never were. Each cufflink is fully stamped with French 18K gold hallmarks and an unidentified master goldsmith’s mark.

Origin: France, ca. 1935. Condition: excellent, all original. Size: faces, 7/16” 3/8”. Weight: 6.9 grams.

A nice pair of French Art Deco cufflinks, the faces made from lapidary-cut lapis lazuli simply set in 18K yellow gold. The lapis has nice coloring with small flecks of gold. The faces are connected with chains to torpedo backs. The cufflinks are fully stamped with French 18K gold hallmarks.

Origin: France, ca. 1920. Condition: good; all original; both torpedoes have some small dings that are not particularly distracting. Size: faces, 1/2" diameter. Weight: 6.2 grams.

A beautiful pair of late Victorian 14K yellow gold cufflinks set with cat’s-eye chrysoberyls by M. Nosey Dragon & Co. of Tientsin (now Tianjin), China. Each chrysoberyl is surrounded by a finely detailed gold dragon, complete with scales, claws and whiskers. The chrysoberyls are unusually dark, tending toward a grayish-green instead of the more common golden brown. The cat’s-eye effect is very strong. The faces are connected with chains to torpedo backs signed “Nosey” and marked “K14”. The cufflinks are presented in their original fitted velvet and silk box imprinted with the maker’s name. The port city of Tientsin was opened by treaty with France and England in 1860 and became one of the most important trading and tourism cities in Eastern Asia. Fine jewelry, Chinese antiquities and other goods were readily available to wealthy visitors.

Origin: China, ca. 1895. Condition: excellent, all original. Size: 3/4” X 1/2". Weight: 8.4 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 fine pair of Art Deco 14K yellow gold double-sided cufflinks, the faces set with sugarloaf cabochons of colorful jasper chalcedony. The pattern of inclusions is similar to moss agate, but the greenish wisps appear against a semi-transparent background of deep rust instead of the more typical creamy beige. They’re really quite attractive stones in an unusual pattern. The faces are attached by solid connectors stamped with Larter’s 14K hallmark.

Origin: America, ca. 1925. Condition: excellent. Size: 9/16” x 9/16”. Weight: 9.5 grams.

A superb pair of vintage couture 18K yellow gold and carnelian cufflinks by Pierre Cardin. The square faces, with rounded corners, support round carnelian plaques of very rich color. The gold structure beneath the carnelian shows through the translucent gemstones to create a strong geometric pattern typical of Cardin's aesthetic. Cardin was fascinated by the juxtaposition of squares and circles beginning with his famous "Bubble Dress" in 1954, and he returned to the theme repeatedly over the next two decades. The faces are attached with solid arched connectors to spherical backs.

In the 1960's, Cardin collaborated with a handful of young modernist jewelry designers such as Jean Dinh Van to create fine jewelry items. There were never many of these designs, and they were only sold at Cardin's flagship couture boutique in Paris. Some of these rare designs have now entered the permanent holdings of the French national jewelry collection at the Musee des Arts Decoratifs in Paris.

The cufflinks are signed "P. Cardin" and are fully hallmarked with appropriate French stamps for 18K gold.

Origin: France, ca. 1968. Condition: excellent, all original. Size: 5/8 x 5/8". Weight: 15.1 grams.

A fine pair of vintage 18K yellow gold cufflinks by Van Cleef & Arpels. Each of the faces is designed as seed cluster similar to a thistle or the middle of a black-eyed Susan. During the 1960s, VCA excelled in naturalistic motifs interpreted in finely worked gold. These were a reaction to the glamorous diamond and gemstone-encrusted creations of the 1950s. Understated designs worked in yellow gold, which had not been widely used since the 1940s, were embraced by the leading French joailliers and were considered the height of fashion. The craftsmanship and overall design of these cufflinks is understated, but quite elegant. Even the chain connectors are worked with beveled links instead of the more common and easily-made rounded links. The cufflinks are marked "Van Cleef & Arpels/750/B3231". They also have a copyright mark for 1965 and all the appropriate French hallmarks for 18K.

Origin: France, ca. 1965. Condition: excellent, sharp detail. Size: 7/16 diameter. Weight: 9.6 grams.

A very attractive pair of Art Deco 14K white gold cufflinks, the rectangular faces set with plaques of rich translucent green chalcedony. The white gold borders are enhanced with engraving. Art Deco cufflinks set with green stones are difficult to find. The connectors are marked "14K".

Origin: America, ca. 1920. Condition: excellent, all original. Size: 1/2" X 13/32". Weight: 3.9 grams.

A beautiful pair of French 18K yellow gold double-faced cufflinks, the round faces decorated with deep green guilloche enamel bordered in opaque white champleve enamel. The gold surfaces under the translucent enamel are decorated with engine-turned engraving in a pattern of concentric circles studded with small dots in a starburst or snowflake arrangement. The faces are joined with the original chain connectors. The backs are stamped with French “tete d’aigle” hallmarks for 18K gold.

Origin: France, ca. 1910. Condition: excellent, very slight surface wear to enamel visible under 10x magnification. Size: 5/8” diameter. Weight: 11.0 grams.

A superb dress set, comprising a pair of cufflinks and three shirt studs, by Tiffany & Co. Each face is fashioned from a disc of abalone centering a old European cut diamond collet-set in platinum. The borders of the faces are worked in platinum enhanced with bright-cut engraving. The diamonds are G-H color, VS clarity. The abalone has deep luster with strong overtones of iridescent red, green and orange. Cufflinks made from abablone are much less common than those made from gray or white mother-of-pearl. The added sparkle from the engraved platinum contrasts nicely. The backs and findings are worked in 14K yellow gold, but only the platinum shows when being worn. The backs are marked “Tiffany & Co./14K” and “Plat. & Gold”.

Origin: America, ca. 1910. Condition: excellent. Size: cufflinks, 9/16” diameter; studs, 5/16” diameter. Weight: 13.3 grams. Approximate Total Diamond Weight: .32 ct.

An attractive pair of Scandinavian .835 silver cufflinks, the oval faces set with amber cabochons with silver ropework borders. The amber is a light orangey-honey color with excellent clarity. The solid connectors are marked only “835” for the silver content and “3” for a pattern number.

Origin: Scandinavian or Baltic region, ca. 1970. Condition: excellent. Size: 3/4” x 19/32”. Weight: 10.5 grams.

A fine pair of modernist sterling silver cufflinks featuring South Sea black pearls by Ted Lowy. The pearls have dark gray body color with very pronounced and desirable peacock overtones in rose, green and purple. The backs are marked “Sterling/Ted Lowy”. Lowy was active in South Orange, NJ during the 1960’s and 70’s. He is still living, now aged 93. He was not especially prolific and his pieces rarely come on the market. He exhibited at New York’s Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum in 1961, but little else is known about his career.

Origin: America, ca. 1970. Condition: excellent. Size: 3/4" diameter. Weight: 11.4 grams.