Catalog: Estate Jewelry: Cufflinks and Accessories (504)

A fine pair of French Art Nouveau 18K gold cufflinks, the faces depicting a mythological dragon with a scaly body and feathered wings. The cufflinks are very finely detailed. The back are stamped with French 18K gold marks.

• Origin: France, ca. 1890
• Condition: excellent
• Dimensions: faces, 9/19” diameter
• Weight: 9.8 grams

A handsome pair of Victorian 14K yellow gold cufflinks, the oval faces set with navette-shaped cabochons of lapis lazuli within surrounding gold borders enhanced with foliate engraving. The lapis is of the finest quality—known as Afghan lapis—with a rich dark violet-blue color. There are very few of the gold-colored flecks of pyrite which actually denote a lower quality of lapis. The faces are attached with arched connectors to bean backs. The connectors are marked for 14K and have the maker's mark for Wordley, Alsopp & Bliss.

Origin: America, ca. 1900. Condition: excellent; one bean back has a very slightly flattened area that would be positioned on the inside of the wrist when the cufflinks are being worn. Dimensions: 3/4" x 7/16". Weight: 5.0 grams.

A pair of classic Art Nouveau 14K gold bean-back cufflinks, the faces with repousse decoration depicting a long-haired maiden. The long hair and star-set old European cut diamonds discreetly hide any of her naughty bits. The connectors are stamped “14K.”

• Origin: America, ca 1900
• Condition: excellent, sharp detail
• Dimensions: faces, 3/4" x 9/16”
• Weight: 4.4 grams
• Approximate Total Diamond Weight: .06 carat

A handsome pair of Victorian 14K yellow gold double-sided cufflinks, the faces set with cabochon agates. The variety of agate is called “landscape agate” because the colors and markings resemble painted landscapes. These particular stones suggest colorful sunsets behind wooded landscapes. The bezel settings are finished with fine millegraining. The connectors are marked 14K and have an unknown American maker’s mark.

Origin: America, ca. 1890. Condition: excellent. Size: 5/8” x 9/16”. Weight: 10.4 grams.

An elegant pair of 18K yellow gold Art Nouveau cufflinks set with rose and single cut diamonds. The cufflinks have a classic design of whiplash curves typical of Art Nouveau jewelry. They are worked in both slightly matte bloomed and polished textures for added interest. The torpedo backs are connected by wired bridges. The cufflinks are stamped with French import marks, apparently those used for temporary admission into the country so they could be displayed at one of the international design salons around the turn of the 20th century.

• Origin: Continental Europe, ca 1900
• Condition: excellent
• Dimensions, faces, 3/4" x 13/32”
• Approximate Total Diamond Weight: .66 carat
• Weight: 6.5 grams

A very rare pair of Victorian 14K gold bean-back cufflinks, the round faces depicting a young man and woman in Renaissance dress. The face with the man is marked “Romeo” near the border and the lady is marked “Juliette.” Note the French spelling of her name. These same medals occasionally appear in French jewels of the period. Lacking very many good Art Nouveau designers here, American designers sometimes commissioned Parisian jewelers to make certain elements such as the faces of these cufflinks that were later assembled in the U.S. as completed piece of jewelry. At others times, they simply copied the French version. The sharpness in the design, including the lightly stippled background texture, confirms that the faces were made by the original artist in Paris. The connectors are marked with Bippart, Griscom & Osborne’s 14K hallmark.

• Origin: faces, France, ca 1903; remainder, America, ca 1905
• Condition: very good, sharp detail, a small seam separation on one connector bar that doesn't detract from the appearance or utility
• Dimensions: 9/16" diameter
• Weight: 6.4 grams

An extraordinarily fine pair of late Victorian or early Edwardian 18K yellow gold cufflinks, the faces in the form of navette-shaped buttons carved from crystal opal. The faces are accented with silver “stitches”, each accented with a five small rose cut diamonds. The opals have clear body color and the play-of-color is predominantly shades of green and blue with occasional flecks of orangy-red. The faces are connected by gold chains to gold torpedo backs. The use of carved opal as a button motif is most unusual, as is the use of crystal open rather than the more common white opal. The overall effect is subtle and very sophisticated. Tested and guaranteed 18K gold.

Origin: Continental Europe, ca. 1900. Condition: excellent. Size: 13/16” x 5/16”. Weight: 4.8 gr.

Red speckles stand out brightly against the dark greenish-black background of the bloodstone plaques featured in this pair of double-sided Victorian cufflinks by Larter. NOTE: the color contrast is more apparent in person than shown in the photos due to the reflectivity of the stones. Bloodstone, or Jasper, is also considered to be the "traditional" birthstone for March, while Aquamarine is considered to be the "modern" birthstone for March. Bloodstone is aligned with the Zodiac sign of Aries and is noted for its "healing properties." The stones are edged in 14K yellow gold borders engraved with a foliate motif. The oval faces are attached with figure-eight connectors signed with Larter's hallmark.

• America, ca. 1900.
• Excellent condition; all original.
• 5/8" x 1/2" (faces).
• 7.2 grams.

A handsome pair of double-sided cufflinks featuring oval agate cabochons collet-set in 10K yellow gold. The stones are an interesting honey color streaked with rust and gray. The connectors are marked “10K”.

Origin: America, ca. 1900. Condition: excellent, all original. Size: 3/4" x 3/8”.

An extraordinary pair of 18K yellow gold cufflinks in the shape of thistles. The leaves and choke of the thistle are bead-set with round cut emeralds, while the blossoms are set with pale round cut amethysts. The emeralds, though small, have medium-dark tone, intensely saturated green color. Though the individual stones are small, the strength of color creates a very good appearance, and there is no sign of treatment. The faces are connected by chains to ropetwist baton backs. Tested and guaranteed 18K.

Origin: America, ca. 1900. Condition: excellent, all original. Size: 7/8” x 7/8”. Weight: 13.9 grams. Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: amethyst, .48 ct; emerald, 1.08 cts.

A handsome pair of Victorian 14K yellow gold cufflinks, the oval faces enhanced with translucent guilloche enamel in French blue surrounded by a raised laurel wreath border. The faces are attached by arched conectors to beanbacks. Each cufflink is stamped with Carter, Gough & Co.'s hallmark.

Origin: America, ca. 1900. Condition: excellent, no dings to gold; normal light wear to enameled surfaces visible under magnification but not apparent to the unaided eye. Dimensions: 3/4" x 1/2". Weight: 7.4 grams.

A rare pair of Art Nouveau 14K yellow gold bean-back cufflinks, the oval faces with repousse decoration representing Poseidon (“Neptune”), god of the sea. The god is identifiable by the trident that forms his crown. The background at first appears to be a simple stippled pattern, but careful examination shows that the background is actually worked in a very fine pattern of fish scales. Mythollogical subjects were very popular in men’s jewelry at the end of the 19th century, but this is the first time we’ve seen cufflinks with the image of Poseidon. The bean backs are marked by an unidentified American maker and are stamped “14K”.

Origin: America, ca. 1880. Condition: excellent, sharp detail, no dings. Size: 11/16” x 1/2". Weight: 5.3 grams.

A nice pair of Edwardian 14K yellow gold cufflinks. The rectangular faces have curved sides. One face of each cufflinks has nice engine-turned and floral engraving. The other faces have a plain surface with an engraved border perfect for a monogram. The connectors are marked “14K”.

Origin: America, ca. 1900. Condition: excellent, no monogram. Size: 5/8” x 15/32”. Weight: 3.5 grams.

A handsome pair of 14K gold double-sided cufflinks, the faces set with round cabochon almandite garnets. The stones are not foiled, and have an usually bright color without the typical brownish or orangey overtones usually seen in almandite. The connectors are stamped “14K.”

• Origin: America, ca. 1900
• Condition: excellent
• Dimensions: faces, 7/16” diameter
• Approximate Total Garnet Weight: 15.16 carats
• Weight: 7.5 grams

A very good pair of doubled-sided 18K yellow gold cufflinks, the faces made from carved mother-of-pearl punctuated with gold “stitches” and finely-worked laurel wreath borders. The backs of the faces are beautifully decorated in an engraved foliate pattern. The faces are connected by chains. Fully marked with French “tete d’aigle” hallmarks for 18K.

Origin: France, ca. 1900. Condition: excellent, all original. Size: 9/16” diameter. Weight: 6.3 grams.

A very good pair of 14Kyellow gold cufflinks, the oval faces enhanced with foliate engraving around the edges and centering .25-carat old European diamonds. The torpedo backs are decorated with matching foliate engraving. The diamonds are unusually large for cufflinks of this period and are of excellent quality, graded as I color and VS1 clarity. Tested and guaranteed 14K.

Origin: America, ca. 1890. Condition: excellent, all original. Size: front faces, 1/2” x 3/4”. Weight: 8.7 grams. Approximate Total Diamond Weight: .50 carat.

A particularly elegant pair of double-sided cufflinks by Larter. The round mother-of-pearl faces are centered with small natural pearls and surrounded with platinum borders decorated with laurel leaf engraving. The backs are in 14K yellow gold. The mother-of-pearl has very nice luster with pinkish and greenish overtones. These cufflinks would be especially appropriate to be worn with white-tie. The connectors are stamped with Larter's hallmark.

Origin: America, ca. 1900. Condition: excellent, all original. Size: 17/32" diameter. Weight: 5.0 gr.

Of the thousands of cufflinks we’ve handled over the years, this is the first pair of Art Nouveau bean-back cufflinks we’ve ever seen that have a matching design worked on both the primary face and the bean back. The 14K yellow gold links are worked with a repousse design of a maiden wearing an ornate headdress filled with the scrolls and whiplash curves typical of Art Nouveau design. The connectors are hallmarked by Krementz and are marked “14K”.

Origin: America, ca. 1900. Condition: excellent, all original, sharp details. Size: large faces, 3/4” x 9/16; small faces, 1/2” x 3/8”. Weight: 5.2 grams.